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Temptations August 31, 2010 • By Ed Wrather 08.31.10
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. - 1 John 2:15-16.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. - Romans 13:14.
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. - 1 John 3:8.
Jeanne Jones of Palmyra, New Jersey is in trouble. She shoplifted about $270 worth of stuff at a Cinnaminson, New Jersey Wal-Mart and would have made it without being caught except for a loss-prevention worker. Jeanne was able to overpower the Wal-Mart worker and took off in her car. There was one little problem…she dropped her pocketbook in the parking lot while trying to escape and in the pocketbook was her drivers license. Jeanne eventually realized law enforcement knew who did the crime, and she turned herself in. Why did she do it? According to an officer with the Cinnaminson, New Jersey Police Department Jones said that the devil got into her and that "the devil must be in the air, and that she does not want to do bad things."
Flip Wilson made it an even more popular saying than it already was saying "the devil made me do it" repeatedly on his popular TV show. The thought here is that whenever we do something bad it was because of that old devil, he made me do it. If it were not for the devil, I would be a perfect little angel. So, it really was not me that sinned it was just that the devil got in me as Jeanne Jones put it.
There are temptations that every human being is tempted by. These temptations have three sources: the world; the flesh; and the devil. The world in the Bible is a source of evil, and corruption (2 Peter 1:4) and believers are to overcome the world (1 John 4:4). It is possible for believers to become so much like the world that they appear just like those who are lost. They are the salt that has lost its flavor (Matthew 5:13) and those who have put their light under a basket (Matthew 5:14). The Bible makes it clear that we can overcome the world because the One who is within us is greater than the one who is in the world.
The flesh is also a source of temptation, and we are born with a sin nature. The Bible tells us not to provide for the flesh, what the flesh wants and instead to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." The temptation of the flesh may also be overcome.
The devil does tempt us just as he tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4). The devil knows our weaknesses, and he will suggest sinful things to us, just as he did to Jesus. The devil wants to make the Kingdom of God to look bad, and he will as Jesus says in John 10:10 kill, steal, and destroy everything good in your life to make that happen if you let him. You do not have to listen to the devil. You do not have to obey the devil. You can defeat him just as Jesus did by quoting the Word of God. Every time the devil put another temptation before Jesus, He responded with "It is written…" quoting the Scriptures. Resist the devil and he will flee from you as the Bible says in James 4:7.
If you sin, it is because you want to, and you are responsible for your sin. Because, God has given you everything you need to resist and overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Visitor Comments (0) Be the first to post a comment! There may be some spiritual pride involved in enduring some temptations when it would be better just to avoid them. Learn how to deal effectively with sinful thoughts. |
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