Yield Not to Temptation: Experiencing Christ's Victory in 40 Days

By L. David Harris

If you have ever been tempted to sin and everything within you cried out for God's help, listen up. We all have days when it seems that falling is much easier than standing. We promise ourselves, and God, that we will do our best to serve Him, if He will just get us through this temptation. And, well meaning believers all around the world hope for victory, but keep falling short. What can we do? What is the key to fulfilling God's plan for our lives?

Yield Not to Temptation: Experiencing Christ’s Victory in 40 Days, promises to focus your mind on Jesus, such that victory will appear to be the only option. You will learn to rejoice in His righteousness, relish in His promises, and respond to His leading.

You, dear friend, can experience Christ's victory, beginning today. Don't give up on holiness. Rather, give all to your holy God, and He will lift you up.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L. David Harris
• Release date: Nov 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310404702

L. David Harris

L. David Harris is a commissioning editor, public speaker, voiceover artist, freelance writer, cartoon mash-up/infographic artist, and author with almost 20 years of professional experience. His passion is to use words and technology responsibly as effective agents of change, the world over. As such, he considers any contribution he makes in these ways, a privilege.

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Section 1: His Childhood

Man that is born of a woman Is of few days, and full of trouble. (Job 14:1).

No truer words can be said of human kind. Our lives are so short, but the troubles we both cause and encounter seem limitless. Before we are even conceived, the devil’s onslaught has already begun. There is this little thing called genetics that smart people research and banter about with which we must all contend. Just as babies get their pudgy little noses from their mommies, and their big ‘ol cheeks from their daddies, they get much more than that. They get family predispositions to alcoholism; they get bad tempers; they get tendencies toward lying; and, unfortunately a lot more. The cuteness phase does end, and life, with all of its struggles begins. Thankfully, God has not left us to contend with this all by ourselves. This is the very reason Jesus came.

In this category of devotionals, we will take a brief look at the childhood of Jesus and hopefully glean truths that will help us in our victory over sin.

Day 1: Family Matters

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:3–6).

As I mentioned earlier, the reason Jesus came to our world was to deliver us from sin. And part of the mystery of this deliverance would be to conquer both our inherited and cultivated tendencies toward evil. By virtue of being human, we inherit a bent toward various habits from our foreparents. From very early ages, we see our children exhibiting behaviors we did, even before they could observe them. For instance, a child might have a sassy mouth from a very early age, just like her auntie. She may even use expressions her auntie did 30 years ago, which the child could not possibly have observed. There are many examples of this we could cite, but we need no more evidence than to simply look at our own families, and observe.

Then there are those pesky little cultivated tendencies. These are habits we develop through practice. While it may be true that your father had a habit of multiplying sexual partners, and you may have a problem with lust through genetics, practice intensifies the issue. Yes, we can be tempted in the very ways our families were. Yes, we can have very real battles to stay on the right track. But, if we should begin to entertain the generational temptation and then succumb, we have now etched the beginning of a new brain pathway where experience breeds familiarity. We often do what we have done in the past. The more we repeat an act, or entertain a thought, the easier it becomes to do the same. Thus it is that we can cultivate tendencies toward evil.

This gives context to our focus text. It says that at just the right time in our earth’s history, Jesus was born of a woman, to redeem all others who have been born. Everyone who has ever been born of a woman, with the exception of Jesus, has sinned and falls short of God’s design for our lives. So, Jesus came through the earthly birth process in order to give us a new Father. I know that sounded complex. It was. Now, let me explain: The only way we could be delivered from the sin problem is that someone who is greater than, or equal to the law that was offended would become our substitute. That is to say, that God [the Son] Himself, would have to be born as a human being, while retaining His divinity. Let me teach you divine mathematics: 100% God, who became 100% human, while still being 100% God, equals our only chance of being 100% saved. Paul wrote it this way: And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16). He also wrote: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14–18).

Jesus, who is equal to our heavenly Father, volunteered to take on human form after 4,000 years of sin degenerated humanity. He could have performed some miracle and appeared in a basket on the River Nile, but that would not have been effective for our salvation. He had to be born of a woman. But the mystery here is that, while He had an earthly mother, He had a Heavenly Father. The Bible says: And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35). In this way, we who have been born of earthly parentage can be reborn by faith in Him. Those who are reborn of the Spirit, become the children of God (John 1:12-13).

I could have written a detailed theological review of this mystery, and how the humanity of Jesus related to His divine nature, but that is not the purpose of this book. The bottom line is that we have so much against us as human beings, but God did not stay up in heaven twiddling His thumbs. Rather, He enacted His eternal plan to save us from sin and self. That plan included the death of His own dear Son. He did not even withhold His own dear Son! He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32).

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Today’s Key to Victory:  Whenever you sense that a particular temptation is so overwhelming that you can hardly focus elsewhere, remember that your battle against sin is so much bigger than you. Satan has studied and defeated so many in your bloodline who came before you. In the moment you feel overwhelmed, begin to pray. Remind God that in Exodus 20:6, He promised to show mercy to thousands who love Him, and keep His commandments. He loves when we claim His promises. Then begin to thank Him for keeping His promises. Do not stop thanking Him for the times He has come through in the past, until the urgency of that moment of temptation has subsided.

Jewel of the Day:   In order for us to be saved and victorious over sin, God [the Father], was in God [the Son] reconciling us to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19-21). This means that the fact that your dad was a womanizing drug addict does not mean you have to be the same. This does mean, however, that since your heavenly Father is perfectly righteous, you too can be righteous through faith in Him.

Day 2: Worshipping the King

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matthew 2:1–2).

I am not sure how many people realize how incredible it was that the Magi were able to find baby Jesus in order to worship Him. The Bible says that they saw His star in the east and then followed it to Jerusalem. Perhaps a righteous stargazer can help me with this one. How did they associate the star they saw with the birth of Jesus? This is amazing! When God led the children of Israel in the pillars of cloud and fire, it was spectacular, but He made Himself manifest so they knew it was He who had led them. But, this star, although it stood prominently in their view of the night sky, was presumably unnoticed by the people of God in Jerusalem. How did the Magi know? I cannot answer that question except to say this may be the beginning of our lesson for today: Whenever we desire to worship God, He is more than able to use even the mundane things of life to lead us to Himself. The Most High led diligent seekers directly to the place where their Redeemer had been born.

There was much that made the Magi wise in their society, but that which made them wise in the Bible sense, was their determination to worship God. Neither time nor distance would hinder their search for the Savior. The key to our victory, friends, is that we must not