Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

What we all need to know about temptation!

James 1:12-16

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

What is temptation?

The definition in the dictionary:

1.      The act of tempting or the condition of being tempted.

2.      Something tempting or enticing. (James 1:14, temptation is enticement to do wrong.)

I read online the following on temptation and would like to share it; ‘’Temptation by its very nature is deception, a lie. What is evil is deceitfully presented as good, what is harmful as helpful, what is poison as antidote, what is enslaving as liberating, what is foul as fun. Temptation is what a trap is to an animal. It offers something good, but its true intent is to trap and kill.’’

What it’s not:

A.     Does not come from God.

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

B.     Being tempted is not a sin, but submitting to temptation is.

James 1:14-15 but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Where, then, do temptations come from?

Most often from the devil. But as we read verse 14, temptation originates in us as well. We are tempted when we are “carried away and enticed by our own lust”. We allow ourselves to think certain thoughts, allow ourselves to go places we should not go, and make decisions based on our lusts that lead us to sin.

The goal of temptation:

Separating people from God, for non Christians this means keeping them in a state of unbelief until death (2 Cor. 4:3-4); and for Christians this means tempting them to lose their faith (1 Thes. 3:5; Luke 8:13).

How then do we resist the temptations?

By using the examples of our high priest Jesus Christ. He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Heb 4:15)

A.    Studying the scriptures.

When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness by Satan, each of Satan’s temptations was met with the same answer: “It is written,” followed by a scripture. (Matt 4:1-11)

B.    Through prayer.

Jesus taught us how to pray (Matt 6:13); and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Then he told us (Matt 26:41) to watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Can we always resist temptation?

YES!!

God will make a way for us to escape out of temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God knows how to deliver us out of temptation.

2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Christ keeps the faithful from the hour of temptation.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.