In his sermon titled '2. Temptation,' John Pruitt discusses the nature and role of temptation in the life of a believer. He draws from Matthew 6:13 and other scriptures, explaining that while Jesus was tempted, he was never tempted to sin due to his divine nature. Pruitt emphasizes that temptation is a universal experience, necessary for spiritual growth and a test of faith, obedience, and devotion. He distinguishes between temptations allowed by God to strengthen faith and those from Satan intended to lead believers astray. Pruitt advises believers to rely on God for strength and deliverance, stressing that while God permits temptation, he also provides a way to escape it. He warns against pride and urges vigilance, prayer, and adherence to the Word of God as means to overcome temptation. He also highlights the differences between the saved and unsaved in facing temptation, noting the additional challenges posed by modern society.

I've been around a little while now. It sounds strange even to say that. I've been preaching about 55 years and I think I'm the oldest preacher here today. Here today. Maybe not.

I hope not. But I want to express my appreciation to the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church here in Hortense for inviting me back again to preach for you and also your pastor, Brother David Green. I appreciate your kindness and I appreciate Brother Green's friendship over years. I think The first time I met Brother David, he took me fishing over to a little pond. Him and his sister took me over to a little pond fishing.

And, well, I go back all the way, I guess, to the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church. So I've got a lot of friends here and maybe some enemies, I don't know. That's okay. My subject this morning, I'm not preaching on the subject of preaching the Word, but I'm preaching the Word. And my message is primarily to the child of God.

And the subject of my message, the title of my message, is temptation. And my text is found in Matthew chapter 6 verse 13, where the Lord was teaching his disciples and of course at this point he was preaching on the Mount of Olives, rather on the Sermon on the Mount. So he said there in verse 13, lead us not into temptation. This is his teaching prayer. He said to them, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For of course, thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen." I will begin by saying this. What is meant by this? What is meant here in regard to temptation? There are different kinds of temptation that we'll list in a few minutes, different types of temptation.

And the child of God faces all of those at some time or another. So the temptation of the Lord in Matthew chapter 4 verse 1 is a type of temptation. In Matthew chapter 4, the Lord, as Scripture says, then was Jesus led up by the Spirit in the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Now why would he be tempted of the devil? Why would the Lord be tempted?

Well, I don't believe that the devil is omniscient, first of all. The devil is not omniscient. But the devil knew that Messiah was coming. He was aware of that. I do not believe that the devil was aware, or was for sure at least, that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.

And there he is tempting him to see if he is the Messiah. Now that's just an idea of mine and you can take it or leave it. But the devil's aim was to lead Jesus into temptation. Now we know that that was impossible, but did Satan know that that was impossible? Obviously not.

Did he know that Jesus of Nazareth was God at that time? Obviously not, because he attempted to lead him into temptation. Though he was tempted with sin, he was not tempted to sin, because the Lord Jesus could never sin. He was tempted, he was able to sympathize because he was tempted there. He was able to sympathize with his children in temptations because it says in Hebrews 2.18, for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor or help them that are tempted.

Again, we're gonna make clear here, hopefully that there are different kinds of temptation and the child of God is subject to any or all of those. Could Jesus have been tempted to sin? No. If you want to know the answer to that, the answer is no. Jesus could never have ever been tempted to sin.

He was tempted in sin, but he was not tempted to commit sin. Not if he was truly God. Because James says in James 1.13, let no man say he is tempted. Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted Jesus Christ of Nazareth is God God is not tempted, cannot be tempted. Neither, now notice this, neither tempteth he any man.

So God neither does he, can he be tempted, he cannot tempt or will not tempt anyone. God is not in the business of tempting. He's in the business of delivering from temptation. Hebrews 4.15 makes it clear, tells us that he was without sin in his temptation. The son of man, while here in human flesh, possessed also a human soul.

And, or he had the faculties of the human nature. He felt pain, he felt sorrow, he felt fatigue, he felt anguish, he felt thirst, he felt all these things in his body and all the human emotions. He wept. He was angry. There were various different emotions.

However, also being God, he did not possess the sinful nature. And therefore, there was no propensity for him to sin as we said in Hebrews 4 15 Where he says we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but with an all-point stinted like as we are, yet without sin. So there was no propensity there for him to be able to sin. Had Jesus yielded to temptation? Had he yielded to temptation?

