Watchtower Study, Week 23 - September 29, 2024, Be on Guard Against Temptation, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, September 23-29, 2024, Be on Guard Against Temptation, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Answer

Celeste: Extra Points

“Stay watchful and pray constantly so that you will not fall into temptation” (MAT. 26:41).

1, 2. a) What warning did Jesus give? b) Why did the disciples fall into temptation? (See also images.)

“The SPIRIT is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41b). With these words,  a).  Jesus showed that he understood that humans are imperfect and make mistakes, but at the same time he warned us to be careful about becoming overconfident. Just hours before Jesus said those words, the disciples had confidently stated that they would never abandon him (Matt. 26:35). They had the best of intentions, but they didn’t realize how easy it could be to cave in to pressure when things got tough. That’s why Jesus told them, “Stay watch and pray constantly that you will not fall into temptation” (Matt. 26:41a).

2 When Jesus was arrested, what did the disciples do? Unfortunately, because they did not stay awake, they fell into temptation. b).  The situation caught them off guard and they ended up doing exactly what they had said they would never do: abandon Jesus (Matt. 26:56).

ILLUSTRATION

Images of Jesus and his apostles at night in the Garden of Gethsemane. 1. Jesus talks with his apostles. 2. The apostles sleep. 3. The apostles flee when Jesus is arrested. Jesus told his disciples to stay awake and on guard so as not to fall into temptation, but they abandoned him. (See paragraphs 1 and 2.)

3. a) If we want to be faithful to Jehovah, why can we not be confident? b) What will we see in this article?

3 We must not be complacent either. Of course, we are all determined not to let anything separate us from Jehovah. But we are also imperfect, and we may be tempted to do wrong. (Rom. 5:12; 7:21-23) We may unexpectedly face temptations that seem too hard to resist. If we want to be faithful to Jehovah and Jesus, a).  we must heed the warning and always be on guard. That is precisely the purpose of this article. b).  First, we will look at the areas in which we need to be extremely careful. Then, we will discuss how to protect ourselves against temptations. Finally, we will discuss what we can do to never let down our guard.

IN WHICH AREAS SHOULD WE STAY ON GUARD?

4, 5. Why should we be on guard against committing sins that are less serious?

4 Some sins are less serious than others, but they can still harm our relationship with Jehovah. They may also lead us to commit more serious sins.

5 We are all tempted, but each of us has our weak points. So each of us will be tempted by something different. For example, some may be struggling with the desire to commit a serious sin, such as sexual immorality. Others may have a tendency toward impure acts, such as masturbation or viewing pornography. Still others may be struggling to overcome common defects in this world, such as an independent attitude, fear of man, or a bad temper. No wonder James said that “each person is tested by his own desire and enticement” (James 1:14).

6. What should we recognize?

6 Do you know where your weaknesses are? It’s dangerous to act as if we don’t have any or to think we’re so strong that we’ll never be tempted (1 John 1:8). After all, Paul said that even “those who have the spiritual qualifications” should watch themselves so that they won’t be tempted too (Gal. 6:1). It certainly pays to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge the areas where we’re not strong (2 Cor. 13:5).

7. What points should we protect the most? Give an example.

7 Now that we have identified our weak points, what do we need to do? Strengthen our defenses! Consider this: In Bible times, what were the most vulnerable points in a walled city? The gates. So those were the places that needed to be protected the most. Similarly, we need to especially protect the points where we know we are most vulnerable (1 Cor. 9:27).

HOW CAN WE PROTECT OURSELVES?

8, 9. What should the young man in Proverbs chapter 7 have done to avoid committing a serious sin? (Proverbs 7:8, 9, 13, 14, 21)

8 How can we protect ourselves from temptation? Let’s look at what Proverbs chapter 7 teaches us. It tells of a young man who committed a serious sexual sin with an immoral woman. Verse 22 indicates that he went after her “suddenly.” But the preceding verses reveal that he actually took several steps that gradually led him to that sin.

9 What were those steps? First, he passed “in the evening along the street near the corner of the woman.” Then he walked toward her house (read Proverbs 7:8, 9). Then, when he saw the woman, he didn’t turn around and walk away. Instead, he let her kiss him and tell him about the peace offerings she had offered, perhaps trying to convince him that he was not a bad person (read Proverbs 7:13, 14, 21). Had the young man not taken these steps, he would have avoided temptation and would not have committed sin.

10. Like the young man in Proverbs, what mistake can someone make today?

10 Something similar could happen to any servant of Jehovah. You may commit a serious sin and then feel that everything happened suddenly. You may say, “I don’t know how it could have happened.” Still, if you look back, you may discover that you took a series of steps that led you into temptation. Perhaps you associated with the wrong people, chose inappropriate entertainment, or went to unwise places—either literal or online. You may also have stopped praying, reading the Bible, attending meetings, or going to preach. Like the young man in Proverbs, chances are that it didn’t really all happen “suddenly.”

11. If we do not want to commit a sin, what should we do?

11 The lesson? It’s not enough to avoid sin; we must also avoid taking steps that lead us astray. That’s exactly what Solomon explained after telling the story of the young man and the immoral woman. He said of her, “Do not go astray in her ways” (Prov. 7:25). He also advised, “Stay far from her and do not come near the entrance of her house” (Prov. 5:3, 8). Simply put, if we don’t want to commit sin, we must stay away from anything that might lead us to sin.  This may include avoiding certain situations or activities that Christians generally don’t consider wrong but that we know could lead us into temptation (Matt. 5:29, 30).

