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God promises us
that we will not be tempted to sin more than we can resist. And He will
provide a way of escape from temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). Another
assurance about this is recorded in 2 Peter 2:9 – "God knows how to deliver
the godly out of temptation."
Jesus
resisted the devil’s temptations by quoting the Bible (Matt. 4:1-12). David
said he laid up God’s word in his heart so he would not sin against God
(Psalms 119:11). It is a great help to us in the time of temptation to know
what God has said about sin. Knowing what God has said, and using it to
answer the devil, will keep us from sin.
God does not
force us away from temptation. He stands beside us at the time and says to
our conscience – "Take this way out." Then the decision is ours to obey God
or the devil.
James 1:2-4
tells us to rejoice in temptation because resisting temptation promotes
Christian growth to perfection, full-grown Christians.
The Lord
blesses us when we "endure" temptation without falling to it. That causes us
to be approved for our crown of life (James 1:12).
In all of
this we learn to "resist the devil, and he will flee from us." (James 4:7)
The devil never gives up in his efforts to win us back to his service, but
God’s grace is there so we can resist him (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
May we use
the prayer Jesus gave us, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil." (Matthew 6:13) May we pray, then uses God’s way of escape!
Harvey
Childress, servant of Jesus Christ |
