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Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International. |
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Temptation
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”1 Temptation is something humanity has struggled with since the beginning. Satan uses temptation to try and lure the Christian away from God. He tries to use our own desires against us. For this reason, God’s word reminds us to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”2 God knows our weaknesses, which is why he gave us his Holy Spirit to live within us, and thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, we can have victory over the temptations we face. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, after fasting for forty days and forty nights, Satan tried to use Jesus’ hunger against him first. Satan, like a roaring lion, will always prey on the weak and many times attacks when we are in our own wilderness. This could be in times of loneliness, depression, or exhaustion to name a few. However, each time Jesus is tempted, he uses the Word of God to fight the temptation. The same Spirit that was in Jesus is the same Spirit who dwells in each of us who has accepted Christ as our Savior. Our flesh is too weak to stand against temptation alone, but praise be to God for his Holy Spirit who dwells within us. When we are filled with God’s Spirit and claim the victory we have in Him, we too can stand against the tempter. Remember, too, that being tempted is not a sin. It becomes a sin the moment you seize it and act upon it. At that moment, you are turning your back on God to fulfill your own desires. This is what ultimately leads to death, which is separation from God. However, as children of God, we have a choice. We do not have to give in to temptation. With the Holy Spirit within us, we, like Jesus, can say “Away from me, Satan!”3 You are never alone, nor are you facing temptation alone. Jesus promised to be with us and in him we can overcome the temptations that come our way. Suggested prayer: Dear God, I thank you for your Holy Spirit that lives in me. I ask that you help me study and obey your Word, so that I can be ready to resist temptation like you did. Thank you that I am never alone because you are with me, and with any temptation, you will provide the way out. You are my strength and protector. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen. James 1:13-15 (NIV). Matthew 26:41 (NIV). Matthew 4:10. |
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