“What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don’t want to discourage it completely.” The danger of even entertaining Temptation is that you are still close enough for it to take something from you! For Joseph, it was his cloak; however, for many, it grabbed their character, integrity, dignity, testimony, witness, and influence. For some, it captured their family, marriage, ministry, and mind!
Truthfully, The People, Places, And Things That Can Grab Hold Of Us Are Because We Keep Ourselves Within Their Reach. Know This, What The Enemy Offers Is Less Than What God Has Already Given. Temptation will take from you and never return!
So how do we know if Satan is tempting us? We understand that the temptations he throws at us will always be one of the following:
“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)
Joseph had two coats taken from him, his coat of many colors by his brothers who hated him, and his cloak by Potiphar’s wife, a woman who could not have him! A Temper took his first coat, and Temptation took his second! And he never got either of them back! Genesis 39:2-10, “As it turned out, God was with Joseph, and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master. His master recognized that God was with him and saw that God worked for good in everything he did. He became very fond of Joseph and made him his aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptians—all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day.
Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master’s wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, “Sleep with me.” He would not do it. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master does not give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he has put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he has not turned over to me is you. You are his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?” She pestered him day after day, BUT HE STOOD HIS GROUND. HE REFUSED TO GO TO BED WITH HER.” (MSG).
Now, Potiphar’s wife gets an eye on this good-looking young man. And if you do not believe Joseph looked good, check out his Biblical Description found in verse 6:
“…Joseph was an ATTRACTIVE PERSON AND FINE-LOOKING” (AMP).
EVEN IN THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE, JOSEPH WAS FINE! “…Yosef was YAFEH TO’AR (WELL BUILT) AND YAFEH MAREH (GOOD LOOKING)” (OJB)
So, now that we have established PHYSICALLY why the girlfriend lost her NATURAL mind, the Bible says, “After a while, his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me.’ But he refused.” Verse 10 of Genesis 39 says– “And though she spoke to Joseph, day after day, he refused to go to bed with her.” However, if that was not bad enough, notice this, the Bible says, “or even be with her.” OUCH! But Joseph??? He did not even want to be with her or around her!
Now, this must be, for Joseph, a tempting temptation. Think about it: He is lonely; he is away from home. I would guess that a powerful man’s wife is attractive, and Joseph is trusted in the man’s house with all the man’s stuff! And the truth is He may get away with this, and no one even knows he has done it! But he says, “How could I sin against God.” Joseph knows. Ultimately if no one else will know, GOD WILL! He knows that he and his conscience will know too! And had he said ‘yes’ to this Temptation; it would have been a Spiritually Fatal Mistake – Disqualifying him from being God’s hero as we know him today! AND WHAT FOOL WOULD SACRIFICE ALL OF THAT?!
Temptation is always out to bite, discredit, and scar you. Therefore, do you know what your “Potiphar's Wife" is right now? It could be a sexual opportunity, the apparent advantages of compromising your integrity just a little bit and being a little dishonest. It is the urge to retaliate or a compromise that seems better than losing this person, or that old habit, or going back to old friends, places, or things. Instead of walking past Shady Lane, you turn on Shady Lane, where you used to buy drugs, and you know that is a temptation for you, or walking past skid row, you know that's tempting for you because alcohol was one of your triggers or stopping at the casino instead of driving by because it is attractive, you had trouble in the past with gambling, we could go on and on about temptations, it is more than just a sexual temptation, Temptation covers many areas of life, and the enemy knows this. Whatever your "Potiphar's Wife" is…remember this: Satan Never shows you the price tag. THE ADVANTAGES OF SINNING ARE ALWAYS SHORT-LIVED. HOWEVER, YOUR PAY ALWAYS LASTS A LONG TIME!
