Wrestling With Temptation – and Overcoming It

You’ve probably heard about the guy who said, “I can overcome everything except temptation”? Maybe you’ve said or thought something like that yourself. Temptations of every kind surround us, as pervasive as the air we breathe. And during this Christmas season, with commercials and ads bombarding us on TV, social media and phone apps, temptation seems to be surging at a frenetic rate.

It all started with Adam and Eve. They saw that first temptation – to eat of the one tree God told them not to eat from – and decided it was too enticing to resist. The result was the first sin, what theologians call “The Fall,” and humanity’s been wrestling with a sin problem ever since.

 

Temptation comes in many forms, and what’s tempting for you might not be tempting for me – and vice versa. (Emphasis on vice.) Centuries ago, someone in Christian tradition came up with a list of the “seven deadly sins”: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. But even those ‘big seven’ can manifest themselves in countless ways.

 

Lust might involve sexual desires, but can also pertain to lusting for a car, a house, a boat, an item of jewelry or piece of furniture. Anything that generates strong passion or longing, such as the lust for power or influence, or for prestige and prominence. 

 

When we think of greed, fictional characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and King Midas immediately come to mind. Individuals for whom too much was never enough. One translation of 1 Timothy 6:10 declares that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.” It does not say that money is the root of everything evil, but money’s tempting powers are definitely manifested in a multitude of ways.

 

Gluttony is an interesting sin because it’s often overlooked. When was the last time you went to an all-you-can-eat church supper and found someone at the end of the line looking at your plate and saying, “Now, that’s all you can eat”?

 

Personally, I think that if there’s an actual root for every kind of evil it’s pride. Because pride – excessive regard for oneself without being concerned about the interests of others – seems to undergird every one of the big sins, and probably all of the smaller ones, too.

 

However, as I’ve often told men I was discipling and mentoring, temptation isn’t sin. Temptation is being presented with the opportunity to sin. Sin itself is acting upon the specific temptation, deciding it seems like a good idea.

 

How do we know that temptation and sin aren’t synonymous? Because as we read about Jesus Christ in Hebrews 2:18, “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” Later in the same book we’re told, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

 

Putting it simply, we don’t have to confess or repent being tempted. Because even Jesus was tempted. Confession and repentance are needed when we succumb to temptation – whatever it is – and commit sinful thoughts or actions.

 

The question is how do we successfully deal with temptations, fending them off so they don’t lead to sinful behavior? We can be heartened in knowing that Jesus, our Savior and Lord, experienced temptation. We can’t offer the excuse, ‘But Lord, you don’t understand.’ Because He indeed can and does understand, having faced similar temptations – and probably worse than any we could imagine.

 

This is why the next verse in Hebrews assures us, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). God promises to provide the strength and wisdom necessary.

 

Another passage speaks directly and clearly to this perplexing issue of temptation and how to overcome it. The apostle Paul wrote to the ancient church in Corinth, offering this counsel: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).

 

These verses contain several important points. First is the warning: If we’re feeling smug, with an attitude of ‘I’ve got this. No problem,’ beware. That might be the time we’re most vulnerable. History is littered with sad stories of spiritual ‘giants’ who fell into sins they felt confident could never touch them.

 

The second point is whatever it is, the temptation we’re facing isn’t unique. We haven’t discovered some unknown sin no one has ever experienced before. We’re not the first ones to ever deal with the temptation we might be wrestling with right now. 

 

One other key point is that in His faithfulness God promises He won’t allow us to face temptations beyond our capacity to cope with them. If we’re willing to let Him, the Lord will always provide ways out of temptation. “A way of escape,” as another translation states it.

 

An old friend, a diabetic, admitted having a weakness for Krispy Kreme donuts. He often would drive past the donut shop when its red neon sign was on, “Fresh Donuts,” beckoning to potential customers. For my friend, the ‘way of escape’ was to keep driving and resist the temptation to turn into the parking lot.

 

Temptations are everywhere. We don’t have to look for them. They’ll find us. But they don’t need to defeat us. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “I can do everything through [Christ] who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Including overcoming temptation.

Money: The Love Affair That’s Never Enough

Money. We all need it. You can’t buy stuff without it, right? Sure, there are things like credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo and other purchasing options, but ultimately, it’s a transfer of money from one person or entity to another. The question is, where does money rank in our priority lists? When do our needs turn into insatiable wants?

Years ago, someone posed a question to John D. Rockefeller, the world’s first billionaire. At the time his family name was synonymous with wealth and influence. The reporter asked, “How much is enough?” Rockefeller famously responded, holding a thumb and forefinger slightly apart, “Just a little bit more.”

 

Imagine, the richest person in the world at that moment calmly stating that what he had wasn’t enough. I suspect most of the affluent elites of today would say much the same thing. I still remember a pro athlete a few decades back who was awarded a contract making him the highest-paid player in his sport. He was ecstatic – until a couple weeks later when a rival player received an even larger contract. His proud grin twisted into a dissatisfied frown in a matter of moments.

 

This is hardly a phenomenon of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. In fact, a few thousand years ago King Solomon – purportedly the wealthiest man of his time by far – made this sage observation about money: “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless”  (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

 

It may indeed be meaningless, but that doesn’t stop people from chasing it. Every day we can turn on the TV and see a program or hear reports about wildly rich celebrities and their mansions. Some of them get on a soapbox decrying the needs of the poor while indulging in levels of lavishness most of us can’t even imagine. See any hypocrisy there?

 

We read about entrenched politicians, who supposedly ran for office to serve the public, who have found out public service can be quite lucrative, leading them to dishonesty and corruption. Seems they never read the warning of 1 Timothy 6:10) – “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 

 

Contrary to the understanding of some, this verse doesn’t say money is the root of all evil. But it does give birth to an amazing array of evils, such as greed, immorality, blackmail, embezzling, stealing, robbery, and many manifestations of dishonest and unethical behavior. Worst of all, the love of money can seduce even the faithful, causing them to compromise or turn away from their devotion to the Lord.

