Temptation

Temptation

MY QUESTION for GOD

What makes temptation so hard to resist?

A MOMENT with GOD

She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious . . . so she took some of the fruit and ate it.

Genesis 3:6

Satan’s favorite strategy is to make that which is sinful appear desirable and good. He also tries to make good look evil. If he can make evil look good and good look evil, then giving in to temptation appears right instead of wrong. You must learn to recognize these moments, when you are faced with a crucial choice between good and bad. You must constantly be on guard against the confusion Satan desires to create in you.

King Solomon loved many foreign women. . . . And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

1 Kings 11:1, 3

Often temptation begins as seemingly harmless pleasure but soon gets out of control and progresses to full-blown idolatry. In reality, the kind of pleasure that leads to sin is never harmless. Before you give in to something that seems innocent, look to God’s Word for a reality check. If Solomon had done this, he would have been reminded that his pleasure was really sin. Perhaps he would have been convicted and would have stopped sinning, preventing his life from becoming a wreck.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Matthew 4:1-11

Temptation often offers attractive short-term benefits, along with destructive, even deadly long-term consequences. Temptation is often convincingly seasoned with partial truths. A leader must develop the wisdom and discernment to know the difference between right and wrong, even when neither is black or white at first glance.

DIVINE PROMISE

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE STANDING STRONG, BE CAREFUL NOT TO FALL. THE TEMPTATIONS IN YOUR LIFE ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT OTHERS EXPERIENCE. AND GOD IS FAITHFUL. HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE TEMPTATION TO BE MORE THAN YOU CAN STAND. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED, HE WILL SHOW YOU A WAY OUT SO THAT YOU CAN ENDURE.   1 Corinthians 10:12-13