How To Fast 6: Dealing With Temptations by Pastor Dolapo Lawal: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Fasting Is Not to Earn God's Favor

Matthew 4:1-2 — "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred." Jesus was already the beloved Son, already approved, before He ever fasted — His fast wasn't a transaction to earn God's affection; it was preparation for what was coming next. Fasting is not a bargaining tool to move God's hand — it is a discipline that brings balance and readiness to your whole spiritual frame.

You Are Never Tempted With What You Don't Like

Temptation is a weapon fashioned specifically around your own desires — that's precisely why it works. The more your interest and appetite are shaped toward God, the less power any given temptation has over you. 1 Corinthians 10:13 — no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man, and God will always provide a way of escape. A consistent prayer life often functions like advance notice — sensing ahead of time what a coming day may bring, and recognizing the way out already prepared, rather than being caught by surprise.

The First Temptation Was About the Purpose of Power

When the devil told Jesus to turn stones into bread, the real issue wasn't hunger — it was whether Jesus would use divine power for self-gratification. Jesus later turned water into wine and multiplied loaves, but always for others, never for Himself. The problem was never the miracle itself — it was the motive behind it. Power used to prove superiority, rather than to serve and transform others, has drifted from its purpose, however impressive it looks.

Matthew 4:4 — "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Jesus refused to let a legitimate need — hunger — override obedience to what He knew was right in that moment.

Your Body Belongs to Someone Else Now

Once you're in Christ, your body is no longer simply your own to manage as you please — it's a dwelling place, and the owner of a house is the one who determines how it's kept, furnished, and used. The question in temptation isn't just "is this pleasurable" — it's "who actually owns this, and what do they want done with it."

A Shepherd Who Knows Your Language

Hebrews 4:15 — Jesus is a high priest who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, because He was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. If you feel a genuine pull toward someone who has walked through what you're walking through now, it's often because their scars have become the very language that lets them speak into your current wounds — someone can only guide you through fire they've genuinely passed through themselves.