It happens so often that it seems almost routine in our modern world. We read or listen to certain stories with interest and then make little jokes about how public figures shoot themselves in the foot when they yield to temptation and it becomes public knowledge. In recent years, we have become privy to the temptations which have seduced several public figures.

Not long ago, Gary Hart was the leading candidate in the Democratic Party for the nomination for President of the United States. But, when he took a cruise on a yacht called The Monkey Business, with a young woman named Donna Rice, his race for the Presidency was over. He lost his battle with temptation and his hopes and dreams for the future came crashing down around him.

A Methodist minister with a bright future in the church was tempted with sensual pleasure. Apparently, he became involved with another woman and knew that his hopes and dreams could not survive a scandal. So, the reports speculate, he concocted a story about threats on his life and family. Then he attempted to murder his wife, thus eliminating her from the scene. But, his plot failed and his ministry is at an end.

The soap opera saga of Jim Bakker and Jessica Hahn had just about run its course when the news of Jimmy Swaggart burst into the headlines. Jimmy Swaggart was the Baton Rouge television evangelist who sought to destroy Jim Bakker for losing a battle with temptation. He ranted and raved about excising the malignant cancer from the church of those who give in to temptation while, according to the news reports, he had been giving in to temptation for years, meeting prostitutes at various hotels. I guess he discovered that old adage to be true:

"He who lives in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks ..."

One can only hope that he also learned the advice of Jesus: "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone ..."

The point I am making is that temptation is a reality in life. Temptation doesn’t just come to public figures, but it comes to each of us and it comes in a variety of ways. Sometimes we are tempted sensually ... sometimes with power ... sometimes with greed ... sometimes with prestige ... sometimes with jealousy. Temptation comes in a variety of packages and there is not a one of us that is immune. We have all fought our battles with the beast called temptation.

Even Jesus fought decisive battles with temptations. The most important and prominent battle that Jesus fought with temptation took place in the wilderness called Jeshimon, which means The Devastation. This is the desert wilderness where Jesus went shortly after his baptism in the Jordan River. He went out into the wilderness to be alone. He went into the wilderness to think about what kind of Messiah he would be and how he would fulfill his task. And, it was while he was in the wilderness that he battled the temptation of how he was going to use the tremendous powers at his disposal.

Three of the Gospel writers tell the story of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. Since he was alone in the wilderness, Jesus must have told his disciples about the experience. He was sharing with them his own struggles with the three temptations. The first temptation was to turn the stones into bread. This was the temptation to get men and women to follow him because he could give them material possessions. But Jesus knew he could not bribe people into following him. He rejected this temptation by saying, "Man cannot live by bread alone." The second temptation was to stand on the pinnacle of the temple, which was 450 feet high. If he would leap from this and land among the people without being harmed, then the people would follow him. But, Jesus recognized that faith which was founded on magic or the sensational was doomed to failure when the sensational events ceased to be sensational. And so he rejected this temptation by saying, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." The third temptation was the temptation to compromise with evil in the world. The tempting voice said, "Fall down and worship me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world." Even as Jesus struggled with this temptation, he became convinced that one can never defeat evil by compromising with evil.

Just as Jesus had his decisive battles with temptation, so do we. There are three things which I think are important in regard to our struggle with temptation.

I. Decisive battles with temptation are always fought within. We must not believe that every battle with temptation is carried out in the open for all to see. In fact, before any yielding to temptation is carried out in the open, the seeds of temptation have worked their way inside our hearts and minds where they have a chance to germinate and grow.

The most decisive battles of history are always fought on the inner battlefield. Even in a war, behind the outer clash of armies is the quiet debate in the councils of the strategists. Behind the lawyer’s stirring plea, winning his case in public court, are his unseen decisions in his private thinking. "Court cases," says the legal proverb, "are won in private chambers." Behind a great career in politics that dares to move the world in a new direction, the strategy is planned in a private chamber where the door is shut. It is on the inner battlefield where every one of us must first fight with temptation. God will not force any person to obey him nor will he shield anyone from temptation. And temptations always begin as an inner struggle in our hearts and minds.

The inner struggle with temptation is not imaginary. It is very real. To this day, you can see the ink stain on the wall of Martin Luther’s study. Almost 550 years ago, Luther caused that ink stain by throwing his ink jar at the devil as he tempted him in his own innermost thoughts and desires.

Bishop Fulton Sheen was one of the most respected religious figures in this country. When he was approaching eighty years of age, a young seminarian came to see him. After they had exchanged pleasantries, Bishop Sheen looked at this young man and asked, "What can I do for you?"

