Overcoming Temptations

Overcoming Temptations (1 Cor 10:13, Col 2:12)    

• Remember every sin we commit starts with a thought, every temptation starts in our mind.
• 1 Cor 10:13 All of our temptations and struggles are common to being human.
• Why is this important?
  • Because the enemy can use this against us if we don’t understand it.
    • “No one else has to deal with this for this long.” “There is something wrong with you.”
  • Continuing in the verse, being tempted is common to being Human. But the strength to resist and overcome is also contained in our humanity. Because of God’s faithfulness.
  • Then, since we know that we will be tempted, now we just need a plan to deal with that.
  • I think there are two key parts to this plan, identity, and focus.

Colossians 2:12 When you go under the water in baptism you are dying to everything, your old life, your sins, etc.

• When you come out of the water, in faith, we are brought into new life.

• We died to ourselves and were raised through faith to a life in Christ.
  • Through confession of faith and baptism we become the righteousness of Christ.
  • This becomes our new identity. Our old self and old identity died! It does not exist anymore.

Verse 13 He is making a sharp contrast between our pre-Christian past and our present position with Christ.

• His reference to their “uncircumcision” here refers to their spiritual alienation from God.

• Paul is writing to gentile Christians not Jews, so he is not referring to physical circumcision.

Verse 14 Jesus has not only canceled the debt; but he has also destroyed the document on which it was written.

• This refereed to a hand written note for proof of a dept.

• Jesus took it away, nailed it to the cross. Canceled the debt. Threw away the document.

Verse 15 Powers and authorities refer to the enemy and his demons.

• Jesus has disarmed the enemy; all the enemy has left are lies.
  • We take the thought captive and speak this verse. “Satan you have been disarmed by Jesus”

Col 2:16-19 Paul is using a bunch of man-made food laws as an example of focusing on the wrong things.

Col 2:20 Paul was not talking about the God given law, the ten commandments, but manmade rules. (verses 16-19.)

• Paul is implying that these rules, are products of the “powers and authorities.” demons

Verse 21 These rules being rooted in human wisdom and the influence of the “Powers and authorities”

Verse 22 These rules are not eternal, they are destined to parish, they have no lasting effect

Verse 23 These man-made rules or regulations have the appearance of wisdom, but not actual wisdom.

• Focusing on man-made rules will not deliver us from temptation.
• Rules don’t prevent sin. They merely tell us what sin is.

Chapter 3:1 Notice the difference in where our focus is?

• Paul makes a dramatic shift here. From do not taste, do not touch etc. to focus on Jesus.

Verse 2 In the Greek it says to have the same mind, or to be of one mind.

Verse 3 When we died in our baptism we are now hidden in Christ.

• One of the definitions of this Greek word is to “escape notice.”

Verse 5 Because of our baptism, we can now consider the parts of our body dead to sin.

• This speaks to identity; I am the righteousness of Christ.

It’s a way of life not a set of rules.

1. Claim our identity in Christ.
2. Focus your mind on things above and Jesus
3. Hide yourself in Christ.
4. Use the authority Christ has given you, the powers and authorities have been defeated.
5. Call on the Holy Spirit.