The Three Temptations - Part 6
Self-Control
Our appetites must always be kept in subjection to the higher call of God. This may mean delaying satisfying our needs for food, as Jesus experienced in the wilderness, or the companionship of a spouse, as Jesus and Paul demonstrated in their lives.
Paul gave the definitive discourse on this subject in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. He reminded the Corinthians that he had the rights to satisfy his needs, even at the expense of the church! Yet, he chose not to be driven by his own needs, but instead to make his needs subject to the higher goal of the effective communication of the Gospel message. He refused to allow his own personal needs and desires to hinder the ministry of Christ in any way.
“We have the right to eat and drink, don’t we? We have the right to bring a believing wife with us when we travel, don’t we? The other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Peter all do this.”—1 Corinthians 9:4-5 (ERV)
“However, we did not exercise this right, but we put up with everything so that we will not hinder [the spread of] the good news of Christ.”—1 Corinthians 9:12 (AMP)
“And I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings along with you.”—1 Corinthians 9:23 (AMP)
Paul concludes his discourse by exhorting all of us to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to win “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 KJV).
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing]. But [like a boxer]** I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].”**—1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (AMP)
Paul recommends developing a disciplined lifestyle so that we do not fall to the first temptation and disqualify ourselves from God’s highest calling for our lives. Paul exercised the disciplines of fasting and sexual abstinence, which helped him to focus on putting God’s will and His high calling first in his life.
Jesus also lived a life of self-discipline. When He was driven into the wilderness for this time of testing, He also entered into a time of prolonged fasting, which subjected his natural appetites to the higher goal of overcoming temptation for the sake of His future ministry. Fasting allowed Jesus concentrate his focus on accomplishing the will of God.
Thankfully, one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:23), which will grow in our lives as we mature in our relationship with the Lord. Self-control is not willpower, which is a power of the soul. Self-control is a fruit of the spirit, which is not subject to our mental or emotional influences. Self-control becomes stronger as our spirit becomes stronger and is allowed to be the dominant part of our being, ruling over our soul and our body.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”—Galatians 5:22-25 (NKJV)
Overcoming the First Temptation
“And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’
“But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”’”—Matthew 4:2-4 (NKJV)
Jesus immediately rejected any suggestions that He should satisfy His needs and desires in a way that was not in God’s will. He did not even allow Himself to entertain these thoughts, but He immediately responded to these thoughts with Scripture that contradicted these wrong thoughts.
We must live every day with the same alertness and the same immediate response to thoughts that would try to tempt us into satisfying our needs and desires outside of God’s will.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”—2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV)
We must saturate our minds and our thoughts with the truth of Scripture so that anything contrary to the Truth cannot gain a foothold in our thoughts, and will be immediately rejected.
The first Adam fell to this first temptation because he was focused on satisfying his own needs and desires, but Jesus, the last Adam, overcame this temptation because His focus was on the higher goal of fulfilling the will of God for His life and ministry.
“Meanwhile his disciples urged him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’
But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’
Then his disciples said to each other, ‘Could someone have brought him food?’
‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’”—John 4:31-34 (NIV)
I don’t believe Jesus was using this as a metaphor. Doing God’s will actually fed Jesus. It nourished him just like a delicious meal, and it can do the same for us. His needs were satisfied as He did the will of God and faithfully fulfilled the ministry that His Father had entrusted to Him.
This exchange with His disciples in John 4 occurred just after his encounter with the woman at the well, which was phenomenal. He only paused long enough to respond to their request for Him to eat, and then Jesus immediately brought his attention back to the harvest, because that is what they were all about to see as a result of this encounter with the woman at the well—a great harvest. Keeping his focus on the great harvest at hand, Jesus had no interest in stopping for a sandwich.
“For the [remarkable, undeserved] grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly (immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age, awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.”—Titus 2:11-14 (AMP)
