James 1:13-14(NLT)
“13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.”
There is one thing Christians must always remember, and it is that we have an enemy! This enemy wants to trip us up as many times as we will allow him. The problem is, we have allowed him so much space in our lives, that the enemy knows us better than we know ourselves. In 1Peter 5:8, God warns us that our enemy, the devil, is on the prowl in the earth, looking to entrap us. What is his goal? It is to block us from establishing a deep and intimate relationship with God. Temptation is the very conniving tool that he uses against the believer, and if we aren’t exceedingly careful, our own sinful desires will let him control the way we live.
Everyone experiences temptation. Giving in to it leads to confusion, heartache, and distress in life. James 1:13 very clearly tells us that temptation doesn’t come from God, but from the devil. This is why it is so dangerous to our spiritual lives, because the devil uses temptation to interrupt God’s plan for us. Anyone that has admitted to giving in to temptation will also probably admit they’ve later regretted this decision. In some cases, we were manipulated or coaxed into doing or saying something that we knew wasn’t right. However it came to be, hopefully we have learned temptation’s most important lesson, that choices and decisions have consequences that can drastically alter our lives.
James 1:14 says that temptations start their motors from our own desires. It says they entice us and drag us away. What are they dragging us away from? We’re all on a spiritual journey to become more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Romans 8:29 tells us that God predestined us to be conformed into the image of His Son, in order that Christ would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters. This is our destiny, and we are on its path. Temptation is designed by satan to drag us off destiny’s path. Like a lion that has pounced on its prey, through temptation, the enemy seeks to take us down and drag us off into darkness. Our God commands that we resist this attempt to take us down and see it for what it is.
Temptation has many faces, because the devil most often uses people to entice us, and they can be very seductive. Whether it is lust, greed, jealousy, resentment, anger, arrogance, or some other remnant of fear, the enemy has studied us to the point of knowing how to push our buttons and who to get to do it.
In Proverbs 4:7, God tells us how to handle ourselves in such a way that we remain strong in Him and anchored in Godliness. He tells us to get wisdom, to ask Him for it so that we grow in discernment and learn to make right choices, sound decisions, and good judgments. He also gives us another masterful piece of wisdom that helps us to stand firmly in Christ. In James 4:7(NKJV), He said “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Every day we must allow God to work out His Will in our lives; this should be our constant prayer. If our desire is to stay continually under His covering, through His Spirit He will guide us, and He will help us to stand strong no matter what temptations come our way.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Many Faces of Temptation”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.