Revisiting the Well of Faith

I want to speak to you from the heart for a minute. I know that as Christians we can so easily fall into despair when it comes to overcoming temptation. So many in the faith today have failed so many times to resist the temptation to sin that they’ve given up hope for full redemption from it. I can see it even now, like someone who has been kicked so many times that they’ve all but given up hope for survival, scratching at their attacker in a futile attempt to save their life. Why is it that some Christians seem to walk in such victory over sin and spiritual health and others don’t?

The truth is that you and I are no different to one another, we were both born with a sinful nature, both have rebelled against God and have been enslaved to sin - we’re actually all in the same boat. Similarly, all Christians have been redeemed from bondage and slavery to sin in the same way, to the same degree, by the blood of Jesus. What is available to you to overcome temptation and to live a life of spiritual flourishing, holiness, purity and the redemption of your life is as equally available to you as it was for Billy Graham, the Apostle Paul and every other Christian who has ever, or will ever walk the earth. So why do so many Christians today feel powerless to overcome temptation? Why do so many Christians feel defeated?

Honestly, I think it’s again an underestimation of the true power that God has made available to us through the blood of Jesus and indwelling of his Holy Spirit, and a lack of the fear of the Lord. I wish I could just give you an injection of the knowledge of the truth that sets you free, because I can see the battle you are facing, I can see the battle over your hope and faith and I can see the solution you need sitting right in front of you - the person of Jesus Christ!

Today I want to do my very best to help you find confidence in your battle over temptation, that by God’s grace you would see the wonder of God’s help made available to you, that all is not lost - in fact you just need to take hold of the spoils of the victory of Jesus!

Before we move on I want to circle back to a questions I asked you right back at the beginning of this course. Revisit these two questions and answer them from your heart:

Do you believe that you can have breakthrough from this sin?

Do you believe you will have breakthrough?

Remember the well of faith that we dug deep into God’s word, knowing that we would have draw from it? No doubt you have needed to draw from this well of faith over the past couple of months. Right now I believe it is a moment to revisit this well. We’re close to the finish line of this course, but the Lord has some of his most precious work left to do in you. We’ve gone through the power of the blood of Jesus to liberate us from sin, the atomic bomb of the fear of the Lord, the power of daily feasting upon Jesus to deal with life and the irreplaceable power of the Holy Spirit to walk in all that God has for us. It’s been a huge amount to chew on, digest and let become a part of you - and that’s not to mention the healing, conviction, and revelations of yourself that have likely begun to unravel the tangled web of false narratives, beliefs and vows you’ve covered your soul in all these years to protect yourself.

Well, we’re coming to the final sprint of this course and the last two weeks are going to be BIG. So today let’s dig the well of faith even deeper - see the further renewing of our minds and give you some serious tools to fight temptation.

The Substance of Grace

When it comes to overcoming temptation as Christians the best tool that we have to see a victory is God’s grace. Unfortunately so many Christians today only think that God’s grace is his forgiveness, given to us after we sin - however, God’s grace is so much more than this. God’s grace is a sharp, sparkling blade given to you by God himself to wield in every moment you need help. This blade never goes dull, and never loses its luster. It can never be lost and is always able to cut down its target. The grace of God is all that you need to overcome any temptation, overcome any obstacle, and see a victory in every spiritual battle. Sound exciting? It is!

Let’s go back over Hebrews 4:14-16 and revisit the wonderful substance of God’s grace.

Hebrews 4:14–16
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

As we spoke about in the lesson, this word for need isn’t small, it’s expansive - it means tribulation, great difficulty and a time in which we truly are not able to overcome a situation by ourselves. We all feel this at times. Quite often when we are faced with sexual temptation we feel powerless to resist, especially in the early stages of seeking to overcome it. Even though you might want to resist, it’s as if there’s a powerful force within your brain that forces you down a path you don’t want to take, but you’ve walked so many times before. This is a moment of real need. It is in this real moment of temptation in which we are to approach the throne of grace. And yet for many of us, instead of having intentional moments with God when we’re faced with temptation everything seems to go by in a blur.

What should happen according to this passage is that when we are faced with a need like this we would confidently approach God in prayer, believing that he will give us the mercy and grace we need to overcome the temptation. It’s as if we could recognise that we’re facing a battle and we need that glistening, razor sharp sword to fight this battle. So we go to God, ask for the sword - receive it, and slay the temptation, seeing a victory. What we need to do when we’re faced with temptation is stop, pause and engage with God. Even if you don’t yet want to, this posture of engagement with him when we are in real need is game changing.

It can be so helpful to remember Hebrews 4:16, and this metaphor, every single time you are in need. Whether it’s facing sexual temptation, or any other sin, whether it’s needing to forgive someone who’s deeply hurt you, minister to someone when you don’t know what to say, and the list goes on. Remember the grace that God has made available to help in all times of need.

The Two Step Plan

Let’s put all of this together into a plan for when we face temptation. This plan will work when you are facing temptation to sin sexually, or in any other way, it will work when you are being prompted by the Spirit to take a step of faith and minister to someone when you don’t feel confident, it will work when God is asking you to move states, pray for the sick, prophesy over someone, or do absolutely anything that God has for you to do! So buckle up and really get this two step plan into you, because it will serve you powerfully for the rest of your Christian walk.

