Empowered by the Spirit: Overcoming Temptation and Sin

Each of us is made up of spirit, soul, and body. While we often live from our minds, emotions, and will—our soul—the deepest part of us is our spirit, where we commune with God and receive His life. The enemy, Satan, cannot touch the spirit of a believer, so he targets the flesh—our soul and body—through temptation. He begins by appealing to legitimate desires, twisting them to draw us away from God. If we entertain these temptations, rationalize them, and act on them, we open doors for the enemy to gain a foothold, and with repeated sin, even tenancy in our lives.

But the story doesn’t end there. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, longing to fill every room of our hearts with His Spirit. He doesn’t want just a part of us; He wants access to every area—our relationships, our thoughts, our habits, even the places we keep hidden. When we repent, kick out the enemy, and invite the Holy Spirit in, He brings love, peace, patience, and all the fruit of His presence. This is not just about a one-time decision but a daily journey of letting our spirit, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, take charge over our mind, emotions, and will.

True freedom comes when we close every door to the enemy and open every door to Jesus. This means not just resisting temptation but actively inviting the Holy Spirit to possess us fully, to fill every space, and to lead us in every decision. It’s a call to radical openness, repentance, and surrender, trusting that God’s Spirit in us is more powerful than any force that comes against us. As we do this, we experience the fullness of life Jesus promised, and we become people who are truly led by the Spirit, not by the flesh.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The enemy’s primary strategy is to target our flesh—our mind, emotions, and will—by twisting legitimate desires into temptations. Recognizing this pattern helps us to be vigilant at the point of first contact, refusing to even entertain what the enemy offers. The battle is won or lost in the early moments of temptation, before it takes root in our thoughts. [17:15]
• 2. Entertaining temptation is not harmless; it gives the enemy a foothold in our lives. When we rationalize or dwell on sinful thoughts, we create space for the enemy to operate, making it easier to eventually act on those temptations. The longer we allow these thoughts to linger, the more ground we surrender, and the harder it becomes to resist. [24:19]
• 3. Repeated sin opens the door wide for the enemy, moving from occasional influence to actual tenancy—what Scripture calls demonization or possession. At this stage, the enemy’s goal is always destruction, no matter how attractive the initial temptation seemed. The only way out is true repentance, breaking agreement with the enemy, and closing the door through the authority of Jesus. [27:33]
• 4. Freedom is not just about expelling the enemy but about being filled and possessed by the Holy Spirit. If we simply clean house without inviting Jesus to take full possession, we remain vulnerable to even greater attack. The Spirit of God wants access to every area of our lives, not just the parts we’re comfortable surrendering. [36:36]
• 5. Living by the Spirit is a daily journey of letting our spirit, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, govern our mind, emotions, and will. This means actively choosing to listen to God’s voice, allowing Him to direct our work, relationships, and decisions, rather than defaulting to our own understanding or feelings. As we do this, we experience supernatural strength, wisdom, and freedom. [46:55]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:44] - My Story: From Communism to Christ
• [04:24] - Encountering God and a Life Transformed
• [05:39] - The Climbing Analogy: Learning by Doing
• [09:40] - Spirit, Soul, and Body: Our True Makeup
• [11:54] - The Limits of the Flesh and the Power of the Spirit
• [13:51] - How the Enemy Attacks: The Realm of the Flesh
• [15:54] - The Law of First Mention: Genesis and Temptation
• [17:53] - The Four Steps to Possession
• [24:19] - Giving the Devil a Foothold
• [27:33] - When Sin Becomes a Stronghold
• [33:41] - The Only Way to Be Free: Possessed by the Holy Spirit
• [35:06] - Jesus Knocks: Will You Let Him In?
• [39:10] - No Closed Boxes: Surrendering Every Area
• [42:19] - Praying for Deliverance and Filling
• [45:34] - Strengthened by the Spirit
• [46:55] - Living Daily by the Spirit

Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV) — > Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 3:1-7 (ESV) — > Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Revelation 3:20 (ESV) — > Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Observation Questions

1. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:23, what three parts make up a person, and what does Paul pray for regarding these parts? ([09:40])
2. In Genesis 3, what strategy does the serpent use to tempt Eve, and how does she respond? ([16:41])
3. What does Jesus say he will do if someone hears his voice and opens the door, according to Revelation 3:20? ([35:56])
4. In the sermon, what does the pastor say is the enemy’s main target, and why? ([13:51])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Paul emphasizes being sanctified “through and through”—spirit, soul, and body? What does this suggest about how God wants to work in us? ([09:40])
2. The enemy starts by appealing to legitimate desires and then twists them. Why is it important to recognize this pattern early, and what can happen if we don’t? ([17:15])
3. The sermon describes a process of temptation: knocking, entertaining, acting, and then giving full access. How does this process play out in real life, and why is it dangerous to “entertain” temptation? ([24:19])
4. Jesus stands at the door and knocks, wanting access to every area of our lives. What might it look like to leave some “rooms” closed to him, and what are the risks of doing so? ([39:10])

Application Questions

1. The enemy often targets our mind, emotions, and will by twisting good desires. Can you think of a recent time when a good desire in your life was twisted into a temptation? How did you respond, and what could you do differently next time? ([17:15])
2. The sermon warns that entertaining temptation is not harmless—it gives the enemy a foothold. Are there any thoughts or habits you’ve been rationalizing or allowing to linger? What practical step could you take this week to “close the door” on them? ([24:19])
3. Repeated sin can become a stronghold, giving the enemy “tenancy” in our lives. Is there an area where you feel stuck in a cycle of sin? What would true repentance and breaking agreement with the enemy look like for you? ([27:33])
4. The pastor said that freedom is not just about kicking out the enemy but about inviting the Holy Spirit to fill every area. Are there “rooms” in your heart—like relationships, habits, or private thoughts—that you’ve kept closed to Jesus? What would it look like to open them to him? ([36:36])
5. Living by the Spirit is a daily journey. What is one specific way you can let your spirit, under the Holy Spirit’s leadership, take charge over your mind, emotions, or will this week? ([46:55])
6. The sermon described a prayer of both kicking out the enemy and inviting in the Holy Spirit. Would you be willing to pray specifically about one area of struggle in your life, asking the Holy Spirit to fill that space? What might change if you did? ([44:13])
7. The pastor shared that sometimes we keep “boxes” or areas of our lives closed off from God (like music, relationships, or beliefs). Is there a “box” you’ve been keeping closed? What’s holding you back from surrendering it, and what’s one step you could take toward opening it? ([39:10])