What makes temptation so enticing?

Genesis 3:4-6“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God . . . .” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

Satan’s favorite strategy is to make sinful things and actions appear to be desirable and good. In contrast, he also tries to make good look evil. If he can twist our understanding of good and evil, then giving in to temptation appears right instead of wrong. We must constantly beware of the confusion he desires to create.

1 Kings 11:1-3Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

Often temptation begins in seemingly harmless pleasure, but it soon gets out of control and progresses to full-blown idolatry. But the reality is that the kind of pleasure that leads to sin is never harmless. When God’s Word warns us about something we think is harmless, we should take it seriously. If Solomon had done this, he would have avoided great tragedy.

Matthew 4:1-11Jesus 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.

Temptation often comes with partial truths that conceal its bitter lies. Its attractive short-term benefits distract us from its destructive, even deadly, long-term consequences.