12. What decision did Job make, and how would it help him stay on guard? (Job 31:1)

12 If we want to avoid situations that might lead us to commit sin, we can imitate Job’s example. In order to never look inappropriately at other women, he made a firm decision within himself. He said, “I have made a covenant with my eyes” (read Job 31:1). Keeping that covenant would help him never commit adultery. We too can make a firm decision within ourselves not to do anything that might lead us into temptation.

13. Why should we be careful about what we think? (See also images.)

13 We must also be careful what we think about (Ex. 20:17). Some people say that it’s okay to imagine doing bad things, as long as we don’t actually do them in real life. But they are very wrong. The more we think about doing something bad, the more we will want to do it. In a sense, we are creating a temptation for ourselves that we now have to resist. Of course, sometimes bad thoughts will come on their own. What should we do then? We should reject them immediately and replace them with good thoughts. This way we can prevent bad thoughts from growing into intense desires, which are difficult to resist and can lead us to commit serious sin (Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:2; James 1:13-15).

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. A brother watches television at night. 2. He looks lustfully at a female co-worker. 3. He and his wife are having a drink together at a bar. We must avoid anything that could lead us to fall into temptation. (See paragraph 13.)

14. What else will help us stay on guard against falling into temptation?

14 What else will help us to stay on guard against temptation? We must be 100 percent convinced that obeying Jehovah’s laws is always in our best interest. It may be difficult at times to bring our thoughts and desires into line with Jehovah’s expectations, but the peace we will feel will make the effort worthwhile.

15. How does cultivating appropriate desires help us?

15 We must cultivate appropriate desires and learn to hate what is evil and love what is good (Amos 5:15). If we do, we will strengthen our resolve to do what is right and to avoid situations that could lead us to sin. Not only that, we will be stronger in resisting temptations that may arise in unexpected or unavoidable situations.

16. Why do spiritual activities help us stay on guard? (See also images.)

16 What can we do to cultivate appropriate desires? Participate as much as possible in spiritual activities. When we are in meetings or in the ministry, we are strengthening our desire to please Jehovah, and temptations are not easy to come. (Matt. 28:19, 20; Heb. 10:24, 25) Reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word also helps us love what is good and hate what is evil . (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:2, 3; 119:97, 101) And remember that Jesus gave this advice: “Pray constantly that you may not enter into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41) When we take time to pray to our heavenly Father, we benefit from his help and strengthen our desire to make him happy.—James 4:8.

ILLUSTRATION

Following a good program of spiritual activities helps us to avoid temptations. (See paragraph 16.)

LET'S NEVER LET OUR GUARD DOWN

17. What bad tendency did Peter have to fight against more than once?

17 We may be able to overcome some of our weaknesses, but there may be others that we find difficult to control. That’s what happened to the apostle Peter with his fear of man. He denied knowing Jesus three times (Matt. 26:69–75). Later, he testified boldly before the Sanhedrin. So it seemed that he had overcome his fear (Acts 5:27–29). But a few years later, “for fear of those of the circumcised group,” he stopped eating with non-Jewish Christians for a time (Gal. 2:11–12). His weakness reared its head again. Who knows if he ever managed to get rid of it completely?

18. What can happen to us with some weaknesses?

18 Similarly, we too may have to wrestle with a weakness we thought we had conquered. One brother admits, “I didn’t look at pornography for 10 years, and I convinced myself that the problem was gone. But the addiction was still there, lurking, like a wild animal waiting for the right moment to strike again.”   It’s a good thing he didn’t give up! He realized that if he wanted to resist temptation, he would have to fight every day, perhaps for the rest of his life in this system. His wife and elders have helped him take further steps to stay away from pornography.

19. What can we do if we have a weakness that we cannot get rid of?

19 If we have a weakness that we can’t shake off, how can we keep it from leading us to sin? Follow Jesus’ advice: “Stay awake .” Even when you feel like you have everything under control, continue to avoid situations that might lead you to temptation. (1 Cor. 10:12) Continue to use the methods that have worked for you. Proverbs 28:14 says, “The man who is always on guard is happy.” (2 Pet. 3:14)

HOW KEEPING OURSELVES ON GUARD BENEFITS US

20, 21. (a) What are some benefits of staying on guard? (b) If we do our part, what will Jehovah do? (2 Corinthians 4:7)

20 Is it worth the effort to be on guard against temptation? Of course it is! a)  “The temporary pleasures of sin” are nothing compared to the immense joy of obeying Jehovah’s standards. (Heb. 11:25; Ps. 19:8) After all, we were created to live according to his will. (Gen. 1:27) Only then will we enjoy a clear conscience and be able to live forever. (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 1:3; Jude 20, 21)

21 It is true that “the flesh is weak,” but that does not mean that all is lost. Jehovah is there to help us. (Read 2 Corinthians 4:7.) Of course, notice that he gives us power that goes beyond what is normal. But it is up to us to provide the normal power—that is, the daily efforts to avoid falling into temptation. If we do our part,  b)  we can be sure that he will give us the extra dose of strength that we ask for in our prayers. (1 Cor. 10:13.) With Jehovah’s help, we will be able to stay on guard and avoid falling into temptation.

HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?

In what areas should we remain on guard?

We must be on guard for our weak points, even if it doesn't seem like a big deal, as the enemy only needs a small space to enter our lives. Some struggle with pride, overconfidence, immoral desires, difficult character, etc.

How can we protect ourselves from temptations?

We can protect ourselves from temptations by avoiding taking the first steps, even fleeing from them, since it is not enough to avoid sin, we must also avoid taking the steps that lead us down the wrong path, and stay away from everything that could lead us to commit it. 

This may include avoiding certain situations or activities that are not bad, but that we know could lead us to fall into temptation.

Why should we never let our guard down?

We must never let our guard down, because our adversary, our flesh, moments of tiredness, discouragement and distraction can cause us to fall into temptation.