There is a mighty battle going on for control of our mind. Heaven and earth intersect in our mind; the tugs of both spheres influence our thinking and where the mind goes the man will follow. I Corinthians 10:13 says “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.” The question is “Where did temptation begin and what was the source?”
Temptation can be traced back to the first book in the Bible to Genesis 3 where Satan in the form of a serpent introduced to Eve enticements—eating the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil will give you great knowledge to be like God; you will not die as God had said; the fruit of the tree is desirable and good for food. She succumbed to temptation and shared her degenerative act with Adam and sin entered the world. Therefore, temptation is not something we may escape, it is a part of the full-orbed life of mankind. However, temptation in itself is not sin, it is the thing we are bound to meet if we are human. So the answer to the origin of temptation is in Eden and the source is Satan.
James gives us more insight into temptation in 1: 12-15. “Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’—for God cannot be tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is dragged away and enticed by his own desire. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is full grown, it brings forth death.” Death is separation from God—eternally for those who reject Him or from fellowship for a believer because of unconfessed sin. God created each of us with freewill to choose good or evil. The world exerts a downward pull on our thoughts. Media via TV, movies, videos, Internet or entertainment venues, etc. bombard us with greed, lust, and cynicism.
Paul gives us the answer to our dilemma in Hebrews 4: 15-16 “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” So it is that we are to turn to Jesus who endured the same temptations that Eve faced in the Garden and will help us to overcome the world and its lures. John in 1 John 3: 15-17 says “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the boasting of life—is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desire, but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”
Jesus is our example in overcoming the temptations of the devil by the power of the Spirit and the Word of God. Luke 4: 1-13 is the account of His temptation which occurred for 40 days in the wilderness immediately after being baptized with the descending of the Holy Spirit upon Him and a voice of the Father declaring Him as His Beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. In verse 1 we read that it was the Spirit that led Him into the wilderness. He experienced all of our human weaknesses but did not sin. Satan used the same tactics as he did on Eve—temptation of the lust of the flesh—the lust of the eye and pride of life. Jesus boldly used the power of the sword of the Spirit—God’s Word to defeat Satan and we read in verse 13 that he departed from him for a season. The temptations of Jesus continued throughout His earthly life, and they will continue throughout the life of the Son of God in us.
Temptation is God’s testing ground of faith for believers. A former pastor said that the first look is not a sin but a second look is sin. The test is to learn to keep our eyes on the Lord and have no other motive than to know our Father in heaven and please Him. The honor of Jesus Christ is at stake in our bodily life. I was brought back to an old hymn that puts it all into perspective written in 1868 by Horatio Palmer—Yield Not to Temptation.
Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; Each victory will help you some other to win; Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue; Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. Shun evil companions, bad language disdain; God’s name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain; Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true; Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. To him that overcometh, God giveth a crown; Through faith we will conquer, though often cast down; He who is our Savior, our strength will renew; Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. Ask the Savior to help you, Comfort, strengthen, and keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through.