Well, the only consequence of that and the only obvious conclusion would be that he would have to confess his sins. God can't confess sins because there's no sin in him. In mankind there lies a thing called lust. All of you have it. I have it.

You have it. There's this thing that lies there. And so the Bible clearly teaches us this in James 1 verse 14, where he says there, verse 14, and every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Now, When you were saved, you did not lose that human nature. Now you have a dual nature, side by side.

And there's a great battle there going on. And so you are, you have by in your nature the capacity of lust. You can be tempted to sin. You can be tempted to sin. Pharisees tried to ensnare Jesus in his preaching in Matthew chapter 16 verse 1 through 4 and he rebuked them because they wanted to see a sign.

They tried to draw him. They still didn't believe that he was the Messiah. I believe the devil knew it by this time, but the Pharisees did not know he was Messiah at that time. They were trying to draw him in to make an attempt to prove himself. God never has to prove himself.

And so they tried to draw him in to that, and he said, you're an evil generation. You seek a sign, and there shall no sign be given until after the fact." And so they would not trust him that he would raise from the dead. We're warned in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8 that the devil is trying to destroy us through temptation. Be sober, be vigilant. He speaks to believers.

You understand? He's speaking to believers. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, your enemy, your arch enemy, your adversary, the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. And so we have only one alternative, and that is to rush to the feet of our Lord Jesus for protection and for comfort. Now there's one kind of temptation.

The other end of that spectrum we find Abraham being tempted of God. Was he tempted to sin by God? No. He was tried in his faith. And so Abraham was tried in his faith in that God said to him, go and offer your son as a sacrifice on an altar.

And Abraham was not tempted to falter, but he obeyed God. So there are different kinds of temptation. There are different kinds of trials which God permits Sometimes it's our faith that he tries Sometimes it is our obedience that he tries Sometimes it is our faithfulness that he tries. Sometimes it is our love, our devotion, our adoration of Him that is tried. And this is maybe not something that happens once in a lifetime.

You may be faced with this daily in your life, daily. Sometimes it's even our theology that's tempted. Preach the Word, brother. Amen. That's the safest thing.

Anytime anyone leaves the Word and begins to search out some new doctrine, it never ever leads back to the truth. And so we are tempted sometimes in our theology to find something new, something that no one else ever knew. Look at me, what I found. But there's nothing new in the Word of God. Amen.

And in all these temptations, we are subject to fail because we are frail. And don't forget that. Do not Let the devil build up in you a pride that says, I'm untouchable. I can't be tempted by this Satan. I'm too close to God.

Don't ever think that. When you begin to think that you're close enough to God, you're drifting away. That's pride that's drawing you away. So why then do so many of God's people get in trouble when they are tried or tempted? Well, just ask Brother Paul that question.

Brother Paul has the answer because he was a man yet as well, and he understood his frailtiness. As a matter of fact, he goes into quite a bit of detail in the seventh chapter of the book of Romans. And so we know that he is able to answer that question. I'm not going to read all that to you. But go to Romans chapter 7.

Read that passage. And Paul will make it clear why we are so susceptible to temptation ourselves. In every case where a brother or sister gives in to temptation of the flesh because of the human nature. It is simply because they wish or will do so on their own. God doesn't make you sin.

The devil doesn't make you sin. It's you. It's me. When I sin, not if I sin, but when I sin, it's because I want to. Because of that old devilish human nature that's in me and in you as well.

1 Corinthians 10 13 is a great comforting passage of Scripture that's given to us to lean on in these times. There is no temptation taking you, but such is as common to man, right? In other words, you're susceptible as anyone else. The temptations are coming. But God is faithful.

And will not suffer you to be tempted, allow you to be tempted above that you're able. Now folks, I have to tell you that there are some things involved here on your part and my part. Don't just think that, well, I don't have to worry about it because God's going to deliver me anyway. No. We have a responsibility to abstain from these things, to turn from temptation, to seek God.

There is no temptation taking you but such is his common demand. But God is faithful and will not suffer, allowing you to be tempted above that you're able will, but will with the temptation make a way of escape. Not without your responsibility as well. Not without you making effort in that. Jesus warned in Matthew chapter 26 verse 41, watch and pray, he said to his disciples, He said to his disciples, watch and pray that you enter not into temptation.

The Spirit indeed is willing. What were we talking about a few minutes ago? I sin because I want to. The Spirit though in me, as you read in Romans 7, The spirit desires to be with God, desires to please God, and desires to walk with God in holiness. That's my inner desire to be holy as He is holy.

