Comfort To Overcome Temptation

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil…For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” (Heb 2:14, 18 AV)

 

If we just understood how accessible victory over sin was, we wouldn’t fall nearly as much as we do.  Jesus took upon Himself the form of our flesh so that He could be tempted in all points as we.  Declining to be enticed into sin, He is our example and power to overcome it.  The noun ‘succour’ is not a passive one.  In other words, our writer is not speaking of a natural result of salvation in a general sense of overcoming.  He is not speaking of the eternal victory we will have.  The writer is speaking of real-time succouring.  The word means more than securing.  The word means to secure by way of comfort.  The word is often used to describe what a mother does for her baby.  The understanding here is when we are tempted, the LORD Jesus Christ comes to our side with a heart of understanding encouraging us to stay the course.  He will not force our wills.  They are still free.  We still have to decide to turn down the offer of sin.  Jesus will not co-op our hearts and minds.  There must still be a yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit.  What we can know is that no matter how difficult the battle against sin is, we have an elder brother who understands just how we feel and will intercede to the Father on our behalf.

One of the bittersweet aspects of counseling people with sin issues is the ability to understand where they are coming from.  Particularly if it is a sin with which the mentor has struggled as well.  He can often offer insight into what the costs are and what it would take to overcome that particular sin.  When the counselor can empathize with the one suffering, it goes a long way.  Our health care network can gather input from its patients and sends it along to those providing care.  After each visit, there is a brief survey sent to the patient and they have the option to send their observations back to the network.  I know they have because I sent an evaluation back on several situations with input which was some criticism sprinkled with practical suggestions that would improve their care.  After one particular visit, I noticed the health care provider was too clinical and not very personal.  I felt like a lab rat.  There was no connection.  All I was to this individual was a walking test tube of data and a puzzle for his or her curious mind.  Now, this health care provider is the best in the city in which I dwell.  It is difficult to get a visit scheduled.  His diagnostic skills are second to none and with the right data at his disposal can make astounding diagnoses where most others would fail to connect the dots.  He truly is a gifted health care professional.  Following the evaluation, his demeanor changed considerably.  He was far more personal and engaging as a person.  His problem was he couldn’t empathize with patients' health care needs because he hadn’t aged to the same level of challenges.  Having understood their unique (at least to his life’s experiences) situations, he was able to adjust and succour those who were challenged with difficult health care needs.

Praise the LORD we have a Savior who knows every detail where it applies to temptation.  Every possible temptation we could ever be confronted with, He has gone through it.  And then some.  He knows what it feels like when the flesh screams for attention.  He knows what it feels like when the flesh tries to make us believe we cannot live without some deep-seated desire satisfied to the full.  He knows what it is like to battle the mind and discipline one’s thought life to the glory of God.  Jesus knows what it is like to take on the devil.  He knows what a had to head confrontation feels like.  Jesus had to challenge the world that was against Him.  He was forced to endure hardships that we can never fathom.  This same Jesus comes to our side when like temptations plague us.  He knows how it feels.  He knows the struggle between wanting to please the Father and the flesh fighting against it.  Jesus did not have a fallen nature as we do.  He was not pre-disposed to sin.  He was created in the image of Adam.  He did not have an old nature to battle.  But the flesh is flesh.  It doesn’t matter why it desires what it should not have.  It just does.  Therefore, Jesus is always there when we want victory.  He is there to intercede for us.  He is there with an understanding shoulder upon which to rest.  All we need to do is cry out to Jesus and He will comfort us in our struggle to say ‘no’.