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    Overcoming Temptation: Break Away from Captivity and Embrace God's Freedom
    Overcoming Temptation: Break Away from Captivity and Embrace God's Freedom
    Overcoming Temptation: Break Away from Captivity and Embrace God's Freedom
    Ebook150 pages2 hours

    Overcoming Temptation: Break Away from Captivity and Embrace God's Freedom

    By Bruce Wilkinson

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    About this ebook

    No matter what's leading you astray, choose to trust God and pray!

    You believe there is hope for successfully combating temptation and the choices and habits that leave you feeling ashamed and fearful of the consequences. But you are unsure how to begin fighting back.

    Victory is indeed within reach when you rely on God's grace and strength. The principles and prayers in this book, inspired and guided by powerful Scripture verses, will help you effectively war against temptation and walk in the freedom God offers every day and in every situation. You will learn the reasons we so easily succumb to temptation, and how God stands ready to intervene so you can succeed and overcome.

    When you find yourself in a bad place—or even when you think you'll be fine—seek the Lord and pray. This book will get you started with biblical tools and reminders that show how God can guide you safely through your daily battles.

    This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
    1 John 5:4

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarvest House Publishers
    Release dateOct 2, 2018
    ISBN9780736971843
    Overcoming Temptation: Break Away from Captivity and Embrace God's Freedom
    Author

    Bruce Wilkinson

    Bruce Wilkinson is an international ministry leader, in-demand speaker, and award-winning author of more than 75 books with two New York Times #1 bestsellers. He is the founder of Teach Every Nation as well as Walk Thru the Bible, one of the largest religious seminar organizations in the world. Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have 3 children and 10 grandchildren. BruceWilkinson.com

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      Book preview

      Overcoming Temptation - Bruce Wilkinson

      HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

      EUGENE, OREGON

      Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

      Verses marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

      Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

      Scripture text that appears in italics is the author’s emphasis.

      Cover by Darren Welch Design

      Overcoming Temptation

      Copyright © 2018 Bruce Wilkinson

      Published by Harvest House Publishers

      Eugene, Oregon 97408

      www.harvesthousepublishers.com

      ISBN 978-0-7369-7183-6 (pbk.)

      ISBN 978-0-7369-7184-3 (eBook)

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Names: Wilkinson, Bruce, author.

      Title: Overcoming temptation / Bruce Wilkinson.

      Description: Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2018.

      Identifiers: LCCN 2018009574 (print) | LCCN 2018016704 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736971843 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736971836 (pbk.)

      Subjects: LCSH: Temptation. | Prayer—Christianity.

      Classification: LCC BT725 (ebook) | LCC BT725 .W44 2018 (print) | DDC 242/.4—dc23

      LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018009574

      All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author’s and publisher’s rights is strictly prohibited.

      CONTENTS

      Chapter 1:

      Temptations Are Your Desires Gone Astray

      Chapter 2:

      The Seven Revelations About Your Temptations

      Chapter 3:

      The Seven Stages of Every Temptation

      Chapter 4:

      The Seven Tools to Defeat Your Temptations

      Chapter 5:

      Guided Prayers for Overcoming Temptation

      Appendix:

      Holiness Habits That Help Overcome Temptations

      Other Good Harvest House Reading from Bruce Wilkinson

      About the Publisher

      We…have a High Priest who…

      was in all points tempted

      as we are, yet without sin.

      HEBREWS 4:15

      CHAPTER ONE

      Temptations Are Your Desires Gone Astray

      A wise old preacher was walking through a large shopping mall when one of the young men in his church came up beside him and started talking to him about his struggle with various temptations. The young man said that someday he hoped to live so holy a life that he wouldn’t have any more temptations and asked his trusted pastor if he knew the secret to get there.

      The old sage smiled and said, So, do you really want to have a life without temptations? Well, there’s only one way any of us can get above temptations, but I’m not sure you’re ready for that yet.

      The young man stopped walking. Yes, I do! I’ll do anything to get rid of my temptations; they’re hounding me!

      Well, the preacher shrugged and said, I’m afraid you aren’t wealthy enough. You don’t live in a big enough house yet.

