Temptation is a challenge we face every single day. It greets us when we wake up in the morning, it finds us as we travel to work and school, and it even waits for us to come home! The reality is that temptation is not going away, so we musGt learn how to handle it. There are a few things we need to understand about temptation. First, although God will help us and lead us through times of temptation, he will never tempt us to do evil! James tells us that when each person is tempted, it is because of his own desires and that “no one should say, ‘I am being tempted by God...for he himself tempts no one’” (1:13-14). Second, we must realize that the devil will use our weakness to tempt us! We must rejoice when we are tempted and begin looking at it as a “training exercise.” Many times, if something is tempting you, you are weak in that area and need to be strengthened. Jesus was tempted after 40 days with no food! He was weakened and hungry...a perfect time for Satan to tempt the Son of od. When you realize you are being temped, think about why it is tempting you. We must also understand that Satan takes scriptures and twists them to serve our desires. Sometimes a passage is not saying what you (or somebody else) is trying to make it say.
We need to realize that temptation is a part of life. Only by understanding temptation and relying on God can we overcome our desires and fully serve God! One of the best ways to overcome temptation is to open God’s Word when you are being tempted and meditate upon it. Talking with God will give you the strength you need to overcome. Remember, God did not promise it wasn’t going to be really hard sometimes...but He did promise that He would never allow the temptation to exceed what He knows you can handle. If you find yourself being tempted, remind yourself that God knows you can handle it and He’s eagerly awaiting your victory over this temptation! Jesus Christ also knows what you are going through. You’re not alone! “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in ever respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
What is tempting you in life? What do you need to change in order to overcome your temptations?
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