Listen, Joseph got away from his Temptation; however, not before his Temptation was able to take something from him! She did not get what she wanted, but she did get something! The Bible Says: "And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me! But he left his garment in her hand, fled, and got out [of the house]. And when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled away, she called to the men of her household and said to them, Behold, he [your master] has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock and insult us; he came in where I was to lie with me, and I screamed at the top of my voice. And when he heard me screaming and crying, he left his garment with me, fled, and got out of the house. And she laid up his garment by her until his master came home." (Genesis 39:12-16 AMP) The Message Bible Says It Like This: "On one of these days, he came to the house to do his work, and none of the household servants happened to be there. SHE GRABBED HIM BY HIS CLOAK…" (MSG)
The danger of even entertaining Temptation is that you are still close enough for it to take something from you! For Joseph, it was his cloak; however, for many, it grabbed their character, integrity, dignity, testimony, witness, and influence. For some, it captured their family, marriage, ministry, and mind! But being Too Close Is Still Too Much of a Compromise! So do not let your Temptation take the very thing that your Father Gave You to Distinguish You in the First Place! Think about it: Is not it amazing that Joseph's brothers were angry and jealous and abused and banished him because of a coat, and yet he was still so close to Temptation that another coat was snatched off of him!
Joseph was well known for his coat of many colors that was given to him by his father because of his great love for him. When you get too close to Temptation, it will likewise attempt to take from you all that the Father gave you to distinguish you as His Favored Child! Temptation Will Take from You and Never Return! The loss of his cloak stayed with Potiphar's wife, and she used it against him in a lie and false imprisonment! How do you get in this much trouble for doing Nothing?! Make Sure You Are Not Being Too Close for Comfort!
Therefore, TODAY, Determine to USE YOUR BIBLE AND YOUR WORKING HOLY GHOST LIKE YOU WOULD A MAP APP FOR YOUR PHONE! "FIND ME THE QUICKEST AND SAFEST WAY OUT OF HERE…NOW!" Seriously, think about it, our phone maps not only give us directions, but some of them also let you know in advance that there is an accident ahead of you on the same road you are on. And what does it do? It gives you another route to take! The truth is, sometimes, that new way is longer and sometimes even unfamiliar. You may not like it, but at least you can bypass the accident that could delay and detour you from your God-Intended destination! Likewise, you must strengthen your relationship with the Holy Spirit! He is not just your comforter, but He is your counselor! He lives on the inside of you! When it comes to communicating with someone in an emergency, how much closer can a person get than talking to the person living inside them?! The Holy Spirit is there to lead, guide, direct, and redirect you when necessary! But just like your GPS does not work without being activated, neither does the Holy Spirit!
You build a relationship with Him and permit Him to change your route when you are heading for danger! And you know what strengthens this relationship? Prayer! And what's prayer? Communication! Please keep it simple, or you will complicate something that can help you! Prayer is communication! And the more you do it, the more consistent you are at it, and the more you will stay out of dangerous places and away from difficult people!
Listen, your prayer life and relationship with the Holy Spirit will save you from the attacks of 'Potiphar’s Wife’! You will begin discerning what people, places, and things you must avoid for your mental, emotional; physical; spiritual, and financial well-being! However, this will require you to run from the Temptation and retreat in prayer with the Holy Spirit! And how long should you retreat in worship with the Holy Spirit? The Bible admonishes: “Pray Without Ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Imagine how protected you would be, especially from the Temptation of sin, if you were in communication with the Holy Spirit: “UNCEASINGLY. PERSISTENTLY, NEVER STOP; and AT ALL TIMES”?! The truth is, Temptation will NEVER CEASE, which is why your prayer life can NEVER CEASE! And remember, there is no temptation powerful enough to FORCE you to surrender!
If You Give In, You Wanted to. If You Give In, You Decided to. Suppose you allow the Temptation to sin, to enter your life. In that case, you nourish it, so it grows up to adulthood and becomes a natural killer of your marriage, integrity, family, character, calling, anointing, and dignity. It Was Your Choice! You Do not Get to Complain About What You Have Condoned! Remember, Your Choice is Your Consequence! Temptation does not knock once and then walk away from the door!
Potiphar’s Wife “PESTERED HIM DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY! She spoke to Joseph DAY AFTER DAY!” Every day you will be faced with the opportunity to accept Temptation, which is why every day you must remain praying without ceasing so you can receive clear directions on how to get away from Potiphar’s Wife.