      What? What do you mean? I need to be wealthy and live in a big house—how big?

      The old man nodded—he was enjoying this little theological conversation. I guess you could call it one of those big estates or mansions. Maybe even with those tall columns outside and sprawling gardens and fountains.

      But, Pastor, you live in a normal house like we do… so I guess you aren’t free of temptations?

      Nope. Not even close.

      Well, will you ever be free?

      Absolutely, son, no doubt about it—my long-term plans guarantee that. It’s only a matter of time.

      You mean you have some wealthy relative or something?

      Yup, you hit the nail on the head. And when I get my inheritance, He’s promised me a really magnificent place to live too! Only one problem though, son. My relative said I can only get that inheritance when I die, not one day before. By this time, he could see the young man was barely able to cope with what he was saying. "And when I arrive, my temptations will all be gone—every single one of them. I guess you could say I’m dying to get there!

      You see, the only way to get free of all your temptations is to die, go to heaven, and dwell in the mansion Jesus has prepared for all who love Him. Because on this side of eternity, temptations grow like weeds! You’ll never be free of them—instead, you need to learn how to overcome them.

      Now that’s the truth, isn’t it? None of us will ever be free of temptations until our life on earth is finally over. Until then, temptations may be the largest threat you face. As we prepare to learn the shocking information that the Bible reveals about temptations, let me ask you a foundational question:

      How big of a sin are your temptations?

      To answer that important question, you need to understand a few foundational biblical truths about your temptations:

      1. Temptations are not sinful or anything you should be ashamed of.

      Many people who are reading this book, like you are at this moment, have always felt ashamed of their temptations. Why? Because they have assumed that temptations must be sinful. That’s probably the reason no one ever speaks about their temptations—we are ashamed of them.

      But what would you do if you discovered that the Bible clearly states that temptations are not a sin? Hebrews 4:15 contains the startling information:

      We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

      Jesus was tempted in all points like we are, but He never sinned! If temptations were a sin, then Jesus sinned, because He was tempted just like we are. But the Bible clearly states that Jesus was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5). Therefore, temptations cannot be a sin or anything to be ashamed of. The Bible openly states Jesus was tempted in all ways as we are. Temptations are as normal as living and breathing. But as you will soon learn, how you feel about your temptations greatly affects whether they will give birth to sin.

      2. Temptations are experienced by every single human being.

      No one escapes the onslaught of temptations. Not a single person. Hebrews 4:15 reveals that everyone is tempted: But was in all points tempted as we are. Did you see the words as we are, without any exceptions or limitations? You are tempted; she is tempted; he is tempted; they are tempted; I am tempted.

      3. Temptations come to everyone, no matter how godly.

      Far too many of us are tragically misinformed about the truth of temptations. People assume that the more godly a person becomes, the less temptations that person will face. Yet the most godly of all humans who ever lived, Jesus Christ, was in all points tempted as we are! Jesus wasn’t just tempted a little, but in all ways. Shocking, isn’t it? Godliness does not in any way limit the number of temptations we may receive.

      In fact, when you read many of the famous Christian classics written by saints from across history, they all lament about the number and strength of their temptations. Over time, however, the nature of their temptations seemed to change from the more serious sins to the far lesser sins. Temptations can be conquered the more that we walk with the Lord, but they remain present in our lives until we cross over to the other side.

      No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means.

      —C. S. LEWIS

      4. Temptations are normal, God-given desires that seek to trespass God’s boundaries.

      What exactly are temptations? The answer may surprise you because temptations are based on the normal desires that God gave to all of us but with one thing out of place: Those desires seek to trespass the boundaries God established for us.

      In other words, a temptation is simply a good desire gone bad!

      Our God-given desires become temptations when we desire too much, or go too far, or seek to fulfill them in the wrong place or with the wrong person. Temptations are simply the inner push of our normal desires to overstep God’s boundaries. Often the Bible calls our sins a trespass, which means to go beyond a clear boundary into forbidden or off-limits territory.

      Every single temptation is rooted in a normal desire. God Himself gave us our desires and wants

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