Our key Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Our lesson today is titled “How to Overcome Temptation, Part 13”
Warren Wiersbe said, “God permits us to be tempted because He knows how much we can take, and He always provides a way to escape if we will trust Him and take advantage of it. The believer who thinks he can stand may fall, but the believer who flees will be able to stand.”
In this section of our Onward Christian Soldiers discipleship class, we are going to continue looking at specific temptations that are, as the Bible says, “common to man.” We are reviewing what the Bible says about these sins so we can be aware of its dangers and so that we can hide Scripture in our hearts to use when we are tempted.
The sin that we are going to continue looking at today is the sin of “pride”. We have already looked at 15 verses that combat this temptation. Here are three more. (Remember, the text of this lesson is made available online after each class, so you can go to our website GLHOPI.com, click the “Onward Christian Soldiers” banner on the home page, and begin to learn these verses by heart throughout the week.)
1. Psalm 10:14 says, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”
The ultimate acts of pride is a refusal to recognize God — a refusal to bow, spiritually speaking, before the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Atheism, essentially, is a religion of pride filled with people who refuse to acknowledge God. This was Satan’s sin. He no longer wanted to give God the glory, praise, honor, respect, and obedience that was due to him. Pride has been called by some the root of all sin. Normally, when a person is intent on doing what they want to do, they do not want to think about or acknowledge God. They do not want God in their thoughts. The problem with this is that, if you make up your mind to persist in sin, God will leave you to your own devices. He will not force His way into your mind. If you do not want Him there, He will leave, and as happens with all proud people, you will eventually fall.
2. Isaiah 2:12 says, “For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.”
This verse is part of a passage predicting the coming judgment on the nation of Judah because of their pride and rebellion. The Hebrews of that time felt secure, proud, and lifted up in their idolatry. They were comfortable doing things their way. They had turned their back on God and did not want to change. But God says this condition would not last for long. One day, judgment would come and all those who refused to repent when they had a chance would be “brought low.”
3. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”
There are some things that we can take glory in. Our wisdom, our strength, and our riches are nothing compared to God’s. In fact, we would not have any wisdom, any strength, or any riches without God. He is the source of all good things. So, if we do want to glory in something — that you know God and that you understand God.
In light of these verses from Scripture, please keep in mind this simple song.
Let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich”
Let the blind say, “I can see”
It’s what THE LORD has done in me
If you struggle with pride, take these passages to heart and begin to use them the next time you face that temptation.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! I want to congratulate you on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Until next time, May the Lord Bless You!
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 