Sermon Slides: Pastor Dean Nadasdy - Woodbury Lutheran Church

FIELD MANUAL
FOR SPIRITUAL WARRIORS
Session 5
Winning the One-on-One Battle
of Temptation

DEFINITIONS
o Trial = an ordeal or hard
time sent or allowed by
God.
God will allow a trial to
test, discipline, or mature
His people (Job, Elijah,
Paul, for example). James
1:2-4, 12 addresses trials.

TRIAL
• JAMES 1:2-4, 12
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you
know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its
work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything….12 Blessed is the man
who perseveres under trial, because when he
has stood the test, he will receive the crown of
life that God has promised to those who love
him.

DEFINITIONS
o Temptation = an enticement to evil with the
promise of pleasure or gain, prompted by
the devil and his forces.
James 1:13-15 addresses temptations.

TEMPTATION
• James 1:13-15
13 When tempted, no one
should say, "God is tempting
me." For God cannot be
tempted by evil, nor does he
tempt anyone; 14 but each one
is tempted when, by his own
evil desire, he is dragged away
and enticed. 15 Then, after
desire has conceived, it gives
birth to sin; and sin, when it is
full-grown, gives birth to death.

UNDERSTANDING TEMPTATION
• Temptation is inevitable;
everyone is tempted.
“When tempted…”
• God never directs
temptation. God allows
it, but never directs it.
“…no one should say, ‘God
is tempting me.’ For God
cannot be tempted by evil,
nor does he tempt anyone.”

UNDERSTANDING TEMPTATION
• Temptation is an individual matter.
– “… but each one is tempted when, by his
own evil desire, he is dragged away and
enticed.”
• Temptation that leads to sin always
follows the same pattern.
– “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives
birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives
birth to death.”
Step 1: The bait is dropped.
Step 2: Desire is aroused.
Step 3: Sin occurs when we yield.
Step 4: Sin results in tragic
consequences.

TACTICS FOR
OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
1. Do not tolerate temptation, but counteract it.
2. Avoid the temptation situation (avoidance
always better than staying to fight!)
3. Weigh the consequences of yielding to
temptation.
4. Have the Word of God ready to use.