Oh God of new beginnings and second chances, here I am again, amen.  An unusual work of art was displayed in a museum.  It was a sculpture consisting of a chair facing a shotgun, with its barrel pointed head high back at the chair.  The gun was loaded and set on a timer to fire at an "undetermined moment sometime within the next 100 years."  The amazing thing about this "work of art" was that people waited in long lines to sit for one minute in that chair and stare down the gun barrel.  The gun could fire at any moment, yet they were willing to gamble it would not happen during their minute.

          You might be thinking to yourself, "I'd never put my life at risk like that!"  Yet we are all guilty of gambling in an even more dangerous way.  We gamble with temptation.  Being tempted is part of life, but falling to temptation is a matter of strength or weakness.  As Martin Luther said, "You can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair."

          How many sinful habits do you struggle with?  How many times have you lost the battle against temptation?  Perhaps it's smoking, or overeating, or lust, or abuse of alcohol or drugs, or TV, or compulsive anger.  What's on your list?

          The good news is that there is Good News.  We are not alone in this fight.  Paul said, "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..." (1 Corinthians 10:13)   On our journey through life, God empowers us to defeat temptation.

          First we must understand where temptation comes from.  Today it is popular to blame it on others - parents, society, even on God.  But the Bible says temptation comes from deep within human nature.  James wrote, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.'  But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." (James 1:13-14)   Temptation arises from within - from wrong desires that we roll around in our minds until they get a foothold.

          A man stopped in a church during a service.  The pastor was preaching on the Ten Commandments.  After the service the man told the pastor.  "I have a confession.  It's cold out and I had planned to stop in to steal someone's hat because I lost mine.  But I heard your sermon and decided not to."  "Wonderful," said the pastor.  "Was it what I said about the 7th Commandment, 'Thou shalt not steal'?"  "No, it was the one about not committing adultery.  When I heard that, I remembered where I left my hat!"

          Rather than caving in to temptation, you and I must reach for help and say no.  In James chapter four, God gives us a five point plan for dealing with temptation.

1.       It's A Matter Of Grace.  In the first five verses, James describes human nature and the sin that comes from within us.  Then he turns his attention to the solution - starting with these words: "But God gives more grace." (James 4:6)   Grace here is God working in our hearts to change us.  That's something we can't do ourselves, "For the grace of God... teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." (Titus 2:11-12)

          This empowering grace transforms our way of thinking so that we might have victory over our addictions, weaknesses, compulsions and all other forms of temptation.  But this is not cheap grace - it cost the blood of our Savior.  And the power of this grace is active only in those who seek it, who prize it, and who are willing to use it according to God's will.  Are you losing your battle against temptation?  Go to God and He'll help you.

2.       It's A Matter Of Attitude.  James then says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)   The attitude that succeeds against temptation is one of humility.  If we think we can do it on our own, we're headed for a fall.  Humility involves admitting we have a problem and seeking help.  It means first seeking God's help, so James continues, "Submit yourselves, then, to God... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:7,10)

          This means we stop deceiving ourselves and admit to God that we have a problem.  Humility seeks and accepts the help of others.  "Confess your sins to each other," James tells us, "and pray for each other so that you may be healed." (James 5:16)   Share your struggles with others.  Be accountable to a friend or counselor.  Seek the support of someone else, including Christians.  Studies show that about 80% of those trying to break a bad habit relapse within 90 days if they rely only on themselves.  Conquering temptation is more attainable if we get someone to help us.

3.       It's A Matter Of Actively Resisting.  James calls us to action: "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)   You and I can't overcome temptation on our own, and God won't do the resisting for us.  But He will give us the power to resist.  Satan does not have to trip us every time.  That's why Christ taught us to pray: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 9:13)

          We people are tempted to get away with things, but some of us, to quote an Army General, get "stuck on stupid."  Three masked men robbed a convenience store.  One of them saw a new photo cell phone, slipped off his mask and took a picture of himself and then left it there!  He was arrested hours later.  Another burglar robbed a house, but somehow left behind his parole card, complete with the date and time of his next appointment.  His parole officer welcomed him with handcuffs!  Another man mailed a half pound of marijuana to a friend which was sniffed out by a dog at the post office.  Too bad the fellow had put his actual return address on the package!  A woman got so many parking tickets that she decided to avoid paying them by declaring herself dead.  She wrote an obituary, sent it to the local newspaper and also the police station, which reportedly did cancel all $500 of her parking tickets.  If only she hadn't gotten another ticket!  That one cost her 3-5 years in jail.  We need help in actively resisting temptation.

4.       It's A Matter Of Running To God.  The Apostle goes on to admonish us: "Come near to God and He will come near to you." (James 4:8)   How do we do that?  By going to God's word and talking to God in regular prayer.  Get God's viewpoint, and get His help on the issue.  They say it takes three to four weeks of regular repetition to form a new habit.  Some people even memorize a Bible verse each day for a few weeks.  And don't forget regular worship and Bible reading.  It's hard for Satan to tempt us when we're running to God instead of running to the things that tempt us.

5.       It's A Matter Of Being Cleansed.  James continues: "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8)   His call to action reflects Jesus Christ.  Christ wants us to take definitive action by changing bad habits.  He calls on us to remove ourselves, as much as possible, from the source of temptation.  But as one comedian noted, a lot of the time when we remove ourselves, we leave a forwarding address!  James tells us to get indignant about sin in our lives: "Grieve, mourn and wail.  Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom." (James 4:9)   God is saying, "Get serious in this battle with temptation!"

          Finally, don't give up!  None of us wins every battle in the war against temptation.  We will lose some, and that can be discouraging.  But by God's grace, we will also win some!  God encourages us to keep on fighting, "For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again." (Proverbs 24:16)

          Temptation comes to us all, but God provides the way out - out of compulsions, the  addictions, and other bad habits that seem to have a grip on us.  Don't get "stuck on stupid."  Watch for the "escape hatch" that God always provides, and then use it!  Christ came to the world to forgive us when we fall to temptation.  He gives us strength to overcome.  But even when we fall, He is there with open arms to give us another chance, and to love us despite what we've done.  Praise God for His love in Jesus!  "Oh God of new beginnings and second chances, here we are again.  Amen"

Copyright © 2006 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.