The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

One of the classic, even iconic, phrases in sports broadcasting history was spoken by commentator Jim McKay in the video played weekly to introduce ABC’s Saturday afternoon Wild World of Sports. I imagine that right now many of you are quoting it to yourself: “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” Not only are many of you quoting it, but in your mind’s eye you’re also watching the video of the Alpine ski jumper wiping out at the end of the ski jump. Nothing says “the agony of defeat” better than that wipe out.

As I reflected recently on that iconic quote, I realized how well it describes an important part of my life – my experiences over the years battling temptation. Joyfully, many of those battles have ended with the thrill of victory. Sadly, though, many have ended with the agony of defeat. 

How do you deal with temptation when it comes knocking on your door? Stiff upper lip? Bowed up back? Gritted teeth? Do you just say, “What’s the use” and give in? Or do you avail yourself of the spiritual strength to resist that God wants to make available to you?

Assuming you want to successfully deal with temptation when it comes your way, how can you? 

1. First, understand what temptation is and is not so you can fight it at its root cause. A key first step is understanding that temptation is not that moment when you recognize an opportunity to do wrong. Temptation is that moment when desire to do wrong meets a recognized opportunity to do wrong. We find that wisdom in the Bible in James 1:14-15 where it says, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death.” Have you ever noticed that some things tempt you and others do not? What separates the two? It’s desire or the lack of it. The battle with temptation starts within your heart – where desire makes its home. Deal with it there and you will have a much better chance of a thrill of victory. 
2. Second, eliminate any justifications ahead of time so you don’t weaken your resistance with the idea that you can always affix blame after the fact on someone or something else. For example: 
   • Don’t assume you can blame God.
     James 1:13 says: “Let no one say when he is being tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by sin, and He, Himself, does not tempt anyone.” Yes, God tests us with trials, but He never tempts us to sin. As a result we cannot console ourselves when we yield to temptation with the idea that somehow we were just cooperating with God’s elaborate spiritual growth plan for us. Nor can we say, “That’s just the way God made me.” 
   • Don’t assume you can blame the devil.
     That’s what Geraldine Jones did. Remember her? She is the fictitious character made popular by comedian Flip Wilson in the early 1970’s, who will forever live in infamy for her sassy one-liner, “The devil made me do it.” In her mind, being able to blame the devil for her inability to resist a given temptation, may not have made the deed ok, but at least in her mind it absolved Geraldine of any responsibility for having succumbed to the temptation. In her mind, the devil, wielding an irresistible power over her, negated her willpower the moment she felt tempted such that she just could not help but yield. Realize this important truth spoken in James 4:7 – “Resist the devil and he will flee.” The devil is not omnipotent, and we simply must stop relating to him as if he is. Yes, the devil specializes in providing opportunity to sin, but he has no power whatsoever to make a true disciple yield to a temptation. 
   • Don’t assume you can blame others.
     Remember James 1:14. We are tempted when we are carried away and enticed by our own lust, not someone else’s. 
3. Third, don’t excuse yourself by saying, “I just couldn’t help myself.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 says “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with every temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” We must eliminate the excuse that no one has been tempted to the degree that we have. We must eliminate the excuse that we had no way out. Because God’s faithfulness includes Him always providing a means of escape, for us to yield to a temptation means we stop looking for the way out before it can be found. 

No one wants to experience the agony of defeat at the end of life’s ski jump called Temptation. May the wisdom I’ve shared enable you to experience the thrill of victory instead.