Temptation

Introduction

Let me make something you already know very clear: temptation is not a sin; succumbing to temptation is. Temptation itself is a call to battle. We are continuously tempted by “things.” These “things” come from both inside and outside the body and mind. From within, they can be thoughts, images, ideas, feelings, urges, and the like. From the outside, they can come from other people, circumstances in your life, your bodily structure, and chemical makeup. Along with these, you will also find spiritual influences. Spiritual influences can come from your foundation in God’s Word or from Satan’s realm, the world we live in.

The word “temptation” is used only 14 times in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, it is used only once in Psalm 95:8. The word “test” is not used at all.

“Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.” (Psalm 95:8) ESV

This speaks specifically to the time when Israel provoked God in the wilderness (Exodus 17:7; Numbers 20:13). But it may also point to Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness in Matthew chapter 4.

We face our greatest temptations when idle, weak, and helpless in the wilderness. That is when our spiritual condition is at its greatest need of rescue. “Lead us not into temptation…” becomes our prayer.

Definitions

CJSB

Complete Jewish Study Bible

Foreknowledge

To truly understand foreknowledge the way I am using it, you must read my paper on Predestination vs. Foreknowledge. Click here.

Foreknowledge is the doctrine that describes God’s consciousness (foreknowledge) of all events that will happen to mankind before they happen. This has much to do with our understanding of time.

Free Will

We are always making choices. We choose to do this or do that. We are never forced to do any one thing above another. There are good people and there are bad people. The people themselves make choices that are good, evil, or neutral. No amount of prayer takes away free will. However, when we pray, God may put obstacles and situations in our path that help us (nudge us) into making the right choice. There is no guarantee. We are the only ones responsible for the choices we make. We can blame no one, least of all God.

OC

In many of my blogs, I am inspired by the words of Oswald Chambers (OC). His devotional My Utmost for His Highest has become my daily companion.

Temptation

This is the desire to have or do something you know you should not. As a verb, it is the act of seducing or enticing someone to do something they desire but should not. The very act itself suggests that the individual may fail and succumb to the suggestion. If this were not possible, the suggestion is not a temptation at all but a compulsion void of free will. All temptations lead to a decision: renounce it or accept it. However, temptation itself is not evil; the evil that surfaces comes from within.

In Greek, the word peirazo means “to tempt.” The word peirasmos means temptation. Both words are often translated as “to test” and “trial.”

Jesus Was Tempted

I believe that Jesus was continuously tempted throughout His ministry. These temptations are not recorded because of their relevance to the Gospel message. However, in Luke 4:13, it is recorded that after Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), “…he (Satan) departed from Him for a season.” I believe Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness may have been His second greatest temptation. Satan also tempted Jesus just before His execution using Peter, as recorded in Matthew 16:21-23 (ESV).

“From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.’ But he turned, and said unto Peter, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.‘”

After this Jesus was again tempted when He prayed on the mount of Gethsemane before His execution. This may have been His greatest temptation (my opinion only) because Jesus sweated blood over this decision. This temptation is revealed when He prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” Jesus, as man, did not want to go through His coming ordeal.

We, as Christians, have this assurance:

“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18) ESV

And more:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) ESV

Jesus Could Have Failed

I have fought with many over this statement: “Jesus could have failed.” When we refer back to my definition of “temptation,” we realize that it is not a temptation if your free will is taken from you. Now you ask, “Did Jesus have free will?” Of course, He did. Read John 10:18.

“No one takes it from me; on the contrary, I lay it down of my own free will. CJSB

“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” ESV

He emptied Himself of His divine attributes (not Divinity), especially that of being able to overcome temptation as a man and not God. By becoming a man, He had “free will.” If He went through His whole life without free will, what value did His suffering, death, and resurrection have? None! He would have acted as God. But, in this role, God (Jesus) became man.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient (answering to His Father) to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8) ESV

This remarkable feat of living a life without sin and enduring all temptations gives us hope. If He did it, so can we, and we have this additional assurance, that we are not alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell in us, giving us the power to do what He did.

