The Anatomy Of Temptation By Pastor D.K Olukoya

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MOUNTAIN OF FIRE AND MIRACLE MINISTRIES
WEDNESDAY MANNA WATER SERVICE
SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2020.
(SPECIAL LIVE BROADCAST)
TOPIC: THE ANATOMY OF TEMPTATION
TEXT: JAMES 1:13-15, JOB 31:1
MINISTER: DR. D.K OLUKOYA (G.O MFM WORLDWIDE)

James 1:13-15 – “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Job 31:1 – “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? 8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.”

The first installment of sin is always very enjoyable. The waters of sin maybe sweet but the consequences are disastrous.

You need to pray that anything in my life that stinks to God, anything in my life, that scares God away; God should take it out tonight.

You also need to pray that anything that will hinder the move of the Holy Spirit in your life; whether consciously or unconsciously, ask the Lord to reveal it to you so that you can deal with it.

What I am saying is a personal one, it is not a general public one. You have to look into the confidential files of your life.

Why was God so tough with David? When a father loves a child, he becomes super meticulous about his upbringing, so it is with God.

Many Christians could do a lot of horrible things and God is not particularly bothered about them: Things that you will do and you will break down and cry; things that you will do and God will institute immediate discipline; things that you will do and the Holy Spirit will harass you to correct yourself.

You may see another pastor, brother or sister doing the same thing and God just watches and takes no action.

The person that God wants to take as a vessel unto honour, God does not take chances with them. God makes sure that their training and discipline are very thorough.

In the laboratory, there are the reusables and the disposables. The reusable materials are always made to last longer and are durable whereas, you use the disposables once and discard them.

Those that are reusable materials with God have to pass through the fire, harsher and harder treatments to fortify them because they are not materials that God wants to discard.

However, there are some Christians; as far as God is concerned, they are disposables and they are to be discarded; they are redundant in the things of God.

What I am saying tonight is that for some people, God will not bother so much about their training, their preparation is crash programme; they are not made to last, their sun is not meant to rise but their sun is meant to rise and set almost immediately.

There are some people that God wants to use on a regular basis, they are to carry God’s anointing and fire for thirty, forty, fifty years or more. Such people come under God’s hammer again and again. God chisels them into the shape that He designed for them.

===> May you not become history while you are still living, in the name of Jesus.

God has a way of dealing with His men. He has a particular purpose for each man. He has a unique programme for everyone.

I ask beloveth;

• What must God remove from your life today?
• What can God make to stop midway in His moving in your life?
• What are the roots of the hindering trees that should be removed?

God’s microscope for revealing hidden evil appetite in us is temptation.

So, those who are spiritually healthy will have appetite for prayer and the word of God.

When they are not spiritually healthy, they are force-fed. Likewise a person who is not completely transformed will have appetite for sins. We must combat these evil appetites if we are going to be useful to God.

SOME HARD FACTS ABOUT TEMPTATION

1. To master temptation, let Christ master you.
2. Every temptation is an opportunity to flee to God.
3. It is better to shun the bait than to struggle on the hook.
4. If you do not want to fall into sin, then avoid the brink of temptation.
5. No degree of temptation justifies any degree of sin.
6. Falling into water does not get you drowned but lying in it.
7. No matter how strong you think you are, you must avoid temptation.
8. If you do not deal with temptation, it will deal with you.
9. If you treat temptations with kindness, they will return bringing others with them.
10. Satan is not such a fool as to fish without a bait.
11. No one can be caught in the place he does not visit.
12. Keeping away from the mud is better than washing it off.
13. It is one thing to be tempted, it is another thing to fall.
14. Every temptation is an opportunity to get closer to God.
15. If temptation is not resisted, it soon becomes a necessity.
16. If the devil never tempts you, you cannot develop a resistance to sin.
17. You find out what your temptations are and then you find out largely what you are yourself.
18. He who will not eat forbidden fruit must stay away from the forbidden tree.
19. By yielding into temptation, one may lose in a second what it has taken a lifetime to gain,
20. The longer you look at temptation, the more liable you will fall for it.
21. Temptation usually comes through a door that has been deliberately left opened.
22. The best protection against temptation is cowardice; run, flee.
23. Until you have been tempted, you do not really know how honest you are.
24. You cannot say that you are not a thief, unless you have had the opportunity to steal and you do not steal.
25. You cannot say you do not commit fornication until you have had the opportunity to commit one and you did not commit it.
26. Temptation unlike opportunity will always give you a second chance.
27. Temptation is the fire that brings up the dustbin of the earth.
28. Temptation is a very powerful force that determines your success or failure in life.
29. Temptation power cannot be undermined and no human being is exempted from being tempted.
30. Each time you overcome temptation, you move closer to your destination.
31. Temptation will either make you or break you.
32. Temptation will either bitter or better you.
33. Temptation will either move you forward or place limitation or embargo in your life.
34. There is nobody so great that has not gone through great temptation.
35. If you do not sweat to succeed, you will sweat to keep it.
36. Christianity does not insulate you from problem but empowers you to overcome problems.
37. For every temptation, there is always a way of escape.
38. Unless you face and overcome temptation, you will never move to your next level.
39. There are no temptations that are bigger than God.
40. You can overcome any temptation you are facing no matter how big it is.