But the old flesh is still there. The old flesh. Oh my goodness. That old wicked flesh. It just follows us around.

It's a ball and chain on your leg. It goes everywhere you go. And it's a weight upon you. And you can't go to bed and sleep it off you can't take a bath and wash it off You can't go anywhere and get rid of it. The old flesh is always always there So he says the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

The flesh is weak. We're frail, folks. Don't ever let that thought leave your heart. Now I want to say this, that the unsaved is so much more susceptible to temptation. How do I know that?

Well, the Bible teaches us that, for one thing. I know it from experience. Before I was saved, I had No desire to resist temptation. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed falling into these things because it was satisfied the old flesh for a little while. Because the Holy Spirit does not reside in them to make them aware of the sinfulness of sin.

The only thing I had to make me aware of sin when I was unsaved was my old conscience. And that is the most misleading emotion about you, your conscience. So they're not aware of the sinfulness of sin, and the unsaved person has less resistance to sin's temptations. Therefore, they must rely on their own conscience to guide them. Let your conscience be your guide.

What a the lie of the earth is to let your conscience be your guide. Well because Well, because one person's standards may vary. People have different standards of morality. Y'all remember that word morality? It's becoming obsolete.

And those who are hanging on to the word wanted to redefine it. But people have different standards, different understandings, different beliefs, different feelings about morality. And so one person may think that it's okay to steal something as long as you don't get caught. And someone else may say, well, I want it. I'm going to take it.

But it's going to make me feel guilty. So there's different standards of the unsaved in their thoughts. In all the standing, God's holy and righteous standards never change. Never change. Has never changed.

His standards are eternal. That's why the Word of God is so critical to the world. Not just to God's children, but the Word of God is so critical to the world, not just to God's children, but the Word of God is so critical to the world because it is the only standard that is holy. Romans 1, 20, the apostle Paul said, For the invisible things of him that is from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even as eternal power and glad heads, so that they are without excuse." John 15, 22, if I had not come and spoken unto them, he's speaking to the Pharisees there, They had not had sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin.

Christ had demonstrated by His own works to be the Messiah. And yet they rejected Him. Though he demonstrated that without a doubt he was the Messiah, yet they rejected him. And so herein lay their sin. And this sin still remained even as he preached to them in his ministry there, the latter part of his ministry, for they still continued to reject him.

Had he not come, had they continued to look for Messiah that hadn't come yet, there wouldn't have been a sin. But when He came and they rejected Him, therein was their sin, and their sin condemned them. So what is this text of ours, way back here in Matthew 6 13, what does it teach us? We're not taught here to pray against temptation. I don't believe that that's what Jesus is saying.

Lead us not into temptation. I don't believe he's saying that we should pray that we're never tempted because there are so many scriptures that reveal that temptation is very important. Temptation is necessary for us as is used of God to strengthen us and to increase our faith and to increase our dependency on Him. James 1 verse 2, brethren, He says, count it all joy when you fall into diverse or many different kinds of temptation. Count it joy.

God cannot tempt. He can't be tempted and he cannot tempt anyone. But he can permit temptation. What about Job? Well Job, you know God didn't tempt Job.

He allowed the devil to tempt Job. What for? Because he wanted to get rid of Job? No, because he wanted to glorify his own name and to strengthen Job and he did. I hope I never have that experience, but I may someday.

Right. But They, that they may not have the power to overcome us, those temptations, lead us not into temptation. Lord, help us that these temptations don't overpower us. And drag us away from your Holy Spirit. Help us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

And we're not overcome and destroyed, that would destroy us. And God will never allow his children to be tempted to the point of going into perdition. Deliver us from evil. We will never be tempted all the way out of our salvation. We will never be tempted into perdition, but we will be tempted and sometimes our temptations will get us in trouble because we fail to trust Him and to resist through the Holy Word of God.

Luke 22, 28. He said, ye are they which have continued with me in my temptation, in my trials. Talking to the blessed disciples there. We have a promise of God in 1 Corinthians 10.13 there, remember that? 13 there, remember that.

There hath no temptation taken you, but such is as common to man, that God is faithful, will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it. So we find the Lord giving Peter a warning concerning trials that he would face. Well, I didn't even look at the clock, so you'll have to help me. I didn't either, so. That's great.

That's great news. The Lord Jesus warned Peter, and he said, Peter, Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you and to sift you as wheat. Folks, he desires to have you too. Don't think he was just, well, that was just Peter, no. That's an example.

