July 31, 2024 • 34 mins
We’re in a spiritual war and Satan is actively working to destroy us by tempting us to sin. And one of the scariest things is that we often don’t even realize it. In this message from David Platt from Proverbs 7, we’re reminded to stay alert to temptation and to fight it in the power that God supplies. The good news for those in Christ is that our victory over sin is assured because of what God has accomplished in the gospel.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a
weekly podcast with sermons andmessages from pastor, author and
teacher David Platt.
Here's the question I want youto think about today what are
the most common temptations thatyou face in your life so the
(00:23):
marshmallows, to use thatillustration that your eyes and
your fingers are most drawntoward.
What are the most common luresto sin that you are prone to be
enticed by?
Let's just take 30 seconds toeither bring to mind or maybe to
(00:44):
write down what are the mostcommon temptations you face.
Let's take a moment.
God help us to see in our liveshow we're most lured towards
sin.
So take a moment to reflect onthat question before God.
I obviously don't know allthat's coming to your mind.
(01:16):
Maybe you're often tempted toanger.
Maybe you're often tempted byenvy or jealousy of who others
are or what others have.
Maybe you're tempted by lust,maybe by pornography.
The list of ways we might betempted to sexual immorality is
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long and varied.
Do you struggle withtemptations to gossip or slander
?
Do you struggle with temptationto lie or cheat?
Do you struggle with addictionto anything from alcohol to
social media?
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For many, our most commontemptations are evident in the
way we use our phones?
Are you tempted to base youridentity on what others think
about you?
Are you tempted by materialism?
Are you tempted to get moreinstead of giving more?
(02:23):
Are you tempted to spend toomuch or to eat too much?
And then keep in mindtemptations don't just revolve
around things we might betempted to do that we shouldn't.
Temptations can also be thingswe're tempted not to do that we
should.
So are you tempted byprayerlessness, tempted to go
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throughout your busy day apartfrom concentrated and continual
time in prayer?
Are you tempted to ignore God'sword or just to give passing
attention to it?
Are you tempted to keep God'sword to yourself instead of
sharing it with others?
Are you tempted to lack trustin God with this or that part of
your life, or to lose trust inGod when you walk through trials
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in your life?
Are you tempted by worry oranxiety about different things
in your life?
Are you tempted to ignoreinjustice or oppression, to
ignore people who are in need?
I could keep going, but I trustwe realize we are surrounded by
all kinds of temptations allday long.
(03:41):
We live every moment, in asense, in that chair from that
video with all kinds ofenticements before us all the
time.
I'm going to put this up on thescreen and we're going to go
through it quickly, but beforewe even look at Proverbs 7, I
want to remind us of truths wesee all over the Bible that form
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the foundation for this chapter.
First and foremost, we live in aspiritual world and we often
forget this.
We're so immersed in arationalistic, naturalistic,
western mindset that explainseverything by science and
technology.
Seriously, how can you believeGod controls thunder and
lightning when meteorologistscan use satellite pictures and
(04:23):
computers to predict storms aweek before they even happen?
How can you say a personaltempter engages our wills in a
battle of good and evil, when weknow it's the configurations of
our DNA or our family historythat lead us down certain paths?
We do things just because we'renaturally made that way, and
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this naturalistic worldview hasdeadened us to the reality of
the spiritual world around us Tothe point where we see
spiritual explanations ofanything almost like religious
lunacy.
In the book Screwtape Letters,cs Lewis depicts an older demon
named Screwtape giving advice toa younger demon named Wormwood,
(05:08):
and Screwtape says at one pointto his younger protege I do not
think you will have muchdifficulty in keeping the
patient talking about the personthey're tempting in the dark.
The fact that devils arepredominantly comic figures in
the modern imagination will helpyou.
If any faint suspicion of yourexistence begins to arise in his
mind, suggest to him a pictureof something in red tights and
(05:31):
persuade him that since he can'tbelieve in that, he therefore
cannot believe in you.
So we often think aboutspiritual explanations or
spiritual temptations as fantasyor fiction and as a result, we
don't realize we're involved ina spiritual war.
I want to make sure todistinguish here, particularly
in Metro DC at this time of year.
(05:51):
We're not talking about apolitical war or a culture war
or a fight for our nation.
We're talking about somethingmuch deeper than all these
things.
We're talking about whatEphesians 6 calls a battle not
against flesh and blood, butwith spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly places.
We're talking about the battlefor your heart and mind that is
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happening every time you'rescrolling through your phone.
We're talking about thespiritual battle that's playing
out in the thoughts you have,the desires you possess, the
words you use, the attitudes youhave the desires you possess
the words you use, the attitudesyou have, the decisions you
make, the relationships you'rein, because it's not just our
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lives.
There's a spiritual war at workin your family members' lives,
in your friends' lives, yourco-workers' lives.
There's spiritual battle takingplace in every single person
you see around you right now andover 8 billion people in the
world, and the stakes in thisspiritual war are high.
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Casualties in this war don'tmerely lose a limb or even an
earthly life.
Eternity, heaven and hell areat stake in this spiritual war.
In addition to so much in ourlives right now.
Just think about it.
Any one of us could do onething this week that could have
a devastating effect on ourlives and others lives around us
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, or maybe, more likely thanjust one big thing, maybe a
number of small things.
To go back to the screw tapeletters at one point screw tape
talks about the value oftempting subjects to small sins,
he tells Wormwood.
You will say that these arevery small sins and doubtless,
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like all young tempters, you areanxious to be able to report
spectacular wickedness.
But it does not matter howsmall the sins are, provided
that their cumulative effect isto edge the man away from the
light and out into the nothing.
Indeed Screwtape says thesafest road to hell is the
gradual one, the gentle slopesoft underfoot, without sudden
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turnings, without, withoutmileposts, without signposts,
which leads to this lastbiblical truth I'll put on the
screen before I come back andgive you one more.