Knowing all this, understand that Almighty God had foreknowledge of every event that happened in Jesus’ life, just as He has in ours. Because of His plan for mankind, He knew that everything would turn out the way it did. This can be very confusing; however, if you read my paper mentioned above, your understanding will become clearer.

Temptations

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.” (James 1:13-15) KJV

Seven Steps of Temptation from the verse above:

1. Tempted: thought of evil (v. 14)

Thoughts of evil include all our negative thoughts of people and circumstances. Being negative is often dismissed because our negativity can be well-founded when it expresses a truth, but being truthful is not the issue. The attitude of the heart is the issue. Is the love of Christ present? He died for those who rejected Him. We can have that kind of love and do the same.

2. Drawn away: strong imagination (v. 14)

Have you ever said, “If I could only lose my Christianity, only for a moment, I could fix this problem”? I have. Our imaginations draw us away from the spiritual and tempt us to do things naturally, thinking we can do them quicker and better.

3. Lust: delight in viewing it (v. 14)

I think one of the greatest temptations of mankind is lust. Many scriptures address the lust of the eyes and the flesh. All lead to sin. Many teachings and sermons have been written on this alone. Most advertising in today’s media uses sex to entice us to buy products. Make no mistake, sex (Lust) sells.

“And he said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’” (Mark 7:20-23) ESV

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) ESV

4. Enticed: weakening of the will (v. 14)

It is the weakness of our will that opens the door to all kinds of temptations. Our “free will” is a wonderful gift, but when we are tempted to do evil, it leads to sin and ultimately death.

5. Lust conceived: yielding (v. 15)

For sin to occur, we are first tempted. It is when we yield to temptation that our sin is complete. When we pray “Lord, lead us not into temptation,” we are praying to our Father to keep us from temptation that may lead to sin, for God tempts no man. Our spirit must die and be subject to the will of God.

“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew) 26:41 ESV

6, Sin: a sinful act committed (v. 15)

In this case, sin is temptation committed.

7. Death: result of actual sin (v. 15)

As mentioned, death is the outcome of yielding to temptation.

Do not Fear Temptation

Until Christ returns for us, temptation will always be with us. Rather than fear temptation, let it be your source of strength. When you overcome temptation, it makes you stronger. We are called to be overcomers. Let temptation be our call to battle.

Do not be like many Christians in the world who fear temptation so much that it imprisons them to the degree that they withdraw from the world completely. Some study only the Bible read only Christian books, and have only Christian friends. They see God in these things having the desire to draw closer to Him, forgetting that He sent us into the world to be His voice, His witness, in bringing the world to repentance. If we shelter ourselves and our children out of fear of the world and its temptations, we become weak, not knowing how to resist temptation without sin as Jesus did. In this state of inactivity, we become useless to God and His divine purpose. He has given us the authority to overcome the world and its temptations as He did. Then He assigned us to the world for His divine purpose.

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:19) ESV

Isn’t it better to visualize God in all things—art, literature, people, and places? God is present everywhere, being omnipotent. Even He, Jesus, was called a drunkard and glutton because He associated Himself with the world that He came to save. It is the world that needs to know Him. How can you bring salvation to the lost if you do not put your trust (faith) in the one who created you and sent you into the world to disciple the nations? Put away fear. His Word is clear: we will have trials, temptations, persecutions, and all kinds of adversity. His Word also says,

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33 ESV

Conclusion

Temptation comes and goes. There are little ones and big ones. We succumb and ask for forgiveness, or we stand strong and resist. In both scenarios, we overcome. Sometimes it is so difficult. It becomes “a discipline of dismay,” as OC says. The preacher says, “For everything, there is a season…” (Ecclesiastes 3). In some of these seasons, there are times I do not understand my Lord at all. I fear Him to the depths of my soul. He walks so far ahead of me that I can no longer catch up or keep up. I am afraid of His edicts to the core of my very being. “Impossible,” I say, and so it is true. Impossible! I am lost. I can only trust with little hope. It is then that He tells me, “That is all you need.”

“…truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matthew 17:20 ESV

Enough Said

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”  (Jeremiah 15:16) ESV