Let us simply define Temptation as the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise. Temptation is something you want to have or to do, even though you know you shouldn’t.
Salvation is a journey, and I believe that some of the things like temptations and trials come to test our maturity, stability and faith as we walk with our Lord and savior.
All of us go through these things, for all temptation is common to man like the bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
Because God desires that we grow out of these things, he has made a promise that he’ll always be there to help us come through. There is a difference between him walking with you through something, and him getting you out of the process of the same. I believe his mind is that when you come out of something, it’s a ‘once and for all’ experience. Which means if you are still struggling with something, maybe you have been trying to get out of it prematurely through self effort, rather than allowing him to grow you out of it.
As we have seen in the description, most of the temptations we face are triggered by desire; a desire for pleasure; something which is totally unseen but can be felt, which makes it sometimes tricky to deal with, because the desire is always for what pleases the flesh rather than for pain.
From my experience, it’s been a real journey, because the higher you go, the more interesting life becomes, especially with temptation. We had a teacher in high school who used to say, “the higher you go, the heavier you fall” , hilarious 😂 but with some sense of reality.
There are things you find yourself doing out of curiosity, or peer pressure, or your own personal dealings with desire and pleasure. I have been exposed to spaces where if God’s hand wasn’t on my life, I would have messed up real bad… but thank God for his grace, which is always abounding and causes us to triumph. Many times the conviction of His Spirit sobers us out of certain things because He is our ever present help in time of NEED, even when we don’t think we need him.
It’s important to realize that the enemy’s agenda is always to look for someone to devour. The enemy will look for every form of opportunity or chance to destroy your life. That’s his daily plan, for the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy; but Jesus came that we might have life, and enjoy it in its fullness and abundance. To be more aware and conscious of what Jesus is doing in our lives is much more profitable, yet the understanding that the enemy is not planning for your increase also helps you to live and walk circumspectly in wisdom.
One foundational truth about temptations is that God desires that we GROW out of things. And to grow out of something, you need to carry a certain understanding, which must come by the word and through life’s experiences, so the bible says;
Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences], (Proverbs 3:13)
David said, Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
This doesn’t mean that temptations will not come, but when they come and find the word in your heart, it will be able to convict you of righteousness, and keep you by its own inherent power.
When this simple treasure of receiving the grace of God and getting all the understanding you need to by faith through the word, it doesn’t matter how many standards you set, one day you will succumb to the plight of temptation.
It is through understanding the grace of God and our identity in Christ that we learn how to differentiate between what is wise and unwise, what is right and wrong, true and false, permissible and beneficial, and consequently that dictates our choices and decisions.
Joseph didn’t keep himself because he had developed a bunch of rules, but because he had a relationship with God; that is why love is the fulfillment of the law, why, because you can’t do certain things to someone you truly love. The grace of God makes us fall so much in love with him and that love constrains us from doing certain things or allowing certain things to happen as we continuously walk and commune with him.
Needless to say, there are things that come for our growth and maturity, and when we grow, there is wisdom that settles in our hearts, giving us the stability and maturity we need to overcome in life.
When you have this foundation, then it is easier to engage other principles like boundaries, standards, values and other forms of self regulation as we are helped by the Holy Spirit to mature in the fruit of self control. Those will not be the same for everyone, and so depending on whatever you are dealing with, God, through instruction will lead you on a path of what is beneficial for you. Like he promised, You will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way. Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)
One of the things that helps us overcome this is the willingness to take responsibility for our feelings and actions. The bible says Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. (James 1:14) Which means there is nothing you are involved in as temptation that didn’t start from the place of desire. Your desire birthed the choice and action.
Which means the best way to avoid the temptation entirely is not to deal with the actions, but primarily the place of desire. When you learn to submit yourself to the word and to God through delighting yourself in him, he begins to take charge of your desires. He will see to it that you experience a much stronger pleasure in him than the things your flesh desires. Sooner you will not have the slightest need to do certain things even though you have the opportunity.
There is a lot we can share about this topic; we’ll probably have this continued another time, but for now, walk like you are held by the strength of God, allow the word of God and the experiences of life to give you the understanding you need to grow out of certain things. You will grow from glory to glory and from strength to strength. Let God renew your mind by his word of grace, because that is how your life will gradually and progressively be transformed.
Only God can keep us from ourselves, from temptations, from evil; for he alone is our savior, deliverer and strong tower; so trust him with all your heart, because when you do, he will work through his word, his people and his ways to keep you sober, faithful, and to save you to the uttermost.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling or falling into sin, and to present you unblemished [blameless and faultless] in the presence of His glory with triumphant joy and unspeakable delight, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude1:24-25)
Hallelujah.
Stay blessed.
WiGTyT
