TEMPTATIONS: FRIEND OR FOE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)

MEDITATION:
Does it ever seem that temptation is a shadow following you around
every day of your life? If you are not a Christian, you may not be
aware of this black cloud. Why? Well for one reason, your thoughts
are not slanted toward Godly things.

Also, and this is a scary thought, you already belong to Satan, so he
doesn’t need to tempt you to stray from righteousness and pursue
unrighteousness. Why? Because Godliness is not something that is
attractive to you.

However, if you are a Christian, Satan wants to distract you from any
righteous thoughts, so he can discourage you from becoming a part of
God’s ministry. In fact, it should serve as an encouragement to all who
belong to the Lord to know that Satan considers you as one of his main
targets.

Satan knows that each time he causes us to yield to temptation, we will
be consumed with guilt so strong that it breaks our fellowship with the
Lord. When we feel guilty, we aren’t as anxious to spend time alone with
the Lord. But the truth is, when we succumb to temptations, we should
have a strong desire to meet with the Lord as soon as possible so we can
confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness.

As Christians, we may ask ourselves questions like:
    “Why can’t I escape these temptations?”
    “Why can’t I be stronger in resisting temptations?”
    “Why do I give in to them so easily, and so often?”

The scriptures tell us that when Satan tempts us, God will limit his
temptations to the boundaries of our ability to resist them. Not only
that, but God will provide us with a way to escape them before they
consume us. God knows our weaknesses and how to give us strength
and a strong desire to ‘get away’ from the temptations to sin.

Getting away from them should be our first plan for resisting the attacks
from Satan. If we know that we will be tempted in a particular place, then
we need to avoid that place like it’s a roaring lion, which it is! If we know
that temptations are greater when we are alone, then we need to surround
ourselves with others. If we know that consuming certain beverages or food
will weaken our resistance to temptations, then we need to avoid them as if
they are poison, which they are.

The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is:
    Both may have good and evil thoughts, but Christ
    gives His followers the strength to choose what is
    righteous rather than what is unrighteous.

If we see a man going to a worship service with a Bible under his arm,
we may not know it, but he might have been tempted to stay home, or
participate in some other activity. However, we can see by his actions
that, if he was tempted, he chose time with the Lord over anything else.

Another man drives to a bar during the night. He might have thought
it was more important for him to spend time at home with his family,
but he succumbed to his selfish appetites and the possibility of ungodly
activities.

It is not the temptations we have, but the decisions we make that count.
The scriptures tell us that we are all tempted (“is common to man”) and
God is aware of the persuasive power of sinfulness, so He has given us
the Holy Spirit as an advocate to help us walk away from Satan’s schemes.

ACTION:
Questions to think about:
    – Have I been struggling with temptations?
    – What attempts do I make to resist and avoid them?
    – Have I pleaded with the Lord to fill my mind
       with Godly thoughts to replace the tempting ones?
    – When I succumb to temptations do I have a strong desire to
       immediately confess my sins to the Lord and ask for His forgiveness?
    – Are temptations not a problem for me? If not, does that mean I may
       not belong to the Lord, but am ‘owned’ by Satan?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know my weaknesses and the temptations
bombarding me daily. I know I can’t resist them on my own, so I
ask You to show me the path for escaping them. Give me a strong
desire to follow the escape route You have provided. Replace my
unrighteous thoughts with righteous ones so I will remain close to
You. When Satan gives me persuasive thoughts about why I should
choose sinful instead of Godly actions, create a guilt in me that will
cause me to do what You want me to do, instead of giving in to my
fleshly desires which are pleasing to Satan. Give me the strength
and wisdom I need to make right choices and avoid anything that
will damage my fellowship with You.”

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