Temptations

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

temp·ta·tion
/tem(p)ˈtāSH(ə)n/ noun: temptation; plural noun: temptations
1. the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise

Temptation is something that we all have encountered, whether you are a Christian or not. From the baby who wants to take that piece of candy, to that person that wants to take a deeper look at some thing provocative online, temptation is real. It is something that we may hide or decide never to discuss, but it is a part of life. It is really important for me to talk about this topic, so that we can have a better understanding and overcome with the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Temptation comes in so many forms. You may be tempted to spend your savings on gambling. You may be tempted to steal someone’s husband, wife or commit adultery (Genesis 39:7). You may be tempted to drink your sorrows away, tempted to eat things that may not be good for your body, tempted to sin, whether that be lying, cheating, stealing and much more. As always, I am NOT saying that because temptation is a part of life, you should fall in it every day. But, we must acknowledge that it is there.

For the purpose of this post, I would like temptation to be synonymous with sin, in THIS sense: Temptation is not sin, but when you give into it, you will sin. Just to take it a step further, let me make it a little clearer with some examples.

I want to acknowledge that sometimes WHAT you are tempted with is not always a SIN. Example would be: you are being tempted WITH sex. Sex itself is not a sin. God created it. However, sex OUTSIDE of marriage is. Another example would be alcohol. Alcohol itself is not a sin. Alcohol has many uses. It’s a substance, being drunk can lead you to sin. Another example is money. Many people are tempted by money and do some horrific things to get money, which can be sinful (1 Tim 6:10). However, money itself is not a sin.

In Matthew 4:1 NIV, the Word says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil”. In Greek, tempted can also mean “tested”. I would like to break this down a little bit. As I was reading this, I was a little shocked.

I have noticed that the devil will tempt you with what something that you may want or need. As the definition says, temptation can be a DESIRE. The motive behind the desire may be pure or it may be malicious, but temptation can be a desire. In the case of Jesus, the devil tempted him with food, which Jesus desired, as he was hungry during his 40 day fast (Luke 4:2).

If Jesus himself could be tempted for 40 days straight by the devil (Luke 4:2), do you really think you are exempt? As the Word of God says, God knows that you will be tempted. You may be tempted to follow lustful desires, tempted to follow a destructive path, tempted to lie, tempted to gossip, tempted to steal, tempted to feed that addiction, tempted to do a lot of things. But God provides us with an escape.

In the example of Jesus Christ being tempted by Satan, Jesus’ escape was the Word of God. In other cases, overcoming your temptation will only come from fleeing or resisting (James 4:7, 1 Cor 6:18). Temptation will come knocking on your door time and time again. So, how exactly do we resist or flee temptation? How do we overcome like Jesus did? So many ways, but these are a few I came up with.

1. Word of God, to combat the thoughts and approach of the enemy
2. Fasting, this builds self-control
3. Prayer, as we know that we wrestle not against flesh and blood
4. Recognition that it is temptation, knowing the WHY
5. Fleeing, literally RUNNING AWAY, especially if it’s sexual sin
6. Resisting, a.k.a. don’t let it happen
7. Renewal of mind, since it can be a matter of desires

Seems hard right? Resisting and fleeing from temptation isn’t always easy. But this verse, among many others, encourages me to continue to be steadfast and stand strong in the midst of temptation.

Hebrews 2:18 AMP: Because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to help and provide immediate assistance to those who are being tempted and exposed to suffering.

This verse encourages me to fight the good fight and appreciate when temptation comes, because it humbles me, it reminds me that I am human, and in my humanity, I need the Word of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit to move through the daily demands and struggles of life. Most importantly, this verse reminds me that in this life, we don’t go through things in vain. We go through it sometimes to help someone else who is struggling through it.

As always, I would like to share a word of prayer with you:

Your word says, in all circumstances, we should give thanks, whether that be temptation, whether that be a hard time or whether it be a great time. Thank you for building self-control through the test and temptations. Thank you for reminding me that I am nothing on my own, but having you gives me strength to overcome. Thank you God for giving me a means of escape when temptation comes, whether that is through prayer or the Word of God. Father God, as temptation comes, help me to be able to flee or resist. Give me strength to be able to overcome. Help me to resist my fleshly desires or the desires of my mind that do not help me. Give me the wisdom and give me strength to be self-controlled. In Jesus name, Amen.

Sincerely Yours, Lydia.