Temptation comes. There’s no getting around it. If you live on Planet Earth, you will encounter temptations and trials. It come with the territory.
You can try to avoid temptation. Lots of people have tried. Through the centuries, people have castrated and blinded themselves and lived in isolation and deprivation, all in hopes of freeing themselves from temptation, all to no avail.
Temptation is part of life on this fallen planet. More than that, we often find ourselves faced with temptation that seem custom-designed just for our own unique weaknesses. The evil one we face is sinister and shrewd, he knows our vulnerabilities well. That’s why the apostle Peter warns us to “be alert and sober of mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1Pet 5.8)
So, what’s a good Christian boy or girl to do?
The most effective way to counter temptation is by relying on the truth of God’s Word (just as Jesus did) and allowing it to stop us from rationalising. King David knew how effective this approach was. That’s why he wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psa 119.11)
This method requires some preparation. If you wait until you’re undergoing temptation to start seeking out the Bible’s wisdom, you’ll find it’s too late. To resist temptation, you must cultivate a deep and abiding knowledge of God’s principles for living wisely.
The first line of defence against temptation is wisdom, and wisdom comes from God. But though we can find strength in God’s wisdom accumulated through good, solid study habits of His Word, we are still human. And as much hope as we find in the empowerment of the Spirit-filled life as exemplified by Jesus Himself, we will also find that our hearts are at best a mixed bag, our motives are jumbled and our fallenness goes deep.
It is for these reasons that God has seen fit to put us with other people. God never planned for people to deal with Him solo. He has no special provision for those who say, “I want a relationship with God but not other Christians.” A relationship with God requires us to have a relationship with other Christians, it’s a package deal.
And in times of temptation, that’s a very good thing.
Before the pandemic, Avon and Somerset Police had a scheme called ‘Jog on’, encouraging people to not jog alone. A single jogger, (dare I say a single female jogger after dark), faces potential dangers that a group of joggers do not face. Likewise, someone who embarks on a relationship with God without the assistance and accountability provided by a Christian community is more likely to give in to the dangerous temptations crafted specifically for them by the enemy.
There are inevitably times when we fail to resist temptation as we ought. In those times, we are wise to throw ourselves fully into confession and repentance, trusting God to not only forgive and restore us, but to increase our sensitivity and resolve.
Prayer
Gracious God, may I learn the wisdom of quickly calling on Your Name whenever I encounter temptations, rather than attempting to deal with them in my own resources. I will draw near to You and submit to You so that I will be in a position to resist the enemy. I know that I live in the midst of a spiritual war and that I can only succeed on the battlefront of the world, the flesh and the devil through Your divine power, which works in and through me when I turn to You and walk by Your Spirit. Thank You for Jesus, the great High Priest who has been tempted in all things as I am, yet without sin. He understands what I am experiencing and offers His mercy and grace to help in time of need. As I approach Your throne of grace with confidence, I also thank You for the gift of other believers who can strengthen and encourage me so that I will not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
In Jesus’s name, Amen.
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