At the end in this spiritual warthat is raging in you and
around you and me, there is anadversary in this world who
wants to destroy us.
The bible Bible calls him thedevil.
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His name means the slanderer.
Other places he's called thetempter, the liar, the accuser
and the destroyer.
The Bible does not describe thedevil and demons, spiritual
forces of evil, as a wimpycartoon character trying to
entice you, but as a lionlooking to devour you.
(08:45):
There is an adversary at workin your life right now who wants
to destroy you.
He wants to destroy your family, your marriage, your children,
your parents.
He wants to destroy yourfriendships.
He wants to destroy yourfriendships.
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He wants to destroy your future, and not just here in this
world.
His aim is your eternaldestruction.
There are spiritual forces ofevil working every single day,
all throughout the day, towardthat end in your life.
This is where I'm hesitant touse that video, because we're
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not talking about a sweet treaton a plate.
We're talking about realtemptations with real
consequences every single day ofour lives.
So with that biblical framework,we're going to read Proverbs 7,
which is essentially a storyabout temptation to adultery.
Yet it's deeper than justadultery.
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The whole book of Proverbs isessentially a father discipling
his son, telling him how to livewisely.
And wisdom, from the very firstchapter of Proverbs, is
personified as a woman callingout for him to follow her.
And in Proverbs 8, you look atit, right after this chapter,
you see wisdom personified asthis woman beckoning a son to
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follow her.
But right before this, inchapter 7, what we're about to
read, we see another woman whomhe follows instead.
So what we're about to read is,yes, about adultery, but it's
also about all kinds oftemptations to sin and
foolishness.
So let's read it Proverbs 7,verse 1.
(10:32):
My son, keep my words andtreasure up my commandments with
you.
Keep my commandments alive,keep my teaching as the apple of
your eye, bind them on yourfingers, write them on the
tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom you are my sister, and call insight your intimate
friend to keep you from theforbidden woman, from the
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adulteress with her smooth words.
For at the window of my house Ihave looked out through my
lattice.
And I have seen, among thesimple, I have perceived among
the youths, a young man lackingsense passing along the street
near her corner, taking the roadto her house, in the twilight,
in the evening, at the time ofnight and darkness.
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And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily
of heart.
And behold, the woman meets himdressed as a prostitute, wily
of heart, she is loud andwayward, her feet do not stay at
home.
Now in the street, now in themarket, in every corner, she
lies in wait, she seizes him andkisses him, and with bold face,
she says to him I had to offersacrifices and today I have paid
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my vows.
So now I have come out to meetyou, to seek you eagerly, and I
have found you.
I've spread my couch withcoverings, colored linens from
Egyptian linen.
I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
Come, let us take our fill oflove till morning.
Let us delight ourselves withlove, for my husband is not at
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home.
He's gone on a long journey,journey he took a bag of money
with him and at full moon hewill come home.
With much seductive speech, shepersuades him with her smooth
talk, she compels him all atonce.
He follows her as an ox goes tothe slaughter or the stag is
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caught fast till an arrowpierces its liver as a bird
rushes into a snare.
He does not know that it willcost him his life.
And now, sons, listen to me andbe attentive to the words of my
mouth.
Let not your heart turn asideto her ways.
Do not stray into her paths.
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For many a victim has she laidlow, and all her slain are a
mighty throne.
Her house is the way to Sheol,going down to the chambers of
death.
Did you see it?
This whole chapter starts as afather's instruction to his son.
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He's telling him to view wisdomas his sister, as his intimate
friend, and to keep away fromfoolishness, specifically called
the forbidden woman here.
And then he goes on to tellthis story of a young man
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lacking sense who goes fromsimply taking a stroll in the
beginning to finding himself inthe end in the chambers of death
in a matter of minutes.
How does that happen?
How does temptation work?
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Let me show you the cycle oftemptation in this chapter, and
it's not necessarily always.
I don't mean to imply it's astep-by-step process, but
temptation usually involves acombination of these things.
First, temptation waits as thissimple young man goes out for a
stroll.
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Did you hear verse 12?
At every corner she lies andwaits.
What a picture of temptation.
It's always there, waiting foryou in all kinds of ways, all
day long.
You may think you're just goingalong in your day, but
temptation is not staying home.
It's lurking all around you.
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And then, just the right moment, temptation appears verse 13.
She seizes him and kisses him.
She makes herself known to him.
Now, keep in mind, temptationis not always this forward.
This aggressive Temptation isoften more subtle or passive.
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Think about Genesis 3.
The serpent makes himself knownwith a simple, seemingly
innocent question Did Godactually say not to eat from any
tree in the garden?
And does God really want yourgood?
Which leads to the next pictureTemptation appeals.
I've come out to meet you.
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Verse 15 says to seek youeagerly.
I found you.
I want you, I want your good.
Temptation says.
Temptation appeals to ourdesires.
In the words of John Piper, thepower of all temptation is the
prospect that it will make mehappier.
No one sins out of a sense ofduty.
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Temptation flatters you.
You want, you deserve this.
You are justified in this.
Then temptation invites inverse 18 it's come, let us take
our fill of love till morning.
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In genesis 3.
It's come, take this piece Inour lives.
It's dwell on this thought,indulge this desire, say those
words, react that way, takethose steps and notice how the
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invitation comes with a promise.
Temptation promises at leasttwo things here in Proverbs 7.
It promises satisfaction You'llbe delighted with love and it
promises secrecy.
No one will know.
My husband is gone.
Temptation promises to be goodfor you and devastating to no
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one.
Yet it's interesting.
After all of that, it stillseems that there's some pause in
this young man.
The very next verse tells uswith much seductive speech she
persuades him.
And that's how temptation works.
It allures, just continues todraw, persuade.
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It eventually compels him.
That word capturing just therelentless allurement of
temptation that we're allfamiliar with.
