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Tempted and Tried

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This book looks great.

Here is an excerpt from the author:

I don’t know what’s wrong with you.

Maybe you tear up when you think about the words you screamed at your kids this morning. Maybe you’ve deleted the history cache of your computer this week, again, promising yourself that you’ll never access those images again. Maybe you carry that empty snack bag in your purse to throw away later, so people in your office won’t see it in the wastebasket. Maybe the prescription drugs in your desk drawer right now are the only things keeping you sane, and you fear they’re making you crazy. Maybe you just can’t stop thinking about the smell of your co-worker’s hair, or the clink of the whiskey glass at the table nearby.

Maybe what you’re tempted to do is so wild that I wouldn’t feel comfortable posting it on this page, or maybe it’s so tame that I wouldn’t even think to mention it. I don’t know. But I think I know what’s behind it all.

You’re being tempted right now, and so am I. Most of the time we don’t even know it. And, in every one of those moments, we want either to overestimate or underestimate the power of that temptation. We overestimate it by thinking something along the lines of, “I have these feelings, so therefore I’m predestined to be this kind of person.” We underestimate it by thinking something along the lines of, “I’m not tempted to do anything terrible, like adultery or murder. I’m just struggling with this small thing, say, bitterness over my infertility.”

But it’s there, and it’s wild.

Temptation is so strong in our lives because it’s not about us. Temptation is an assault by the demonic powers on the rival empire of the Messiah. That’s why conversion doesn’t diminish the power of temptation, as we often assume, but actually, counter-intuitively, ratchets it up.

If you bear the Spirit of the One the powers rage against, they will seek you out. They want to tear down the icon of the Crucified One that they see embedded in you (1 Pet. 4:14; Rev. 12:17). We’re targeted because we resemble our firstborn brother, Jesus.

We all, whether believers or not, bear some resemblance to Jesus because we share with him a human nature, the image of God. As we come to find peace with God through Jesus, though, we begin a journey of being conformed more and more into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). The demons shriek in the increasing glory of that light, and they’ll seek even more frenetically to put it out of their sights.

Order now: Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ

Comments

  1. I am studying Spiritual warfare and agree 100%. I see the demons attack the women within hours of the class I teach. I wonder, is warfare appropriate to teach Neipios or Podeions or even Teknons (3 less mature stages of sonship). I feel like they need to know what they’re up against and how their unforgiveness and personal sin is giving the demons an open door to attack their minds and bodies. They are learning to “Send it Forth” from Matt 6:12-15, so that much is great, but they are being attacked by temptations of their past. I know God is merciful to children (and baby christians are children even if they’re 50), but what if they never mature because they are so spiritually bound. They are like the seeds sown on stony ground. No root system. Are they ever in danger of not going to Heaven if they continue in a lifestyle of the sins of the flesh Gal 5:19-21?

    • I know that Spiritual Warfare exists.
      How do we know we are in the midst of a battle?
      Could it be that the closer you want to see Jesus, the more bad spirits attack?
      I am unfamiliar with the terms you used and the three levels.

      Sites related to this subject:

      Bible-Knowledge.com
      Spiritual Warfare
      http://www.bible-knowledge.com/spiritual-warfare/

      Father’s Love Letter Devotional Series
      http://www.fathersloveletter.com/Devotionals/

      An Introduction To Your Heavenly Father.
      1. Introducing Your Heavenly Father
      2. God’s Original Intent
      3. Understanding Our Need For Love
      4. Having A Personal Relationship With God
      5. Finding Our Way Home
      6. Your New Relationship With God

      365 Promises
      http://www.365promises.com/

      Father’s Heart TV
      http://www.fatherheart.tv/

      My Dad is the Best Dad in the Universe
      http://www.thebestdad.net/

    • Battle Verses

      1.“… that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14)

      2.“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13)

      3.“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15)

      4.“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)

      5.“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (Revelation 12:11)

      6.“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

      Therefore God has also highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

      •Jesus fully destroyed the devil and all of his works through His death on the cross
      •Jesus has fully delivered us from the power of darkness
      •Jesus has fully disarmed principalities and powers
      •That every knee shall bow to Jesus, including those who under the earth, which are demons

      These extremely powerful statements being made to all of us by God through His Holy Word are all full and final.