When you’re faced with temptation there are two very important things to keep in mind to overcome:

1: Fear the Lord

2: Ask for Grace

Step 1: The Fear of the Lord

As we spoke about in week 4, the fear of the Lord deals with the motivation problem in our decision to not sin. When we are faced with temptation, it’s of the utmost importance that we make a serious and cognitive decision not give into the temptation for all of the reasons we went through in week 4. It might seem obvious, but sometimes this can be a huge battle. We’ve got to begin by making the real decision in our hearts that ‘yes I am being tempted to sin, but I do not want to fall into temptation and hurt the one I love and trample underfoot the blood of Jesus and grieve the Spirit’. This is why the fear of the Lord is so important - it’s in these moments of decision - God or the idol, that we’ve got to win the battle of the heart and choose God. Honestly, you can’t fake this. You can deceive yourself for sure, but you can’t fast-track or circumvent the genuine decision in your heart to say no to sin. Winning this battle has been what we’ve laboured for so diligently over the past 7 weeks together, when you’re faced with temptation your fear of the Lord is tested - it’s time to lock in, remember everything the Spirit has done in you and say “No!” to sin.

Where are you at with your decision to say no to this sin? Ask the Spirit to search your heart and see if you have truly repented and decided that you are not going to do this anymore. It’s this prior decision in your heart, to say no to this sin that you will stand upon in moments of temptation.

Step 2: Ask for Grace

It’s after we have been faced with temptation and find ourselves in a position of need, and have decided to say no to sin that we approach God’s throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help you in your time of need. Come to God in prayer - and ask for that sword!

In order to dive deeper into how God gives grace when we are faced with temptation, let’s take a look at a well known verse from 1 Corinthians and see how it adds more colour to the conversation.

1 Corinthians 10:12–13
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 so that you can endure it.

Most Christians know this verse, that God won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear - and yet how often is it misunderstood and misappropriated! First of all this passage tells us that we can see a victory in every moment of temptation. So you can breathe. You’re not doomed. God is orchestrating your life in such a way that you are able to overcome every single temptation you will ever face, when you face it. Wow! How’s that for good news. Even so - how is this victory achieved? The Lord tells us that when we are tempted he will provide a way out so that we can endure.

It’s at this point that we often make a lot of assumptions, so let’s seriously consider how exactly does God provide a way out? Well, we know that the battle we face is not flesh and blood, but spiritual. So the solution must be a spiritual one. Understanding what we have learned from God’s word about the gift of his grace we can clearly see that in every moment in which we need God’s help, that the way escape is offered to us is through the gift of God’s grace. Or in other words - He is the help.

This makes sense doesn't it, being able to access God’s strengthening through the power of the Spirit when we don’t have strength enough in ourselves is how God always provides a way of escape for us when we are tempted. Now, asking God for grace is the essential second step for overcoming temptation, and it seem’s so simple! But it brings up some important questions. So let’s ask some hard questions to dig even deeper into our own hearts, unearth what might be tripping us up, get it out and then walk in victory

Firstly, Do you believe that God’s grace is enough to help you overcome temptation?

Do you feel discouraged, thinking that you’ve already tried this and is hasn’t worked?

If you answered yes to that second question as so many do, don’t fret. I believe there is a simple, maybe confronting, answer. We will get to the bottom of it and see you walking in mighty power wielding that glistening blade of God’s grace. So why is this the case? How is it possible to genuinely ask for God’s grace and help to overcome sin - believing that he is able to give it, only to then fall into sin anyway? What’s going on here? It can be disheartening I know, I’ve been there.

If you find yourself doing step 2 in moments of temptation and asking God for the help of his grace and you fall into temptation anyway then go back to point one - the fear of the Lord.

Have you truly decided that you don’t want to sin? Don’t skip over this question, seriously consider that it might hold a key for you, even though it might be hard to hear.

These two things must go together. We’ve got to actually decide not to sin, and then ask for grace. So often we can ask for God’s help - even though we have not fully decided in our heart to resist the temptation so that we can blame God for our slip up, because he didn’t help us… yikes.

God’s word isn’t broken. God is faithful, his grace is enough.

Let’s not deceive ourselves - we’ve got to decide not to sin. Otherwise we won’t actually receive because we’re double minded.

So when you’re faced with temptation remember the two step plan

1: Decide not to sin- truly (the fear of the Lord)

2: Come to God and ask for grace

I’ve made a phone wallpaper for you if you want a constant reminder of the 2 step plan every day, you can download it at the bottom of this page.

This Week

Personal

Apply the two step plan when faced with temptation
Share your responses to this week’s questions with your group before the group meeting
Continue to prioritise your daily time with the Lord
Continue to help your group bear your burdens with you by sharing openly what’s going on for you this week
Download the 2 step plan wallpaper if you want a constant reminder of it on your phone

Group

Pray for and minister to one another as led by the Holy Spirit
Share what you each got out of this week’s material and what the Lord has been doing in you

Download 2 Step Wallpaper