Tempting Thoughts

We tend to think that temptation is something that happens to us when God isn't looking - like Satan sneaks in when the backdoor of opportunity is cracked open.* But if you read Matthew 4:1, you'll see that "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

Led up by the Spirit? The Holy Spirit? Why would He do such a thing? Why would the Holy Spirit lead us to temptation? Isn't that what we pray against? "Lead us not into temptation" the Lord taught in his model prayer (Matthew 6:13).

Sometimes God leads us down difficult roads - on purpose. What good can come from temptation? Why would God do such a thing? Note the following from William Barclay:

What we call temptation is not meant to make us sin; it is meant to enable us to conquer sin. It is not meant to make us bad, it is meant to make us good. It is not meant to weaken us, it is meant to make us emerge stronger and finer and purer for the ordeal. Temptation is not the penalty of being human, temptation is the glory of being human. It is the test which comes to a person whom God wishes to use. (Taken from Simple Spirituality by Chris Heuertz, p. 132)


Compare Matthew 4 with Genesis 3 and you will see that Satan tempted Jesus with the same three things as he did with Eve - the desire for physical pleasure, the desire of ego, and the desire for power. Adam and Eve failed their test. God sent Jesus into the wilderness to be tested to show that we can overcome the schemes of the devil. Satan intended to disqualify the Savior. God intended to prove Jesus to be worthy and sinless, thus a worthy Savior.

Notice how Jesus fought the battle: with confidence and boldness knowing he could overcome and with Scripture. (Note that Satan used Scripture as well but he twisted it to make it suit his purpose.)

Have you been tempted lately? How did you do? Did you fall for it or did you overcome? Could you back up your opposition to the temptation with Scripture or did you stutter and stammer not knowing how to respond until you were defeated?

Dealing with temptation is tough. After Jesus' encounter with Satan, angels came and ministered to him who was weary from the battle (Matthew 4:11). The apostle Paul wrote that temptation is an endurance test to show us that God is faithful (See 1 Corinthians 10:31). God will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able.

I know what some of you are thinking. "God must really think I'm strong based on the temptations he sends my way!"

Struggling with sin and its temptations is a part of our spiritual journey. Sometimes we win. Sometimes we lose. The next time you find yourself in a tempting predicament, consider the words above from William Barclay. It is meant to enable us to conquer, to make us good, and to make us stronger so that God can use us more in the future.


* To be specific, it's probably not Satan. It's one of his minions. Satan isn't omnipresent or omniscient. He can't be in all places at all times like God nor does he know it all so let's not give him powers he doesn't really have. Most of the attacks from the spiritual realm come from his apprentices. Satan may orchestrate evil but you and I rarely if ever will encounter the Evil One personally.