Peter's experience is already over, finished. Now we have the Word of God, we're in the world right now today, and I'm telling you that the devil desires to sift you as wheat. Destroy, shake up your faith. And He will If you let him. You have a responsibility.

You have a responsibility in that. But the good news, brother, brother here talked about the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ. The good news is to the child of God, but I have prayed for you. I have prayed for you. He says, I have prayed for you that thy faith fail not.

Amen. Thy faith fail not. Imagine Jesus praying for Peter to the heavenly father saying, Father, help this my dear beloved brother that his faith fail not." Peter's faith did fail somewhat, didn't it? He denied the Lord thrice. His faith did fail somewhat.

But he recovered. So we learn in 1 Peter 1.16 where Peter himself is saying, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Now Peter is able to give admonishment to his beloved brothers and sisters as well. Second Thessalonians 3.3, But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you and keep you from evil. As in all prayer we express our outer dependency upon God to sustain us.

We find the Lord Jesus warning the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane there that they should watch and pray. Watch and pray, He says. That ye enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak." The believer, the unbeliever has not that capacity. The only way, the only possible solution is for that unbeliever to see himself as God sees him, see him in his wretched, wicked way, helpless and hopeless, except He turned to Christ. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by me.

And oh, what a glorious thing it is when we then have access to the Heavenly Father and able to cry out to Him, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Now, I want to say briefly that there is no way to avoid temptation. It's in the world. You're in the world. It's in the world.

You're in human flesh. There's no way to avoid it. You're going to be tempted. It's going to happen. It is maybe even happening right this moment.

Some sort of trial or temptation may be upon you right now, this very moment that we speak. That we speak. Very well may be that we are facing temptations that Peter, in his flesh of course, never imagined. We live in a different world now, I'm telling you. I used to say that things were just as wicked then as they are now, But I don't say that anymore.

We live in a world today that's much different, I believe, that has been since Noah. I believe we're coming to that, if not already there. And so we live in this world, we are in the world, and we cannot avoid temptation, but we can overcome it. How? Through Christ, through the Spirit, through the Word.

This is where we get our strength. Not any kind of scientific proof that someone provides. We've got all these people in the world today that are trying to make efforts to prove or disprove various different things in the Bible. Turn that off! Look into the Word!

This is where the answers are. Anything other than this is heresy. It's lies. If it's not from the Word, it's a lie. The devil is a lie.

The Word of God is truth. We intermingle with worldly people today. I think much more than the Apostle Peter in his day. We're forced to intermingle with the world in a way that I don't believe that Peter could have ever imagined in his own flesh. We see, you know, can you drive from here to Brunswick without seeing some kind of a wicked sinful advertisement showing out in the world on billboards and and things like that can you can you avoid that we can't It's there and when your eye gate sees it, it goes into your brain.

We are exposed to many things on social media. Social media. I'm glad for social media in some ways. I'm glad that we're able to record this message. And the message is during this day and tomorrow because of social media.

The truth is getting published, proclaimed by ministers on social media. We're able to stay in contact with loved ones and so on through social media. But folks, there's some evil things out there. Parents, please make sure that you know what's going on with your children. Personally, I don't believe a child has any business with a cell phone, but don't throw your cell phone at me because I said that.

They are not capable of distinguishing between good and bad. Amen. Right. And of course, as they grow older and get more educated, they are. But I'm just saying, children are vulnerable to temptation.

We're exposed to entertainment, which is becoming more and more a part of life. Temptations can't be avoided, however, unless we go out of the world. I don't mean outer space because you know you can go to the moon and still have the old sinful flesh sinful flesh with you. So going out of space is not going to save you from temptation. So neither should we pray that God remove all our temptations and trials.

These are a part of God's sovereign design to teach us our frailties, first of all, That we must depend on Him to deliver us. Don't depend on psychology, psychiatry. Don't depend on the wisdom of man. Amen. We must depend on the Word of God.

Amen. Temptations serve to manifest God's mercy, His long-suffering, and His love for us. So we can only overcome temptation One way. For the unbeliever, it's through Christ. Through His suffering, His shed blood on the cross.

And for the believer who has Christ through the Holy Spirit, being diligent. Be sober. Be diligent. Because you have an enemy that despises you because he despises your Lord. May God bless you.

I yield whatever time I had left. You actually got 40 minutes right there.