Temptation is anything that entices you to do evil. There is temptation of the flesh and temptation of life. Jesus Christ was tempted but He overcame it. Though temptations are inevitable, you must not allow them to devour your dreams.

Are you dreaming of becoming great? Be ready to face temptations.

• Those who form the habit of constantly listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit always escape temptation.
• Those who are in the habit of ceaseless prayers always escape temptation.
  Many are like Eve; they naturally invite the serpent when they decide to seek shelter under the tree that bears forbidden fruits.
• Everyone is tempted by the attraction of his desire. James 1:14
• When temptation gets the endorsement of the will, then sin is the result.
• Many battles would never have confronted our lives if our feet have not taken us there.
  We need to pray the prayer that Jesus taught, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil”. Matthew 6:13
• Some places are more prone to satanic activities and specific temptations than other places. Satan is the tempter but sometimes, we tempt the tempter to tempt us by the places we go.
• You get tempted by what you desire. Jesus was not told to turn stone to bread until he was hungry. So, every temptation is a betrayal of every of our inner desire.

Things That Put One into Trouble

• All the abusive behaviours
• The breaking of promises.
• The critical spirit.
• Destructive music
• Dishonesty
• Disrespect for authority
• Gossip
• Holding a grudge.
• Envy
• Lying
• Procrastination
• Stealing
• Worry
• Talkativeness

Temptations have strategies; they present the bait and hide the hook.

HOW DO YOU CONQUER TEMPTATION?

1. Let the words of Christ dwell in you richly. Col. 3:16-17
2. Watch and pray that you not enter into temptation. Matthew 26:41
3. Learn to use the word of God at strategic times throughout the day especially in the morning. Matt. 4:1-11
4. Focus your attention on praises, worshipping and thanking God for all His attributes.
5. Fix your thoughts on things above and not on things on the earth.
6. Wisely choose your friends and close associates.
7. Meditate on scriptures day and night so that you can be careful to obey it.
8. Draw near to the Lord through morning devotions before you do anything else.
9. Follow the faith and lifestyles of Godly people; do not copy ungodly people.
10. Sit under the teachings of Godly teachers.
11. Fellowship with those who fellowship on the Lord from a pure heart.
12. Remind yourself from all the promises of God.
13. Decide that you want to be a slave of Christ rather than being a slave of temptation.
14. Fix your eyes on Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith.
15. Allow the joy of the Lord to be your strength.
16. Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God.
17. Flee lust and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith and love with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Remember, temptation is to be enticed or attracted to do something wrong or to do a forbidden thing.

Why God Allows Us To Be Tempted.

1. God can use temptation to develop more of a godly character in our lives.
2. God can use temptation to test the level of our maturity and obedience.
3. God can use temptation to provide examples for others on how they can overcome obstacles.

1 Corinthians 10:13 – “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

Ways Temptation Can Come To Us.

Frustration, difficulties, discouragement, worry, anxiety, bitterness, riches and pleasures, members of one’s family, from the devil and powers of darkness, from ill health, unbelief, anger, clamor, immorality, laziness, selfishness, idolatry, false securities, societal pressures, family pressures, peer pressures, immaturity, love of money, sins of omission, sins of commission, etc.

If you give into any temptation, it will therefore become your master.

ANTI-TEMPTATION STRATEGIES

1. You must resist Satan
2. You must be obedient to God.
3. You must be fortified by prayers.
4. You must be filled with the Spirit.
5. You must meet temptation with Scriptures.
6. You must keep far away from sin and put it out of your mind.
7. You must know that sin has poison in it.
8. You must know that sin brings great and sad losses into our soul.
9. You must know that sin is terribly deceptive and captivating.
10. You must know that if you give way for a lesser sin, it gives way for a greater one.
11. You must know that the more that a person sin against the mercy of God, the greater the judgment.
12. You must know that repentance is a pleasant work, it cost Christ much.
13. You must think on the scriptures that encourages us to avoid opportunities to sin.

What a person does and thinks will come back to them with interest.

The way of the unsaved are hard and full of trouble.

Temptation is a destroyer, flee from all appearances of evil.

PRAYER POINTS

1. My Father, break me and remake me, in the name of Jesus.
2. My life, hear the word of the Lord, ascend into the power of God, in the name of Jesus.
3. My Father, give me the ears of Samuel, give me the eyes of Elisha, in the name of Jesus.
4. Fire from heaven, incubate my life, in the name of Jesus.
5. My Father, recreate me, in the name of Jesus.
6. Holy Ghost fire, kill my blindness, in the name of Jesus.
7. Power of discernment, locate me now, in the name of Jesus.
8. Anointing of discernment, locate me now, in the name of Jesus.
9. My Father, open my eyes, in the name of Jesus.
10. In my sleep tonight, O God appear, in the name of Jesus.
11. Traders, strangers in the temple of my life, die, in the name of Jesus.
12. Holy Ghost fire, blood of Jesus, sanitise my life, in the name of Jesus.