You ever resist temptation for atime, like you didn't blow up
in anger at first, but they justkept nagging at you until you
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lose it.
You choose not to scroll overthose images at first, but later
.
You're tired, you're morevulnerable and you give in.
You hear a sermon on giving.
You decide, but give moregenerously.
But after a couple of weeksyou've completely forgotten and
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you're back to spending asbefore, you resolve to pray, to
read the Bible.
But life gets busy and otherthings get more important.
One writer put it this waytemptation is rarely a single
arrow to be avoided, but farmore often a wide and prolonged
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wave of warfare meant to wear usdown until we surrender.
Temptation allures relentlessly.
We resist at one corner.
It waits to meet us around thenext corner, where it starts all
over again, and maybe from atotally different angle, until,
in the words of verse 23, hefollows her like an ox going to
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the slaughter, like a stadcaught fast until an arrow
pierces its liver, like a birdrushing into a snare.
He goes and he does not know itwill cost him his life.
Don't miss it.
(18:55):
See, the aim, the end of all ofthis is to lure us to sin and
lead to our destruction.
Lure us to sin and lead to ourdestruction.
Whenever I read this chapter, Icannot help but think about a
once really close friend of minewho was allured by someone, not
his wife.
I remember him packing histhings and jumping into his car
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and driving away to go be withher, us pleading with him don't
do it.
And he went anyway, leaving hiswife, leaving his daughter who
loved him so deeply and leadingto the loss of so much in his
life.
And we are obviously applyingthis text to temptation in
general today.
But for anyone who is in anyway flirting with temptation to
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adultery or sexual immorality inany way, hear God graciously
bringing you to this place inthis moment to hear you say
you're like an ox going to theslaughter.
Don't do it.
Hear his words speaking to you.
Temptation is aiming for yourdestruction.
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Open your eyes, see what'shappening.
It's waiting, it's appearing,alluring, appealing to you,
inviting you, promising you somuch, alluring you all to
destroy you.
So how do you fight this mostimportant of all wars that's
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playing out in all kinds of waysin all of our lives?
Hear the word of God, threeexhortations from a father to a
son and God to us all, inProverbs 7.
First, fill your mind withtruth Verse 24 listen to me, be
attentive to the words of mymouth.
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This is where the whole chapterstarted, in verse 1.
Keep my words, my son, treasureof my commandments, with you.
Keep them as the apple of youreye, that language there is.
Literally.
Put the truth of God at thevery center of your sight.
Bind them on your fingers.
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Write them on the tablet ofyour heart.
Live with wisdom like it's yourintimate friend you love.
It will keep you from theforbidden woman.
Temptation thrives on you notbeing close to God through his
word and wisdom through his word.
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Temptation thrives on lies anddeception in this world, which
means the way to fighttemptation is to fill your mind
with truth.
It's how Jesus foughttemptation in Matthew 4, tempted
three times.
Every time he quotes God's wordin response.
He knew what God's word said.
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He knew it was true, he knew itwas good.
So meditate on his word,memorize it, write it on the
tablet of your heart, love it.
Read this word not just tocheck off a box in your day.
Read it because it's criticalto your life.
Keep my commandments and liveLife and death depends on having
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this word hidden in your heart.
So fill your mind with it.
And then, before we move on,let's not overlook the fact this
father in Proverbs 7 is doingall he can to pass God's word to
his son, to the next generation.
So let's not just fill ourminds with truth, let's fill
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others' minds with truth.
Parents, are you teaching yourchildren the word of God?
Are you helping them tomeditate on it and memorize it
and love it.
Are you showing them what thatlooks like in practice in your
life Such a way way they'repassing that on to them so
they're ready for spiritual warin this world?
We can run them around fromthis practice to that activity
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in pursuit of success accordingto this world, but we are only
setting them up for failure ifwe don't give them God's Word.
Prepare your children to fighttemptation coming at them from
all sides with truth and wisdomthat you've poured into them,
and not just parents, but for usas a church to prioritize
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passing on truth to the nextgeneration so that they can live
.
Fill your mind, mind, fill theirminds with truth and then guard
your heart with vigilance.
This is exact language fromproverbs 4, 23.
Keep your heart with allvigilance, for from it flow the
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springs of life, and it's hereagain in proverbs 7, 25.
Let not your heart turn asideto her ways.
And interestingly, we readthese exact words from Jesus in
our Bible reading as a churchfamily this last week in Mark,
chapter 7.
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For from within, out of theheart of man, come evil thoughts
.
Sexual immorality, theft,murder, adultery, coveting,
wickedness, deceit, sensuality,envy, slander, pride,
foolishness.
All these things come fromwithin and they defile a person.
Do you see how temptationstarts in your mind and in your
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heart?
Makes sense, right?
If we don't want to commitadultery, then guard your heart
against lust.
If you don't want to commitmurder, then guard your heart
against hate.
If you don't want to committheft, then guard your heart
against covetousness in yourlife.
Like guard your desires.
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Not everything you desire isgood, and even that statement is
controversial in our day.
We just bought into the liethat because we desire it, that
makes it good.
No, just because you have adesire for something does not
mean you're obligated to fulfillthat desire, because that's the
way you're made.
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See how temptation is appealingto our desires, flattering us,
promising us, alluring us.
Guard your hearts.
Out of the first sinning, comeinto the world.
Genesis 3, 6.
The woman saw the tree was goodfor food.
It was the delight to the eyes,it was to be desired to make
one wise.
So she took of its fruit andate, and she gave some to her
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husband, who was with her, andhe ate.
They didn't fill their mindwith truth and they didn't guard
their hearts with vigilance.
And you keep reading thischapter and you see, immediately
they started blaming each otherand blaming God for what they
had done.
We do the same thing today.
She made me angry.
He caused me to do that meangry.
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He caused me to do that Inmarriage.
It's my spouse isn't satisfyingme, so I need to find someone
else who is In singleness.