      • Here are 38 extremely powerful verses showing the supernatural power we now have as born-again Christians to be able to directly engage with any demons who may ever come our way in this life.

        1. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe. In my name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)

        2.“But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:6-8)

        3.“And He called the twelve to Him, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits … And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6:7,13)

        4.“And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” (Matthew 10:1)

        5.“But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:6-8)

        6.“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1)

        7.“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee … the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:14-18)

        8.“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you …” (1 John 2:27)

        9.“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” (1 John 2:20)

        10.“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)

        11.“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

        12.“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)

        13.“Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us. In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever.” (Psalm 44:5)

        14.“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

        15.“… but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32)

        16.“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

        17.“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

        18.“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit …” (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

        19.“For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20)

        20.“… in mighty signs and wonders , by the power of the Spirit of God …” (Romans 15:19)

        21.“Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.” (2 Corinthians 12:12)

        22.“Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” (Acts 2:43)

        23.“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

        24.“The Lord is my strength and my shield …” (Psalm 28:7)

        25.“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” (Psalm 138:3)

        26.“O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.” (Psalm 68:35)

        27.“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.” (Isaiah 40:29)

        28.“For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:26)

        29.“Yet the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.” (Job 17:9)

        30.“They shall walk after the Lord. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, then His sons shall come trembling from the west …” (Hosea 11:10)

        31.“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage …” (Joshua 1:5)

        32.“Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle – my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.” (Psalm 144:1)

        33.“For You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (2 Samuel 22:29)

        34.“It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on high places. He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze … I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. I have wounded them, so that they were not able to rise; they have fallen under my feet. For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.” (Psalm 18:32,37)

        35.“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

        36.“Or else how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strongman? And then he will plunder his house.” (Matthew 12:29)

        37.“And I will give you the the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)

        38.“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints …” (Ephesians 6:13-18)

  2. God fights for us.

    1. ”The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name … Your Right Hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of Your excellence you have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath which consumed them like stubble.” (Exodus 15:3,6)

    2.“The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.” (Isaiah 42:13)

    3.“I will go before you and make the crooked paths straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.” (Isaiah 45:2)

    4.“Therefore understand today the Lord your God is He who goes before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.” (Deuteronomy 9:3)

    5.“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:14)

    6.“Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 1:8)

    7.“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:7)

    8.“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, ‘Destroy!’ ” (Deuteronomy 33:27)

    9.“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

    10.“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.” (2 Timothy 4:18)

    11.“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

    12.“When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19)

    13.“Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.” (Psalm 20:6)

    14.“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and You right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me …” (Psalm 138:7)

    15.“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)

    16.“For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 52:12)

    17.Do not say, “I will recompense evil;” Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.” (Proverbs 20:22)

    18.“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me … The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.” (Psalm 129:2)

    19.“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two.” (Psalm 107:15-16)

    20.“God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If He does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.” (Psalm 7:11)

    21.“He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed. (1 Samuel 2:9)

    22.“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:2)

    23.“But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” (Psalm 37:39)

    24.“And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

  3. God’s Angels Fight for Us

    1.“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)

    2.“For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)

    3.“And let the angel of the Lord chase him … And let the angel of the Lord pursue them … Let the destruction come upon him unexpectedly.” (Psalm 35:5-8)

    4.“Behold, I sent an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20)

    5.“Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)

    6.“For Satan himself transforms himself into an ANGEL OF LIGHT. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)

    7.“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, BUT TEST THE SPIRITS, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (1 John 4:1-4)

    How to test the spirits. Demons can appear as men.

    The last two verses will help warn us that Satan and his demons can try and come to us acting like they are one of God’s angels. If an angel were all of a sudden to ever appear to you, you have to properly test him to make sure that he is one of God’s angels.

    The way you do it is by asking him to confess out to you that Jesus Christ has already come to our earth in the flesh. A demon will not be able to make that kind of a confession to you. If the angel fails this test, then just command it to immediately leave you in the name of Jesus Christ.