 

This is why Jesus, in the middle of His ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ declared, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24). 

 

Some translations use the word “mammon” instead of money, but the meaning is the same. If wealth and affluence are the object of our affections, they can’t help but diminish our love for God.

 

Does this mean that to be a follower of Jesus Christ one must take a vow of poverty? No, although there certainly have been some who have found that necessary for them to serve Him with single-minded determination and intensity.

 

I have a friend who said before committing his life to Christ, “I could touch manure and it would turn into gold.” After his spiritual rebirth however, he admitted, “I could touch gold and it would turn into manure.” But after spending the early part of his adult life in the unrelenting pursuit of money, he now agrees with Solomon that it indeed was meaningless. He has no regrets that Jesus has taken top priority in his life.

 

Even if we’re not numbered among the financially elite “10 percent” politicians are always talking about, that doesn’t provide immunity from the lure and love of money. We can visit a friend’s home and find ourselves feeling jealous of what they have. We can see a shiny, just-out-of-the-showroom luxury car and fantasize about what it would be like to possess one like it. We can envy folks who seem to be on a never-ending parade of amazing journeys to places we’ve only seen on TV and in magazines. 

 

Surely there have been people in Third World countries living in huts of straw who have felt greatly envious of others in their villages whose dwellings had roofs of tin. Wealth is relative, but the love of money and what it can provide is universal.

 

So, what are we to do about this? Do we simply offer the excuse, “Well, I’m only human?” Should we justify feeling angry toward God for giving us less and someone else more? We can – but such thinking won’t bring us one inch closer to the Lord. It might even erect a wall that could disrupt or permanently short-circuit our relationship with Him.

 

Or we can confess our misplaced love and follow the advice of the writer of Hebrews who admonished, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

In our materialistic, consumer-oriented world this is much more easily said than done. But do we believe it? Do we, by faith, trust that God will meet our needs and contentedly believe that is enough – not “just a little bit more”? 

That Pesky Root of Lots of Things

There’s a misconception that the Bible declares “money is the root of all evil.” That’s not exactly true, although that is pretty close to how it’s rendered in the King James Version. The KJV stipulates evil is rooted in “the love of money.” The way most translations express it is, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). 

Mankind has devised many kinds of evil that have nothing to do with money – at least directly. But love for money definitely has resulted in countless forms of evil thinking and behavior. One doesn’t have to look very closely at the realms of business, politics, entertainment and even education to confirm that.

Over my years of discipling and mentoring other men, I’ve observed an interesting phenomenon. Within these very personal, trusting relationships, men have confided in me about all manner of things – marital struggles, various forms of addiction, uncontrolled outbursts of anger, infidelity, and other behaviors they had never shared with anyone else. However, almost unanimously, the one topic that has been off-limits even within the secure confines of a discipling or mentoring environment has been money.

I remember a time when a man had just told me about difficulties he was experiencing in his marriage. We talked about those for a while, and I expressed some observations. I don’t tell people what I think they should do, but do offer perspectives they might find helpful. Then – and I don’t recall exactly why – I asked him about his income. He hesitated, and then said something like, “Well, I really don’t talk with people about money. That’s personal, you know.”

Trying to keep from laughing, I thought, “Wow! This guy has just given me some candid information about his relationship with his wife, but a simple question about money is ‘personal’?” It wasn’t like I was trying to hit him up for a loan. But I’ve learned this is not unusual; it’s more the norm than the exception.

Maybe this is why, according to theologians who analyze such things, Jesus spoke more about money in the Scriptures than any other topic – including heaven, hell, and eternal life. Someone has calculated more than 2,300 verses in the Bible concern money and material wealth. One of Christ’s most convicting statements on the subject is Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This doesn’t mean money – or any form of wealth – is inherently evil. Whether it was in the ancient times of the Bible or today, a means of exchange has always been necessary to acquire basic needs, pay bills, meet emergency expenses, and such. But money has a way of commanding our attention, for some becoming an object of worship.

How do you feel when your pastor begins a sermon about giving? Do you reach protectively for your wallet or purse? If we buy a new house or a new car, we proudly show off the fruit of our labors. But if someone were to ask, “How much money do you make, anyway?” would you feel offended, or think, “That’s none of your business”?

In the Ten Commandments, the last commandment is, “You shall not covet…” (Exodus 20:17). In other words, don’t envy or lust for other people’s stuff. When a reporter asked one wealthy business magnate, “How much is enough?” he purportedly responded, “Just a little bit more.” So even within the so-called “one percent” of society, there’s no limit to fascination with money and what it can supply.

Many years ago, industrialist R.G. LeTourneau, a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, practiced a “reverse tithe.” The tithe, as the Bible defines it, is 10 percent of one’s income. LeTourneau flipped that around, giving 90 percent of his income to charitable causes and keeping just 10 percent for his personal use. Another businessman, Stanley Tam, took similar steps, drawing up legal papers making God a literal partner in his business, eventually giving Him full ownership, not just a percentage of the profits.

That seems to be a key to overcoming the insidious root of evil that money can become: Holding what we have – all that we have – with an open hand and giving the Lord full access to it, without reservation. Is that easy to do? Not in my experience. But one passage in particular serves as a reminder whenever we feel the need to hold tightly to “my money.” 

As 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 in the New Living Translationtells us, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.”

This says that rather than owners, we’re merely stewards of what God entrusts to us. So to avoid the potential evils money can tempt us with, rather than wondering, “What should I do with my money?” a better question might be, “Lord, how would You like me to use Your money today?”