Temptations Temptation is as natural to man as breathing. God allows temptations to test us and build us up and Satan uses temptations to destroy us. So to be tempted is not necessarily bad nor is it intrinsically good. The key is our understanding of it and how we respond to it. How we understand temptation: The first thing we must be able to do is to differentiate between the types of temptation. Satan will never tempt us for good. He will use something that sounds good and looks good but is essentially bad for us. It will not agree with scripture, nor will it be morally acceptable. It usually involves us compromising our Christian principles. This type of temptation is to be avoided at all costs. Godly temptation is usually in the form of a trial or burden that God allows us to enter into. The temptation comes when we feel so overwhelmed by the trial or burden that we want to give up and quit. It is God’s desire that we continue in the trial while trusting in Him to see us through. Satan will try to convince us that it is okay to quit. God’s word tells us “15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. “16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16) Both types of temptations should be overcome by trusting in God to see us through. The temptation by Satan must be avoided to keep from falling into sin. The temptation to quit under a godly trial must be avoided so that our faith is made stronger. Jesus was tempted in ways that the natural man will never be tested. Jesus is the son of God incarnate (in the flesh). He is the creator of all that has been created (Ref John 1:3). Jesus gave up his deity so that He could fulfill the plan of God which was to reconcile man to God. There is no other man who can claim this biography. Jesus was charged with the greatest task of any man ever born. He had to reconcile man to God. To accomplish this, He must be free of any sin. That does not mean that His sins had to be forgiven, it means that He must never commit any sin. So when He went into the wilderness to be tempted (tested), He was placing himself in harm’s way. He knew that the devil would come against Him. Jesus was tempted in every area that we are tempted. • He was tempted to have His needs met. Matthew 4:3 “The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 “‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” • He was tempted to put God to a test when Satan told Him in Matthew 4:5-6 “5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down.” He then used scriptures to tempt Jesus by quoting Psalm 91:11, 12 ““‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus again used scriptures to reply “7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Matthew 4:7) • Jesus was tempted with the worlds wealth and power. Matthew 4:8-9 “8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Once again, Jesus used the word of God to overcome temptation. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:10 “10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” You will note that Jesus used the word of God to defeat each temptation. It is very important for us to “know” God’s word; because Satan will use the word against us. He will try to get us to believe something that is not true by twisting the scriptures and concealing a lie in the truth. We must write the words of the Bible on our hearts so that we might not sin. (Ref. Proverbs 7:1-3). In knowing the Truth and the Word, we will be able to recognize the lie! You will also notice that it was not Satan that Jesus had to overcome; it was the temptations themselves because Satan just presents the temptations. It is the same for us. Satan will use every opportunity to present a temptation to us. How we respond to them is determined by how strong our walk with Christ is. The strength of our walk with Christ is strengthened by our knowledge of and how we use the word of God. One thing that we have in our favor is the Holy Spirit. He will prompt us and encourage us to do the godly thing. What we do in response to His urgings and guidance is up to us. How do you resist the temptations you face? In Christ, John
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 18:22:30 +0000
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