TEMPTATION (116 Clique)
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Whether you're a fan of rap music or not, the lyrics of this compilation song, “Temptation,” by 116 Clique, are raw, gritty, honest, and shed light upon the secret sins many of us (even in the church) struggle with.
As men and the spiritual leaders of our home, we cannot turn a blind eye toward the impact sexual gratification has on our psyche and our marriages. Our eyes are easily influenced by the images culture accentuates at every turn, yet God's Word is clear that we are constantly at war with our flesh.
"For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do" (Galatians 5:17).
As such, we must guard our hearts from succumbing to the onslaught of temptation readily accessible in our day. Internet, TV, videos, magazines, billboards, social media, etc., all have the power to sway our attention from the truth of Scripture which cautions us to avoid temptation at all costs. Therefore, we must be willing to take extreme measures in order to protect ourselves from the flesh we struggle to gain self-control over.
"Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire" (Matthew 18:7–9).
The most compelling aspect of this song, in my opinion, is the inclusion of interlude preaching within the rap itself. I cannot listen to this track without being confronted by the accusations presented and convicted to the core, for I admit my mind places far too much emphasis on sexual gratification as my foundation for happiness and/or my identity as a man.
Keep in mind, sex within the construct of Biblical marriage is a beautiful gift from God which He gives us to enjoy. However, our twisted perversion of that gift is the focus of this post because we forget all too quickly what Scripture promises.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
As a result, suppressing who I am in Christ impacts my marriage because of unrealistic expectations I place on my wife. It also affects my family because it distracts my attention from the role of spiritual leadership I am called to exemplify for my daughters (as they observe my behavior for righteous character qualities they should look for in future husbands).
The greatest gift I can ever give my children is a Godly marriage, and a healthy union begins with dying to self and aligning my desires and personal will with the Lord and His Word. Therefore, I must continually ask myself whether I am living for Christ or my flesh.
Whose voice do I yield to when my sexual desires are not being met?
Do I seek personal satisfaction outside my marriage to any degree?
Am I prone to being mentally consumed by lust to the extent where I act out?
There are countless Scripture passages which speak to the dilemma man faces deep within his heart when it comes to sex, yet in the moment we tend to completely forget or ignore what we know to be true, that death and destruction come from yielding to the flesh and obeying its cravings.
"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14–15).
There is a reason why Biblical counselors advise men who struggle with lust to wash their minds with the convicting truth of Proverbs 5-7. Scripture describes a scene where a man is led astray by his sexual desires and destroys himself like a moth to a flame in the arms of an adulteress. It is one of the most gripping examples of self-destruction in the Bible, which many of us know more intimately than we care to admit.
"With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life" (Proverbs 7:21–23).
Unfortunately, it is not until we experience a "moment of clarity" when the scales of deception fall from our eyes and we see our sin for what it truly is. Death. However, admitting when we've CHOSEN to sin rather than blaming others for our sinful decisions is a reality we need to reconcile in our hearts once and for all, if we truly want to gain victory over our flesh.
About 6-years-ago, I wrote an extensive blog post on Matthew 5:27-30 where Jesus taught, "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27–28). In that post, I wrote the following:
"Thus in considering Matthew 5:27-30, once acceptance of Christ as truth has been established, a man must confront his tempestuous process/tendencies of yielding to sin in order to understand what his degradation progression looks like when his lust becomes adultery. In my experience, the process essentially follows this cyclical pattern:
His natural propensity to sexual stimulation by means of his flesh.
Temptations that stir his mind with promises of pleasure and satisfaction.
Methods which provide a medium, outlet or forum for acting out on his lust.
Consideration of the "balance scale" between perceived pleasure and consequences.
Acceptance/acknowledgement of what he knows to be wrong, yet proceeds anyway.
Hormonal escalation to the point where mental fantasy results in physical climax.
"Moment of clarity" where his temporary, false satisfaction is replaced by the reality of his sin.
Guilt, shame and (in reality) empty promises to finally turn away from his sin.
Period of time where judgment is distracted until his sin desire is stirred and the cyclical pattern begins again.”
While most men can logically follow the pattern of this list against their own experiences as true on the whole, the reality is that the "balance scale" and "moment of clarity" typically do not garner enough attention and prayerful consideration.
