Have you heard temptation calling your name lately? All of us will face different temptations on a regular basis, and we have various levels of success in fighting them off. For some it’s the lure of watching something on TV or the internet that we shouldn’t. For others it’s something in the refrigerator calling our name, that we know we shouldn’t eat. Or the lure of illicit drugs, or having a violent temper. Whatever our temptations are, we have various ways of trying to fight it off. Our Scripture today gives us one sure way to fight these. Let’s look into what the Lord can teach us.
When we have temptations it is often helpful to talk with someone who has gone through the same thing we are going through. That is part of the basis for the success of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. For us believers, the best way to overcome temptation is to look at the One who has dealt with every temptation successfully and consistently, and that would be the Lord Jesus Christ. How did He deal with the temptations He was faced with, temptations that Satan threw in His path? Jesus was tempted in every way that we are today. However, the big difference is that He never succumbed to those temptations (vs. 15). Jesus used Scripture and only Scripture to resist Satan’s temptations. He didn’t use His own wit or His own power.
When one country seeks to fight off an enemy who is attacking them, they want to use powerful weapons. We have an enemy to fight, and that is Satan and all the temptations he brings. The best weapon to use is the same one that Jesus used, the Word of God. We read here that God’s Word is powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword (vs. 12). A two-edged sword is sharp on both sides, and will cut in any direction you use it. God’s Word, when properly applied, can cut off any temptation that comes.
It always helps to have our weapons prepared and ready when we need them. The best way to have God’s Word, our spiritual sword, ready when temptations come is to have appropriate verses and passages memorized. Memorizing Scripture can transform our life. It doesn’t necessarily change circumstances, but it will give us something to hold on to when the storms come. God’s Word is our sword to fight back Satan’s lies. If we believe that the Bible is the living Word of the One True God, we won’t just read it, we’ll obey it and let it change our life.
Being in prayer is also a weapon that we can use. God doesn’t care if our prayers are poetic or intellectual, or even grammatically correct. He listens to our heart. However, when we pray using Scripture that we’ve read and even memorized, we can pray God’s Words right back to Him. There is something special about praying Scripture. These are God’s Words, and we can pray them back to Him. Through our belief and faith in the death of the Lord Jesus as payment for our sins, we can approach the throne of Almighty God (vs. 16).
The author of Hebrews instructs us to hold fast to our confession (vs. 14). Whatever we talk about is our confession. If we are continually confessing how much trouble the devil is causing, our words will ring true. When the Bible tells us to hold fast our profession we are being told to hold on with faith to what the Bible says about our situation - the kind of faith that does not let go!
When we feel alone and that no one understands, we forget that Jesus became fully human, and experienced life as we do. He was tempted as we are. He dealt with grief, sadness, had joy and happiness. The only thing Jesus didn’t experience was sin. However, because He paid the price of sin, He knew the suffering of sin’s consequences.
No matter what we are facing, Jesus identifies with our circumstance, and He feels every single thing we’re experiencing. He is our Great High Priest.
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