Notice that Joseph can recognize that ‘vicious dog of temptation’ under all that mascara and perfume! In other words, he is smart enough to take evasive action not to ride anywhere near “Potiphar’s” house! That was twice as hard for him since he lived in ‘Potiphar’s’ house! That may be why the pull of Temptation is so strong on you! You have not burned your bridges to it! You may distance yourself a little bit, but you remain connected.
The Bible says, “FLEE FROM IT,” Which is your admonishment to take a route that is nowhere near the opportunity to sin! “With every temptation, there will be a way of escape.” (F.B. Meyer). “If you don’t want the temptation to follow you, stop acting as if you’re interested.” (Author Unknown). “Temptation can be defined as an inducement to do evil. Three powerful forces work together to ruin a believer’s character and witness, Satan, the world system, and our own lustful ‘flesh’ tendencies.” (Charles Stanley)
“Temptation usually comes in through a door that has been deliberately left open.” (Author Unknown)
“The Bible never says to manage temptation; it says to flee it.” (Author Unknown)
“What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don’t want to discourage it completely.” (Franklin P. Jones)
Matthew 26:40-41, “When He came back to his disciples, He found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with Me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer, so you do not wander into Temptation without even knowing you are in danger. (AMP)
Luke 22:39-40, “Leaving there, He went, as He so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed Him. When they arrived at the place, He said, “Pray that you don’t give in to temptation.” (MSG)
Matthew 6:13, “‘And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.]’” (AMP)
In the weakness of Temptation, we must avoid entering a dialogue with the devil and instead have the courage to pray and to ask forgiveness to pick ourselves up and go forward, not to hide from the Lord, but to seek his grace. Here is the problem. There is a difference between how Jesus handled the Temptation and how we handled it. Jesus did not bow down, but every day we bow down to the temptations of this world. Satan says you see all this, money, drugs, sex, the glitz, and glamour of life; all you must do is bow down and worship me, and you can have it all. The saying goes, “everything that glitter is not gold.” Once you bow, it is over; you have lost your spouse to infidelity and adultery, your life over drugs, alcohol, money, and people murdering each other over things that are trivia; Satan says go rob this person; you will not get caught. Each time Satan tried to tempt Jesus, Jesus went directly to the Word, “It is written: He did not get into a dialogue. Satan does not know what to do with someone who will not give up and keep quoting the scriptures and applying them to their life.
He is the ‘father of lies, as Jesus calls him”. The devil “is a liar; he knows how to deceive; he knows how to cheat people.” And thus “the serpent fools Eve with his shrewdness: Thus Eve “feels good, she trusts, a dialogue begins and, step after step, he leads her where he wants.” The devil tries to do “the same with Jesus in the desert. He makes him three offers, but this dialogue with Jesus ends badly for the devil. ‘Begone, Satan!’”. However, “the dialogue with Eve does not end well for Eve: Satan wins.” “When the devil fools a person,” “he does so with dialogue, he seeks to dialogue.” That is what he also tries to do “with Jesus: ‘You are hungry; there is a stone, you are God, turn it into bread! You have come here to save us all, a life of toil, of labor, but come with me, let us go to the temple, and throw yourself down without a parachute: you will make a fine spectacle, and all the people will believe in you, and it will be over in half an hour!”. But “Jesus does not do it.” Thus, in the end, the devil “shows his true face: Come, come!’”. And “he shows Him the entire world and proposes idolatry: ‘Worship me, and I will give you all this!’”.
Jesus’ attitude in the face of Temptation: he does not dialogue with the devil, but rather “hears the devil and gives a response, which is not his: he takes the response from the Word of God.” Indeed, “Jesus’ three responses to the devil are taken from the Bible, the Old Testament, and the Word of God because one cannot dialogue with the devil.”
