Suffering through temptation leads to victory over sin

You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Hebrews 12:4 NKJV

A few years ago, I was struggling to resist a certain temptation which kept coming up. There was something that God asked me to let go of, but I found it so difficult to do that. He asked me to let go of the arguments that led to a major stronghold being formulated in my mind. I kept yielding to the same temptation, and one day as I started yielding to it again, I heard the Holy Spirit clearly say to me, “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin.”

As He spoke these words to me, He also opened my eyes as to the understanding of this Scripture from Hebrews 12:4 which says, “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin”. I immediately understood that the reason why Jesus sweated great drops of blood in the garden of Gethsemane, was because He was resisting to bloodshed striving against sin. He was resisting temptation. Luke 22:39-44 tells us that He was pleading with His Father to let the cup pass from Him, however He knew that He had to surrender in obedience to His Father’s will.

Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Luke 22:39-44 NKJV

Jesus always lived in perfect obedience to His Father, yet Hebrews 5:8 tells us that He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Also, the suffering mentioned here is specifically referring to temptation suffering. (See Hebrews 2:18 for confirmation of this)

(Jesus) who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Hebrews 5:7-8 NKJV

If Jesus, (who was perfect in obedience) learned obedience through suffering, how much more should we learn obedience through suffering. I believe that God is teaching us that there is a purpose behind the suffering we go through every time we resist temptation, because it takes determination and a strong will to say “no” to sin and to the devil. We learn to be obedient to God’s commands and instructions each time we say “no” to sin. In the beginning it may be hard, but as we keep resisting temptation, it becomes easier until the temptation no longer entices us.

If we are finding it difficult to resist, the good news is that we are not doing it alone. The Lord is with us, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to help us. Scripture tells us that Jesus was tempted in all things, so He knows what it’s like to be tempted, and to suffer through temptations. He understands the allure of sin because He experienced it, but praise be to God, because He never yielded to it. Scripture tells us that He became like us so that He could have compassion on us when we face temptations. He is our faithful and merciful High Priest who is willing to help us by giving us a way out of the temptation. Thank You Lord!

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For 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.

Hebrews 4:14-15 NKJV

The word “sympathize” means to “suffer with” and expresses the feeling of one who has entered into suffering.

For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hebrews 2:16-18 NKJV

We will all go through times of temptation, but with the Lord’s help and guidance, we can overcome – just as Jesus overcame. If you are facing temptation, may I encourage you to call on the Lord and ask Him to help you by giving you His wisdom and guidance. Then trust that the council He gives you will bring you into victory. Also, make the decision to obey God, because once our minds have been made up, it’s much easier to resist temptation.

Rewards for overcoming temptation and sin

• Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James 1:12 NKJV

• He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Revelation 21:7 NKJV

Jesus also gives promises to the 7 churches in Revelation for those who overcome:

• To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

Revelation 2:7 NKJV

• He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

Revelation 2:11 NKJV

• To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

Revelation 2:17 NKJV

• And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations – ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ – as I also have received from My Father, and I will give him the morning star.

Revelation 2:26-28 NKJV

• He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Revelation 3:5 NKJV

• He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

Revelation 3:12 NKJV

• To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 3:21 NKJV

In closing off this message, I would just like to encourage all of us to keep our eyes on Jesus and all the amazing promises He has made us. The rewards for overcoming sin and temptation are amazing, but the most precious reward is spending an eternity with our precious Lord Jesus. Genesis 15:1 helps us understand that God is our exceedingly great reward. Thank You Jesus! Therefore, let us run our race with endurance and finish our race, knowing that the reward which awaits us far exceeds any temporary pleasure this world could offer us.

Blessings in Jesus’ precious name.