It's I'm willing to findsomebody outside of marriage who
will satisfy me.
Or with so much sexualimmorality in our day, it's God
you made me this way.
No, james 4, 13.
Let no one say, when he istempted, I'm being tempted by
God.
Fill your mind with truths fromGod and guard your heart with
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vigilance before God and watchyour steps at all times.
Verse 25.
Let not your heart turn asideto her ways.
Do not stray into her paths.
Do you realize?
This whole chapter started witha stroll.
It started with a young manwandering instead of watching
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out.
There's a reason.
First, peter 5 says besober-minded, be watchful.
Your adversary, the devil,prowls around like a roaring
lion, seeking someone to devouryou every day.
Be alert, resist him.
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This is not passive, james 4, 7, 8.
Submit yourselves, therefore,to God.
Resist the devil and he willflee from you.
Draw near to God and he willdraw near to you, not ignore the
devil, and he will flee fromyou.
No, resist him.
And how do you do that?
You draw near to God instead,and this is where I want you to
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see the most important truthProverbs 7 and all over the
Bible that you must not miss,because if you miss this truth,
you will lose the battle againsttemptation in your life,
guaranteed.
If you walk away from todaycommitted to doing everything
you can, doing more, to fighttemptation, you will fail.
Think about it.
Your adversary is a lion.
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You're not.
If you see a lion and you sayI'm going to do everything I can
to fight him, it's not going towork out well for you.
You need help and I have goodnews for you.
Remember how we set this wholepicture up.
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We live in a spiritual worldand a spiritual war, and the
stakes are high your life, yourrelationships, your family, your
future forever.
It's all at stake in thisspiritual war and there's an
adversary in this world whowants to destroy you.
But I want you to hear this onefinal truth there is an ally
over this world who wants tosave and satisfy you.
(28:40):
Hear this good news in thisbattle in this world, the God
who made you the God you aretempted to turn from, the God
whom you have turned from.
We all have.
We've all given in totemptation to trust our ways
instead of God's word.
We've all been this foolish man, woman, done the things we want
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and as a result of our sin,which has brought unimaginable
destruction in the world, we'reall in a row that leads to
eternal destruction beyond thisworld.
Holy judgment, do our sinbefore a just and holy God.
But the good news of the Bible,the greatest news in all the
world, is that God has not leftus alone in this battle, and God
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has not left us alone in oursin and eternal destruction.
God has come to us in theperson of Jesus.
He's come to this world and helived.
Jesus lived a life of no sin,unlike anybody else in the
history of the world.
He didn't give into temptationone time and then, even though
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he had no sin for which to die,he chose to die on a cross to
pay the price.
For what?
For your sin and my sin, forthe sins of all who trust in him
.
And then, three days later,jesus rose from the grave.
He defeated sin and death forus, so that anyone, anywhere, no
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matter what you've done, nomatter how you've given in, no
matter how this picture ofProverbs 7 is played out in your
life, if you will simply turnfrom your sin and trust in Jesus
to save you from your sin, hewill forgive you of all of it
and give you eternal life withhim, starting now with his
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spirit inside you.
So if you have never put yourtrust in God's love for you, in
Jesus to save you from your sin,give you eternal life and
restored relationship with God,I invite you to do that today.
Don't believe the lies of thisworld that your best life is
according to your ways.
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Believe the God who made you,that he knows you and what is
best for you in your life nowand for all of eternity.
And once you trust in Jesus andfor all who has, then do not
fight against temptation in yourflesh.
Fight against temptation andthe power of his spirit living
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in you.
Don't try to fight this battlealone.
Rise every morning and sayJesus, me.
Then listen to his word andwalk in fellowship with his
spirit all day long, looking tohim to give you the power to
overcome temptation all day long, knowing that he who is in you
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is greater than he who is in theworld, your ally, who's over
all the world, the one whoconquered sin and death, is
living inside you to save youfrom sin, not just for eternity,
but today, this week, and hewill satisfy you.
You look back at that cycle oftemptation and you realize how
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Jesus enables you to overcometemptation, because he's waiting
to satisfy you at every turn.
He has appeared not just 2,000years ago, but he's with you
right now, always appealing toyour good, and he actually knows
what will lead to your good,and he invites you every day to
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experience what is truly good inyour life.
He promises you truesatisfaction and he always keeps
his promises.
And he allures you with newmercy, waiting for you every
single morning and followingafter you all the day long.
So how do you fight thealluring temptations of this
world?
With the alluring love of Jesusfor you and the almighty power
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of Jesus in you.
That marshmallow picture is nota perfect illustration.
It breaks down to many levels,but the kids who held on knew
something better was coming.
Ladies and gentlemen, fighttemptation with the knowledge
that someone better has come.
Jesus, god in the flesh, hascome.
(33:11):
He's made full light, free fromthe destructive power of sin,
available to you and me now andforever.
So fill your mind with histruth, guard your heart with his
vigilance, watch your steps atall times by the power of his
spirit inside of you, and live.
(33:35):
So I want to give you a momentalone with God, specifically in
a time of confession.
If you've never trusted inJesus as the Savior and Lord of
your life, then I want to inviteyou in this quiet moment to
confess you're a sinner beforeGod and ask God to save you from
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your sin, put your trust inwhat Jesus has done on the cross
for you and for all who havedone that, who are trusting in
Jesus as Savior and Lord, thatwho are trusting in Jesus as
Savior and Lord.
I want to give you a couplemoments to confess before God
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how you have given in totemptation, how you are
struggling with sin, just to behonest with Him, what he already
knows and to ask God for Hisforgiveness.
And to ask God for hisforgiveness and to ask God for
his help in fighting thosespecific temptations.
We hope you've enjoyed thisweek's episode of Radical with
David Platt.
For more resources from DavidPlatt, we invite you to visit
radicalnet.
You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a
weekly podcast with sermons andmessages from pastor, author and
teacher David Platt.