People fail to realize that you do not always recover from a mistake or a willful decision to sin! People have given the devil a ‘Favorable opportune moment’ that has caused them to lose their marriages, children, jobs, health, finances, friends, reputation, careers, and ministries and never get them back! Forgiveness does not mean you get to press restart with no consequences, so you should always pay attention to what you will lose forever by what you gained for a moment. Selah
Therefore, we ought also to heed when the Bible tells us: “Do not become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That is not partnership; that’s war. Are light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God’s holy temple? But that is what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God Himself put it this way: “I will live in them, move into them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. So, leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God. “Do not link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for Myself. I’ll be a Father to you; you’ll be My sons and daughters.” The Word of the Master, God.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 MSG).
If you do not play around with Temptation, the one who wants to devour you cannot even touch you because you have done what the Bible says! You have resisted the one who would ruin you!
“Today the Church teaches us” “not to be naïve, not to be foolish, to have our eyes open and to ask the Lord for help because alone we cannot” manage. So then, in the passage from Genesis, “there is also a word that is said: Adam and Eve ‘hide’ themselves from the Lord.” Because “Temptations lead you to hide from the Lord, and you go off with your fault, with your sin, with your corruption, far from the Lord.” At this point, “it takes the grace of Jesus to turn and ask forgiveness, as the prodigal son did.” This is because “in temptation, you do not want dialogue, you pray: ‘Help, Lord, I am weak; I do not want to hide from You.”
“This is courage, and this is overcoming,” because “when you begin to dialogue, you will end up beaten, defeated.” We know how dialogues begin, someone invites us to a place, person, or thing that we know will tempt us to do something we will regret later, those triggers start entering our minds, and we start in a dialogue and say well let me think about it, just this one time, and there we go. The devil has gotten us in a dialogue, what is there to think about in this request, we simply say NO! Thus, we must hope “that the Lord gives us grace and accompany us with this courage and, if we have deceived through our weakness, that in temptation He gives us the courage to get up and go forward: therefore, Jesus came, for this!”.
Listen, God and the Kingdom need you Alive! You have gifts, ministry, calling, and anointing to fulfill. You cannot spend time together with the destroyer and meet divine destiny simultaneously! So today is your day to choose Whom you will serve. Tomorrow is not promised, and someone who thought they had another day realized that last night was their LAST night. So do not straddle the fence any longer. No more compromise! Ask the Holy Ghost to place a conviction that keeps you on the right side of God’s Commandments.
USE YOUR GOD-GIVEN SENSE OF DISCERNMENT! You can discern more with your Spirit than You Can See with Your Eyes! “Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20). God will let you know things you can neither prove nor explain! Jesus said He would show us “things to come” (John 16:13). But He will not do it so that we can take an ego trip or run around acting arrogant, super religious, and excessively deep. No, the Scripture continues: “He shall glorify ME: he shall receive of Mine and shall [show] it unto you” (John 16:14). God gives “Inside Information” to those who seek to GLORIFY HIM! So, stop living beneath your spiritual privilege!
The way to walk in Discernment is to Stay in the Word of God, use God's wisdom, and Stay Close to God Himself and His Voice! The more you become engrafted in His Word, knowledge, presence, and voice, the more familiar it will become to you so that whenever something or someone is off, you can pick it up before you make a fleshly error in judgment!
Listen: You Can Afford for Your Eyes to Fail You, But Not Your Discernment! 2 Corinthians 5:7, “for we walk by faith, NOT BY SIGHT…” (AMP); 2 Kings 4:9, “And she said to her husband, behold now, I PERCEIVE that this is a holy man of God who passes by continually.” (AMPC) Can you imagine how many ‘unequally yoked’ relationships would have never happened had we functioned in this discernment?! I perceive, I know, I discern, this is (or is not in some cases) a woman or man of God? Psalm 119:125, “I am Your servant; give me understanding (DISCERNMENT and comprehension), that I may know (DISCERN and be familiar with the character of) Your testimonies.” (AMPC) Do not just ask God for Vision; ask Him for Discernment!
BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME, EVERY MORNING, GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAY, “LORD, ANOINT ME WITH FRESH OIL”! I need it to minister effectively; I need it, so my flesh does not interfere with my spiritual assignment: I need it, so I don’t attempt to use my gifts, talents, and skills to substitute for it! I need it, so I do not get stuck in what stagnated others!
Blessings
J.P. Olson
www.thewordwithjpolson.com
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