The young man was hesitant at first; then he said, "Bishop I just don’t know if I can take the vow to become a priest."

Bishop Sheen smiled and asked, "What’s the problem?"

The young man said, "Bishop, I just don’t know if I can take the vow of celibacy and become a priest. I thought seminary would free me from the fantasies and lust which come into my heart and mind. But, now I am close to ordination as a priest in the church and those desires that used to tempt me are still tempting."

Again, Bishop Sheen smiled and said, "Well, I have been a priest for over half a century and I still struggle with the same inner desires. Just remember that there is no sin in being tempted, but in yielding."

We all face the inner struggle with temptation. This is the battleground where every human being is first confronted with temptation - in the innermost thoughts and desires of our hearts and minds. The one thing we need to remember is that there is no sin in being tempted. The sin comes from when we yield to temptation within.

II. Decisive battles with temptation are choices between good and evil. The battle with temptation always begins within our hearts and minds. But, it isn’t long before the temptation moves us to making a choice. The Bible knows and emphasizes this hard demand of choosing ... of choosing between good and evil ... of choosing between right and wrong. I like that Psalm which clearly shows that we know the difference between good and evil. The writer of the first Psalm said:

Blessed is the man who walks not in counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.

Each day we encounter temptations which require us to choose between good and evil. There is no once-and-for-all-time choice, because temptations come to us each day and each day we must choose. There is no aspect of life where a sense of control and purpose is more clearly demanded than in a person’s moral character. It is here that we must choose what is right and what is wrong as we battle with temptation.

A few years ago, I was in Washington, D.C. to attend some briefings at Congress. One evening I was invited to a dinner party in one of the Congressional office buildings and it wasn’t difficult to notice that there was a lot of drinking. There was one man whom I particularly noticed because of his heavy drinking. I noticed him, not just because he was drinking excessively, but because he was wearing the uniform of an airplane pilot.

When he got up to leave, he was so inebriated that two people had to help him out. Just before he went out the door, he turned and said, "Don’t worry! I’ll be all right tomorrow." And I thought to myself, "Here is a man so drunk he can’t walk, and he is planning on flying a plane tomorrow."

The moral issue here is the irresponsible choice of this man. I am not talking about the moral issue of drinking; I am talking about lives. I am talking about people. I am talking about the battle with temptation that we encounter every day. Each day we are morally confronted with temptation and we must choose between what is right and what is wrong. When we choose that which is right, our inner strength grows. But, when we choose that which is wrong, we find ourselves on the road to moral destruction - because there is a terrible progression about choosing that which is wrong.

Sir Walter Scott once said, "A horse rider can be up to his saddle in mud in no time if he ignores the first sign of soft earth."

When we give in to temptation and choose that which is wrong once, it is easy to do again. It is so easy to be trapped in the terrible progression of making the wrong choices for our lives that we find ourselves on the path to moral bankruptcy.

III. Decisive battles with temptation are not fought alone. This is the message which the Bible affirms over and over again. When the writer of the Gospel of Mark told the story of Jesus’ battle with temptation in the wilderness, he wrote: "... the angels were helping Him ..." Jesus was not left to fight his battle with temptation alone and neither are we. We have One with us who never leaves us alone.

There is a young woman whom I know you would not call attractive. She is rather plain looking and consequently never really had a boyfriend during high school. When she got out of high school, she took a job with a large company. She made friends easily and was invited to a lot of parties. Although she had not lived in a cocoon, she was surprised at what went on at those parties - drinking ... the use of drugs ... the casual approach to sex.

It was at one of these parties that she met a young man. At first, she couldn’t believe that he was interested in her. But, she began seeing him one or two nights a week for about six months. Then, she discovered that she was going to have a child.

When she told him, it was then, for the first time, that he told her he was already married. He said that he would not leave his wife and suggested that she find some way to deal with her problem without bothering him.

She was devastated. She had loved him and he had only used her. She was hurting ... She was filled with guilt ... She was ashamed ... She felt completely alone. Back in her apartment, she buried her head in her hands and sobbed, "Oh God - help me!" Although she heard nothing or saw nothing, she suddenly knew that God was there with her and that she was not alone. His presence seemed to calm her and she found herself praying. She found herself pouring out all of her hurt and shame and guilt and unhappiness - and she realized that he knew everything about her and yet still loved her.

This is the message that the Bible keeps making over and over. We may make the wrong choices when we struggle with the temptations that come our way in life, but God does not abandon us. God does not forsake us. God does not leave us alone.

This is a hope that is real! It is not false. It is not tarnished. It is not cheap or shoddy. It is real! We have One who is with us and will never leave us alone.