Understanding Temptation

What you’re going through is nothing new. If your friend is not facing the same sexual or drunken temptation, then there have been other Christians in the past who have suffered as you did. As we walk out the meadows and into the valley of the shadow of death, we encounter trials and tribulations of various kinds. You see, accepting Christ is not a get out of jail, get out of suffering free card. Jesus made it clear in the God’s Word,

“33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Suffering isn’t optional, whether your a child of God or not. We all encounter temptations and as Christians we sometimes, isolate our experiences and believe we’re the only ones suffering this pain. Temptation does not make us special or greater than other Christians. Of anything temptation reveals how human we really are and how much we need to depend on Jesus to bring us through it. We’re tempted because we’re attached to our sin. This sin is an attraction to us, because we’ve grown accustomed to sinning and practicing it in our lives. Temptation gives us the opportunity to learn how to repel and hate it. Temptations reveal our weaknesses, displaying the extraordinary need we have to rely on the Lord Jesus to bring us through it uncorrupted. From my Christian experiences, I know of two different temptation situations that you yourself may have experienced:

“13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

1. Temptations We Create Ourselves: The hazardous, and potential sin breeding situations we ourselves create. When we live by the impulses of our flesh, our sin nature, instead of listening to the Holy Spirit’s warnings to not text our ex, not buy cookies, ice cream, and snacks, to not listen to certain kind of music etc. We deceive ourselves believing we can handle any dangerous situations. What makes worse is we like to play with sin, we are suspectible to. Sin we have a weak sport for. Unfortunately, our pride, our arrogance leads to our downfall and before you know it we sin. We sinned against God, broke His law. Now we’re facing the consequences of our actions.

2. Unavoidable Temptation: The next temptous situation is within the planning of our lives. Sometimes, we don’t go seeking temptation but temptation comes because of our circumstances. For example, when Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (Matthew 4:1-3)

At the height of His human weakness (Jesus did not eat or drink), Satan came and tempted him. In a person’s life there will be some temptations we cannot avoid. Do not be confused God does not tempt man but He does allow us to be tempted, so the intensity of the situation can build within us immunity or resistance to sin. It is because we’re born in sin, we have sin nature that we’re sucesptible to sin. Jesus overcame temptation through the power of the Word of God. If Jesus only relied on the power of God’s Word, then we ourselves can also experience this victory over flesh and the enemy.

Jesus has given us the Spirit of God who resides in us. The Holy Spirit is apart of the trinity. He is God and He dwells in every believer. Pray to Him, ask Him to show you scriptures to repel sin and to help you not yield into temptation. When you set your heart on not sinning against God is when you shall endure and even when you’re going to give in, God will give you an escape.