Here's the question I want youto think about today what are
the most common temptations thatyou face in your life so the
(00:23):
marshmallows, to use thatillustration that your eyes and
your fingers are most drawntoward.
What are the most common luresto sin that you are prone to be
enticed by?
Let's just take 30 seconds toeither bring to mind or maybe to
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write down what are the mostcommon temptations you face.
Let's take a moment.
God help us to see in our liveshow we're most lured towards
sin.
So take a moment to reflect onthat question before God.
I obviously don't know allthat's coming to your mind.
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Maybe you're often tempted toanger.
Maybe you're often tempted byenvy or jealousy of who others
are or what others have.
Maybe you're tempted by lust,maybe by pornography.
The list of ways we might betempted to sexual immorality is
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long and varied.
Do you struggle withtemptations to gossip or slander
?
Do you struggle with temptationto lie or cheat?
Do you struggle with addictionto anything from alcohol to
social media?
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For many, our most commontemptations are evident in the
way we use our phones?
Are you tempted to base youridentity on what others think
about you?
Are you tempted by materialism?
Are you tempted to get moreinstead of giving more?
(02:23):
Are you tempted to spend toomuch or to eat too much?
And then keep in mindtemptations don't just revolve
around things we might betempted to do that we shouldn't.
Temptations can also be thingswe're tempted not to do that we
should.
So are you tempted byprayerlessness, tempted to go
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throughout your busy day apartfrom concentrated and continual
time in prayer?
Are you tempted to ignore God'sword or just to give passing
attention to it?
Are you tempted to keep God'sword to yourself instead of
sharing it with others?
Are you tempted to lack trustin God with this or that part of
your life, or to lose trust inGod when you walk through trials
(03:18):
in your life?
Are you tempted by worry oranxiety about different things
in your life?
Are you tempted to ignoreinjustice or oppression, to
ignore people who are in need?
I could keep going, but I trustwe realize we are surrounded by
all kinds of temptations allday long.
(03:41):
We live every moment, in asense, in that chair from that
video with all kinds ofenticements before us all the
time.
I'm going to put this up on thescreen and we're going to go
through it quickly, but beforewe even look at Proverbs 7, I
want to remind us of truths wesee all over the Bible that form
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the foundation for this chapter.
First and foremost, we live in aspiritual world and we often
forget this.
We're so immersed in arationalistic, naturalistic,
western mindset that explainseverything by science and
technology.
Seriously, how can you believeGod controls thunder and
lightning when meteorologistscan use satellite pictures and
(04:23):
computers to predict storms aweek before they even happen?
How can you say a personaltempter engages our wills in a
battle of good and evil, when weknow it's the configurations of
our DNA or our family historythat lead us down certain paths?
We do things just because we'renaturally made that way, and
(04:44):
this naturalistic worldview hasdeadened us to the reality of
the spiritual world around us Tothe point where we see
spiritual explanations ofanything almost like religious
lunacy.
In the book Screwtape Letters,cs Lewis depicts an older demon
named Screwtape giving advice toa younger demon named Wormwood,
(05:08):
and Screwtape says at one pointto his younger protege I do not
think you will have muchdifficulty in keeping the
patient talking about the personthey're tempting in the dark.
The fact that devils arepredominantly comic figures in
the modern imagination will helpyou.
If any faint suspicion of yourexistence begins to arise in his
mind, suggest to him a pictureof something in red tights and
(05:31):
persuade him that since he can'tbelieve in that, he therefore
cannot believe in you.
So we often think aboutspiritual explanations or
spiritual temptations as fantasyor fiction and as a result, we
don't realize we're involved ina spiritual war.
I want to make sure todistinguish here, particularly
in Metro DC at this time of year.
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We're not talking about apolitical war or a culture war
or a fight for our nation.
We're talking about somethingmuch deeper than all these
things.
We're talking about whatEphesians 6 calls a battle not
against flesh and blood, butwith spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly places.
We're talking about the battlefor your heart and mind that is
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happening every time you'rescrolling through your phone.
We're talking about thespiritual battle that's playing
out in the thoughts you have,the desires you possess, the
words you use, the attitudes youhave the desires you possess
the words you use, the attitudesyou have, the decisions you
make, the relationships you'rein, because it's not just our
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lives.
There's a spiritual war at workin your family members' lives,
in your friends' lives, yourco-workers' lives.
There's spiritual battle takingplace in every single person
you see around you right now andover 8 billion people in the
world, and the stakes in thisspiritual war are high.
(06:52):
Casualties in this war don'tmerely lose a limb or even an
earthly life.
Eternity, heaven and hell areat stake in this spiritual war.
In addition to so much in ourlives right now.
Just think about it.
Any one of us could do onething this week that could have
a devastating effect on ourlives and others lives around us
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, or maybe, more likely thanjust one big thing, maybe a
number of small things.
To go back to the screw tapeletters at one point screw tape
talks about the value oftempting subjects to small sins,
he tells Wormwood.
You will say that these arevery small sins and doubtless,
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like all young tempters, you areanxious to be able to report
spectacular wickedness.
But it does not matter howsmall the sins are, provided
that their cumulative effect isto edge the man away from the
light and out into the nothing.
Indeed Screwtape says thesafest road to hell is the
gradual one, the gentle slopesoft underfoot, without sudden
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turnings, without, withoutmileposts, without signposts,
which leads to this lastbiblical truth I'll put on the
screen before I come back andgive you one more.
At the end in this spiritual warthat is raging in you and
around you and me, there is anadversary in this world who
wants to destroy us.
The bible Bible calls him thedevil.
(08:24):
His name means the slanderer.
Other places he's called thetempter, the liar, the accuser
and the destroyer.
The Bible does not describe thedevil and demons, spiritual
forces of evil, as a wimpycartoon character trying to
entice you, but as a lionlooking to devour you.
(08:45):
There is an adversary at workin your life right now who wants
to destroy you.
