His Temptation or "Ours"

Temptation is something that we all face. From the wisest professional to the work study student, from the most graceful and disciplined athlete to the little league team, no one is exempt. Temptation will eventually creep into the lives of everyone.

James said that, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed," (James 1:14).

Before we are born again and spirit filled, lust draws us away from the things of God. Like the commercials of our day says, "You can't eat just one" (Lays potato chips), or "Obey your thirst" (Sprite). It is the same philosophy that Paul reproved in the ancient city of Corinth (see 1 Corinthians 15:32). In other words, go ahead and indulge, satisfy your appetite, if it feels good do it, no one can say what is right for you. To be led by our own lust is one of the most successful heresies in existence.

After we became "New Creatures", the kind of temptations that come to us have to do with our new nature. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness because He was the Son of God. It had nothing to do with lust. He faced things to make Him doubt who He was and what He came to accomplish. Satan did not tempt Him to do wrong things, but to make Him lose His eternal focus. He wanted to give Jesus a kingdom in this life instead of receiving it God's way, which was Calvary's cross. He offered the sensible easy no pain way to go. Jesus told him to "Get thee behind me Satan" (see Luke 4:8).

Temptation is a device Satan uses to test what we have in our personality. What a man is inside determines how he is tempted outside. A person who loves money will yield to deceit and dishonesty without even blushing. A person with lust will watch all kinds of indecent activity on television and never once consider that he is being dominated by his own disposition. What we believe determines how we behave. What we believe plus how we behave determines what we become. There is no way to believe a lie and be free, and no way to believe the truth and remain bound (see John 8:32,36.).

After we are born again and Spirit filled, our temptation should be on a higher level than lust. Satan wants the child of God to lose sight of what God has given him through Jesus Christ. We know that we have all things that pertain to life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1:3). We also know that Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). Therefore, we are tempted by situations of despair and desperate circumstances.

We are made to feel like God really hasn't given us all things that pertain to life and godliness at all. We try to bear the weight of our own grief and sorrow so much so, that we often become depressed and confused. We blame ourselves ("I must not be pleasing God"). We blame others ("If it wasn't for the people in my church"). We blame situations ("If I had a better job making more money, or if I my husband were a Christian"). We even blame God ("God has forgotten me").

Satan wants to rob us of every possibility we have of being of value to God. He may not use wrong things, but thoughts and ideas that distort our viewpoint enough to render us ineffective.

If we yield to the Fruit of the Spirit inside of us, Satan knows that he cannot stand up under that kind of pressure. So he sends things to try and make us act out of love, to lose our joy and peace, and to make us impatient and incapable of handling things in a gentle and loving way.

Satan knows that if we yield to the fruit of long-suffering, then there is a well of wisdom just waiting there to bless us. Regardless to how threatening a person makes us feel, if we deal with them in love, it will render them helpless. Remember the principle, if we believe in love we will act in love. If we believe in love and act in love, we will become love. This is true with all of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Born again Spirit filled Christians have no business being tempted by sin. If fornication, adultery and pornography tempt you, then your lust is leading you. If fortune, fame, power and pleasure are driving you, those are products of your lust. As long as you remain on that level, lust will always be your source of temptation. You can become addicted to the feeling you get when you control people, when you count your money, when you look at all your expensive toys.

Let me remind you, lust is consuming, viscous and destructive, no matter how good it makes you feel.

So many Christians want you to agree with their opinions. There are more churches than McDonalds, and all serving different menus. Just shop around until you find the one that makes you feel the way you want to feel. Jesus didn't die to make us feel good, but to make us holy.

These things never tempted Jesus. His temptation arose from the fact that He was the Son of God. Throughout His earthly life, He continued to face temptation on that level. John 6:66 says, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him". Think about that, in one day the Son of God lost almost all of His followers. Some people are ready to give up if someone looks at them funny.

Before we become children of God, our temptations and Jesus' go in two different directions. But once we are born again, Jesus gets actively involved with us. "For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering] Hebrews 2:18 AMP.

Are you still facing your own temptations and being led about by your own interest? Isn't it about time for you to sell out? Jesus has already endured being tempted for you.