what you should know about temptation
I got the opportunity to stare temptation square in the eye today….
Many people think that temptation can be so easily avoided. All you have to do is be strong…or all you to do is use your will power.
Well, I have some news for you, unless you are Jesus and are without sin, you aren’t temptation-proof!
Although, even Jesus got tempted by Satan, when Jesus was hungry, Satan asked him why he didn’t turn the rocks into stone….he replied that man does not live on bread alone but on the word of God.
When Jesus was on the hill, Satan tempted him to throw himself off the mountain so that God may save him…he responded with do not test your God.
Satan even offered Jesus all the things of the world. If only he would bow to him….and he said I only bow to my father who is in heaven.
We all deal with a number of trials and temptations daily. There are temptations that are simply avoidable by the power of the word, or through prayer. There are also temptation that are only avoidable only through fleeting…
Joseph when tempted with sexual sin, had no choice but to run. In the moment there was no time for prayer, no time to quote the Bible.. No time to be rational.
He was cornered by the potiphars wife who tried to seduce Him in that moment.
And how did Joseph respond…did he stop, drop to his knees and pray? Did he pull out his knowledge of the word and preach to this women? No!….he dashed out of there! Because he knew in that moment that if had not done so things might of escalated quickly! And as he was fleeting…..
she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
Genesis 39:12
I use this as a good example, because often times we are barricaded by sin in our life and instead of running we choose to try and fight it off using our own abilities!
Joseph was a Godly man and even he couldn’t fight off the temptation of his body, his flesh.
He had only one choice, run, in fact, he ran so quickly that his garments were snatched off his back!
Whether this be sexual temptation, or any other type of temptation in life we must not try and rationalize with sin!
Temptation is a daily struggle, the Bible emphasizes it over and over again!
In fact, the word temptation(s) is mentioned 24 times in the Bible.
These are just the few places….
Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Luke 11:4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
Luke 22:40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
1 Corinthians 7:2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
So don’t deal with temptation lightly, it is the start to spiritual destruction.
And we must remember that God was proud of Job, Joseph and Noah, not because they were saved but because of their obedience!