He wants to destroy your family, your marriage, your children,
your parents.
He wants to destroy yourfriendships.
He wants to destroy yourfriendships.
(09:06):
He wants to destroy your future, and not just here in this
world.
His aim is your eternaldestruction.
There are spiritual forces ofevil working every single day,
all throughout the day, towardthat end in your life.
This is where I'm hesitant touse that video, because we're
(09:29):
not talking about a sweet treaton a plate.
We're talking about realtemptations with real
consequences every single day ofour lives.
So with that biblical framework,we're going to read Proverbs 7,
which is essentially a storyabout temptation to adultery.
Yet it's deeper than justadultery.
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The whole book of Proverbs isessentially a father discipling
his son, telling him how to livewisely.
And wisdom, from the very firstchapter of Proverbs, is
personified as a woman callingout for him to follow her.
And in Proverbs 8, you look atit, right after this chapter,
you see wisdom personified asthis woman beckoning a son to
(10:12):
follow her.
But right before this, inchapter 7, what we're about to
read, we see another woman whomhe follows instead.
So what we're about to read is,yes, about adultery, but it's
also about all kinds oftemptations to sin and
foolishness.
So let's read it Proverbs 7,verse 1.
(10:32):
My son, keep my words andtreasure up my commandments with
you.
Keep my commandments alive,keep my teaching as the apple of
your eye, bind them on yourfingers, write them on the
tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom you are my sister, and call insight your intimate
friend to keep you from theforbidden woman, from the
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adulteress with her smooth words.
For at the window of my house Ihave looked out through my
lattice.
And I have seen, among thesimple, I have perceived among
the youths, a young man lackingsense passing along the street
near her corner, taking the roadto her house, in the twilight,
in the evening, at the time ofnight and darkness.
(11:19):
And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily
of heart.
And behold, the woman meets himdressed as a prostitute, wily
of heart, she is loud andwayward, her feet do not stay at
home.
Now in the street, now in themarket, in every corner, she
lies in wait, she seizes him andkisses him, and with bold face,
she says to him I had to offersacrifices and today I have paid
(11:40):
my vows.
So now I have come out to meetyou, to seek you eagerly, and I
have found you.
I've spread my couch withcoverings, colored linens from
Egyptian linen.
I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
Come, let us take our fill oflove till morning.
Let us delight ourselves withlove, for my husband is not at
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home.
He's gone on a long journey,journey he took a bag of money
with him and at full moon hewill come home.
With much seductive speech, shepersuades him with her smooth
talk, she compels him all atonce.
He follows her as an ox goes tothe slaughter or the stag is
(12:23):
caught fast till an arrowpierces its liver as a bird
rushes into a snare.
He does not know that it willcost him his life.
And now, sons, listen to me andbe attentive to the words of my
mouth.
Let not your heart turn asideto her ways.
Do not stray into her paths.
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For many a victim has she laidlow, and all her slain are a
mighty throne.
Her house is the way to Sheol,going down to the chambers of
death.
Did you see it?
This whole chapter starts as afather's instruction to his son.
(13:06):
He's telling him to view wisdomas his sister, as his intimate
friend, and to keep away fromfoolishness, specifically called
the forbidden woman here.
And then he goes on to tellthis story of a young man
(13:27):
lacking sense who goes fromsimply taking a stroll in the
beginning to finding himself inthe end in the chambers of death
in a matter of minutes.
How does that happen?
How does temptation work?
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Let me show you the cycle oftemptation in this chapter, and
it's not necessarily always.
I don't mean to imply it's astep-by-step process, but
temptation usually involves acombination of these things.
First, temptation waits as thissimple young man goes out for a
stroll.
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Did you hear verse 12?
At every corner she lies andwaits.
What a picture of temptation.
It's always there, waiting foryou in all kinds of ways, all
day long.
You may think you're just goingalong in your day, but
temptation is not staying home.
It's lurking all around you.
(14:34):
And then, just the right moment, temptation appears verse 13.
She seizes him and kisses him.
She makes herself known to him.
Now, keep in mind, temptationis not always this forward.
This aggressive Temptation isoften more subtle or passive.
(14:55):
Think about Genesis 3.
The serpent makes himself knownwith a simple, seemingly
innocent question Did Godactually say not to eat from any
tree in the garden?
And does God really want yourgood?
Which leads to the next pictureTemptation appeals.
I've come out to meet you.
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Verse 15 says to seek youeagerly.
I found you.
I want you, I want your good.
Temptation says.
Temptation appeals to ourdesires.
In the words of John Piper, thepower of all temptation is the
prospect that it will make mehappier.
No one sins out of a sense ofduty.
(15:38):
Temptation flatters you.
You want, you deserve this.
You are justified in this.
Then temptation invites inverse 18 it's come, let us take
our fill of love till morning.
(15:58):
In genesis 3.
It's come, take this piece Inour lives.
It's dwell on this thought,indulge this desire, say those
words, react that way, takethose steps and notice how the
(16:19):
invitation comes with a promise.
Temptation promises at leasttwo things here in Proverbs 7.
It promises satisfaction You'llbe delighted with love and it
promises secrecy.
No one will know.
My husband is gone.
Temptation promises to be goodfor you and devastating to no
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one.
Yet it's interesting.
After all of that, it stillseems that there's some pause in
this young man.
The very next verse tells uswith much seductive speech she
persuades him.
And that's how temptation works.
It allures, just continues todraw, persuade.
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It eventually compels him.
That word capturing just therelentless allurement of
temptation that we're allfamiliar with.
You ever resist temptation for atime, like you didn't blow up
in anger at first, but they justkept nagging at you until you
(17:28):
lose it.
You choose not to scroll overthose images at first, but later
.
You're tired, you're morevulnerable and you give in.
You hear a sermon on giving.
You decide, but give moregenerously.