The truth of the matter is that God gives opportunities for accountability to men struggling with lustful temptations. King David echoed this emphatically and without reservation following the consequences of his adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah, when he plainly stated, "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me" (Psalm 51:3).
How refreshing are the pages of Scripture when the reality of my heart's condition is perfectly united with an imperfect man, who for the most part sought God's will throughout his life, yet struggled with sin progressions I personally relate to. David understood the magnitude of his sin.
"Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment" (Psalm 51:4).
Therefore, he humbled himself before the judgment of a Holy God, who forgave him because of his solemn and reverent plea of repentance by fully accepting and taking responsibility for his sins.
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" (Psalm 51:1-2)."
We can justify in our minds all we want that we "got caught up in the moment," or leverage any combination of reasons which enabled our lustful actions. Bottom-line: WE OWN OUR BEHAVIOR. As a result, if we choose to sin, we choose to suffer the consequences of those actions.
The idolatry of sex and perversion of God's design for marriage is an epidemic both outside our church walls and within. Look no further than daily social media headlines for proof. Human sex trafficking is rampant throughout the world and global pornography revenue estimates exceed $100 billion, easily dwarfing (>3x) the 4 major U.S. sports leagues (NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL) combined!
If we're not recognizing the degradation of sexuality and subsequent idolatry in our world today, we as Christians are either ignorant to the facts or fooling ourselves into thinking the problem is not as bad as it seems.
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
However, fixing the problem would require PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and OWNERSHIP over our behavior, and that is a line in the sand many who struggle with lust are unwilling to be held accountable to. In other words, we struggle admitting how twisted our view of sex has become because we've allowed it to take root in our minds.
In turn, sexual curiosity has morphed into a state of desensitization where we continue to expand the depths of perversion. What was once taboo is commonplace; and unfortunately, our children are shouldering the burden of our indifference toward sexual impurity by becoming enslaved themselves.
"Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen" (Romans 1:24–25).
The key takeaway from the conclusion of this song is that addressing our sin problem does not begin and end with managing our libido. I know because I wasted too many years exhausting that method to no avail. Sex is merely the surface issue hiding the true root of depravity in our hearts, manifested in love of self.
Certainly we can attempt to suppress our sexual cravings, but our natural propensity to yield to the flesh will always keep us from experiencing victory if we rely on our strength alone. It is only through the power of Holy Spirit that we are even capable of destroying the strongholds which pervert our minds. However, we must choose whom we will serve.
"As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).
In the end, God's Word is the only tool at our disposal which illuminates truth and exposes lies.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105).
However, what many of us need to realize is that spiritual amputation is the first step to breaking the chains which bind us. What does that look like though?
Job offers a simple recipe for success: "I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high? Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does not he see my ways and number all my steps?" (Job 31:1–4).
In other words, I am committing to guard my eyes because my thoughts, intentions and actions are on full display for God, my Judge. More importantly, safeguarding our hearts stops the stream of resources pouring into sexual degradation all over the world.
Bottom-line, the porn industry exists because addicted humans are too prideful and selfish to put an end to it. We can raise all the awareness in the world about the atrocities of human sex trafficking, but it will continue to exist and gain momentum because we are too consumed with gratifying our private, sexual cravings to recognize we are enabling a crisis of grave proportions.
Yes, I understand that is an "all-inclusive" statement, and thankfully many reading this post may not struggle with lust. However, hundreds of millions of people are currently addicted to pornography, and we are naïve to believe that statistic is not inclusive of the church body.
We cannot forget that supply only exists because the demand is great. How then do we cut off the demand? Heart change for Christ; because in our own power, we do not have the strength to destroy strongholds.
"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3–4).
I realize many will ridicule or minimize the idea that "trusting in Jesus" will make any difference whatsoever, but we as the body of Christ must start believing 2 Corinthians 10:3–4 and walking in the light of His grace and mercy.
Unfortunately, millions of souls within the church are addicted to lust in varying degrees and perversions. Therefore, if we desire and commit to make a difference in this world, let it begin at home first and foremost so that we would be an example of God's saving power to destroy strongholds.
"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1–5).