But after a couple of weeksyou've completely forgotten and
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you're back to spending asbefore, you resolve to pray, to
read the Bible.
But life gets busy and otherthings get more important.
One writer put it this waytemptation is rarely a single
arrow to be avoided, but farmore often a wide and prolonged
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wave of warfare meant to wear usdown until we surrender.
Temptation allures relentlessly.
We resist at one corner.
It waits to meet us around thenext corner, where it starts all
over again, and maybe from atotally different angle, until,
in the words of verse 23, hefollows her like an ox going to
(18:34):
the slaughter, like a stadcaught fast until an arrow
pierces its liver, like a birdrushing into a snare.
He goes and he does not know itwill cost him his life.
Don't miss it.
(18:55):
See, the aim, the end of all ofthis is to lure us to sin and
lead to our destruction.
Lure us to sin and lead to ourdestruction.
Whenever I read this chapter, Icannot help but think about a
once really close friend of minewho was allured by someone, not
his wife.
I remember him packing histhings and jumping into his car
(19:18):
and driving away to go be withher, us pleading with him don't
do it.
And he went anyway, leaving hiswife, leaving his daughter who
loved him so deeply and leadingto the loss of so much in his
life.
And we are obviously applyingthis text to temptation in
general today.
But for anyone who is in anyway flirting with temptation to
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adultery or sexual immorality inany way, hear God graciously
bringing you to this place inthis moment to hear you say
you're like an ox going to theslaughter.
Don't do it.
Hear his words speaking to you.
Temptation is aiming for yourdestruction.
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Open your eyes, see what'shappening.
It's waiting, it's appearing,alluring, appealing to you,
inviting you, promising you somuch, alluring you all to
destroy you.
So how do you fight this mostimportant of all wars that's
(20:26):
playing out in all kinds of waysin all of our lives?
Hear the word of God, threeexhortations from a father to a
son and God to us all, inProverbs 7.
First, fill your mind withtruth Verse 24 listen to me, be
attentive to the words of mymouth.
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This is where the whole chapterstarted, in verse 1.
Keep my words, my son, treasureof my commandments, with you.
Keep them as the apple of youreye, that language there is.
Literally.
Put the truth of God at thevery center of your sight.
Bind them on your fingers.
(21:10):
Write them on the tablet ofyour heart.
Live with wisdom like it's yourintimate friend you love.
It will keep you from theforbidden woman.
Temptation thrives on you notbeing close to God through his
word and wisdom through his word.
(21:30):
Temptation thrives on lies anddeception in this world, which
means the way to fighttemptation is to fill your mind
with truth.
It's how Jesus foughttemptation in Matthew 4, tempted
three times.
Every time he quotes God's wordin response.
He knew what God's word said.
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He knew it was true, he knew itwas good.
So meditate on his word,memorize it, write it on the
tablet of your heart, love it.
Read this word not just tocheck off a box in your day.
Read it because it's criticalto your life.
Keep my commandments and liveLife and death depends on having
(22:11):
this word hidden in your heart.
So fill your mind with it.
And then, before we move on,let's not overlook the fact this
father in Proverbs 7 is doingall he can to pass God's word to
his son, to the next generation.
So let's not just fill ourminds with truth, let's fill
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others' minds with truth.
Parents, are you teaching yourchildren the word of God?
Are you helping them tomeditate on it and memorize it
and love it.
Are you showing them what thatlooks like in practice in your
life Such a way way they'repassing that on to them so
they're ready for spiritual warin this world?
We can run them around fromthis practice to that activity
(22:53):
in pursuit of success accordingto this world, but we are only
setting them up for failure ifwe don't give them God's Word.
Prepare your children to fighttemptation coming at them from
all sides with truth and wisdomthat you've poured into them,
and not just parents, but for usas a church to prioritize
(23:13):
passing on truth to the nextgeneration so that they can live
.
Fill your mind, mind, fill theirminds with truth and then guard
your heart with vigilance.
This is exact language fromproverbs 4, 23.
Keep your heart with allvigilance, for from it flow the
(23:35):
springs of life, and it's hereagain in proverbs 7, 25.
Let not your heart turn asideto her ways.
And interestingly, we readthese exact words from Jesus in
our Bible reading as a churchfamily this last week in Mark,
chapter 7.
(23:56):
For from within, out of theheart of man, come evil thoughts
.
Sexual immorality, theft,murder, adultery, coveting,
wickedness, deceit, sensuality,envy, slander, pride,
foolishness.
All these things come fromwithin and they defile a person.
Do you see how temptationstarts in your mind and in your
(24:17):
heart?
Makes sense, right?
If we don't want to commitadultery, then guard your heart
against lust.
If you don't want to commitmurder, then guard your heart
against hate.
If you don't want to committheft, then guard your heart
against covetousness in yourlife.
Like guard your desires.
(24:38):
Not everything you desire isgood, and even that statement is
controversial in our day.
We just bought into the liethat because we desire it, that
makes it good.
No, just because you have adesire for something does not
mean you're obligated to fulfillthat desire, because that's the
way you're made.
(24:58):
See how temptation is appealingto our desires, flattering us,
promising us, alluring us.
Guard your hearts.
Out of the first sinning, comeinto the world.
Genesis 3, 6.
The woman saw the tree was goodfor food.
It was the delight to the eyes,it was to be desired to make
one wise.
So she took of its fruit andate, and she gave some to her
(25:20):
husband, who was with her, andhe ate.
They didn't fill their mindwith truth and they didn't guard
their hearts with vigilance.
And you keep reading thischapter and you see, immediately
they started blaming each otherand blaming God for what they
had done.
We do the same thing today.
She made me angry.
He caused me to do that meangry.
(25:48):
He caused me to do that Inmarriage.
It's my spouse isn't satisfyingme, so I need to find someone
else who is In singleness.
It's I'm willing to findsomebody outside of marriage who
will satisfy me.
Or with so much sexualimmorality in our day, it's God
you made me this way.
No, james 4, 13.
Let no one say, when he istempted, I'm being tempted by
God.
Fill your mind with truths fromGod and guard your heart with
(26:14):
vigilance before God and watchyour steps at all times.
Verse 25.
Let not your heart turn asideto her ways.
Do not stray into her paths.
Do you realize?
This whole chapter started witha stroll.
It started with a young manwandering instead of watching
(26:39):
out.
There's a reason.
First, peter 5 says besober-minded, be watchful.
Your adversary, the devil,prowls around like a roaring
lion, seeking someone to devouryou every day.
Be alert, resist him.
(27:07):
This is not passive, james 4, 7, 8.
Submit yourselves, therefore,to God.
Resist the devil and he willflee from you.
Draw near to God and he willdraw near to you, not ignore the
devil, and he will flee fromyou.
No, resist him.
And how do you do that?
You draw near to God instead,and this is where I want you to
(27:34):
see the most important truthProverbs 7 and all over the
Bible that you must not miss,because if you miss this truth,
you will lose the battle againsttemptation in your life,
guaranteed.
If you walk away from todaycommitted to doing everything
you can, doing more, to fighttemptation, you will fail.
Think about it.
Your adversary is a lion.
(27:59):
You're not.
If you see a lion and you sayI'm going to do everything I can
to fight him, it's not going towork out well for you.
You need help and I have goodnews for you.
Remember how we set this wholepicture up.
(28:19):
We live in a spiritual worldand a spiritual war, and the
stakes are high your life, yourrelationships, your family, your
future forever.
It's all at stake in thisspiritual war and there's an
adversary in this world whowants to destroy you.
But I want you to hear this onefinal truth there is an ally
over this world who wants tosave and satisfy you.
(28:40):
Hear this good news in thisbattle in this world, the God
who made you the God you aretempted to turn from, the God
whom you have turned from.
We all have.
We've all given in totemptation to trust our ways
instead of God's word.
We've all been this foolish man, woman, done the things we want
(29:03):
and as a result of our sin,which has brought unimaginable
destruction in the world, we'reall in a row that leads to
eternal destruction beyond thisworld.
Holy judgment, do our sinbefore a just and holy God.
But the good news of the Bible,the greatest news in all the
world, is that God has not leftus alone in this battle, and God
(29:25):
has not left us alone in oursin and eternal destruction.
God has come to us in theperson of Jesus.
He's come to this world and helived.
Jesus lived a life of no sin,unlike anybody else in the
history of the world.
He didn't give into temptationone time and then, even though
(29:46):
he had no sin for which to die,he chose to die on a cross to
pay the price.
For what?
For your sin and my sin, forthe sins of all who trust in him
.
And then, three days later,jesus rose from the grave.
He defeated sin and death forus, so that anyone, anywhere, no
(30:10):
matter what you've done, nomatter how you've given in, no
matter how this picture ofProverbs 7 is played out in your
life, if you will simply turnfrom your sin and trust in Jesus
to save you from your sin, hewill forgive you of all of it
and give you eternal life withhim, starting now with his
(30:31):
spirit inside you.
So if you have never put yourtrust in God's love for you, in
Jesus to save you from your sin,give you eternal life and
restored relationship with God,I invite you to do that today.
Don't believe the lies of thisworld that your best life is
according to your ways.
(30:51):
Believe the God who made you,that he knows you and what is
best for you in your life nowand for all of eternity.
And once you trust in Jesus andfor all who has, then do not
fight against temptation in yourflesh.
Fight against temptation andthe power of his spirit living
(31:17):
in you.
Don't try to fight this battlealone.
Rise every morning and sayJesus, me.
Then listen to his word andwalk in fellowship with his
spirit all day long, looking tohim to give you the power to
overcome temptation all day long, knowing that he who is in you
(31:41):
is greater than he who is in theworld, your ally, who's over
all the world, the one whoconquered sin and death, is
living inside you to save youfrom sin, not just for eternity,
but today, this week, and hewill satisfy you.
You look back at that cycle oftemptation and you realize how
(32:03):
Jesus enables you to overcometemptation, because he's waiting
to satisfy you at every turn.
He has appeared not just 2,000years ago, but he's with you
right now, always appealing toyour good, and he actually knows
what will lead to your good,and he invites you every day to
(32:24):
experience what is truly good inyour life.
He promises you truesatisfaction and he always keeps
his promises.
And he allures you with newmercy, waiting for you every
single morning and followingafter you all the day long.
So how do you fight thealluring temptations of this
world?
With the alluring love of Jesusfor you and the almighty power
(32:50):
of Jesus in you.
That marshmallow picture is nota perfect illustration.
It breaks down to many levels,but the kids who held on knew
something better was coming.
Ladies and gentlemen, fighttemptation with the knowledge
that someone better has come.
Jesus, god in the flesh, hascome.
(33:11):
He's made full light, free fromthe destructive power of sin,
available to you and me now andforever.
So fill your mind with histruth, guard your heart with his
vigilance, watch your steps atall times by the power of his
spirit inside of you, and live.
(33:35):
So I want to give you a momentalone with God, specifically in
a time of confession.
If you've never trusted inJesus as the Savior and Lord of
your life, then I want to inviteyou in this quiet moment to
confess you're a sinner beforeGod and ask God to save you from
(33:56):
your sin, put your trust inwhat Jesus has done on the cross
for you and for all who havedone that, who are trusting in
Jesus as Savior and Lord, thatwho are trusting in Jesus as
Savior and Lord.
I want to give you a couplemoments to confess before God
(34:22):
how you have given in totemptation, how you are
struggling with sin, just to behonest with Him, what he already
knows and to ask God for Hisforgiveness.
And to ask God for hisforgiveness and to ask God for
his help in fighting thosespecific temptations.
We hope you've enjoyed thisweek's episode of Radical with
David Platt.
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radicalnet.
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