temptation (\Temp*ta”tion\, n. [OF. temptation, tentation, F. tentation, L. tentatio.] )
1: something tempting or enticing [syn: enticement]
2: the desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid; “he felt the temptation and his will power weakened”
3: the act of influencing by exciting hope or desire; “his enticements were shameless” [syn: enticement]
Temptation is something that we as Christians are always dealing with. Whether it be the temptation to do something that our parents have told us not to do or if it is a sexual temptation, it is always there.
What we are always asking ourselves or others is..why me? According to christiananswers.net , the answer is this:
Satan and his demons stalk the path of every believer, offering all manner of enticements to lure the Christian away from an obedient and faithful walk with Christ. No one is exempt from Satanic attacks, and no one is completely successful in countering them , but some Christians succumb to temptation so often that they see no hope for victory. They give up and give in without a struggle. This is an unfortunate condition, born out of despair, for it will blind the believer to the marvelous provision God has made for overcoming temptation.
We can clearly see that our temptation comes from Satan and has been since the beginning of time (think about the snake in the Garden of Eden…he TEMPTED Eve to eat the fruit). This is not how the world was intended to be, but there is nothing that we can do to remove the fact that Satan will always be tempting us.
That being said, we must realize that God does not want to lead us to sin. In fact, James says:
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:13-15, KJV)
In these verses, James clearly states that God will never cause us to sin. Yes, He may test us in order to purify and strengthen us, but He will never take it so far that it becomes sin.
So by now, you know where temptation comes from and that God will not cause us to sin. But how do we deal with these temptations. In the book of Psalms, it is written:
Thy Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee. (Psalm 119:11, KJV)
That’s pretty straightforward. Read the Bible and keep God’s Word in your heart, and it is a great way to deal with temptation. I am not saying that just because you read and memorize your Bible that you will be free of temptation…because you won’t. This is just a tool to help you in your battle against temptations. It will help to fortify your strength against the power of temptation, which is ultimately the power of Satan.
Another tool that we can use is prayer. Christ himself often told his disciples to pray that they would not fall into tempation (see (Matthew 6:13; Luke 22:40).
One of the most crucial passages in scripture concerning temptation is the following:
“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
In this verse, God is telling us that He will never let Satan go too far. The way which you are tempted and the way out of the temptation will always match your ability to deal with it.
Although the Bible in no way contains a promise to permanantly get rid of temptation for those who are saved, the best was to overcome it is to trust in God to help. Place your trust in Christ and become a Christian. Becoming a Christian is as simple as believing in the Word of God and believing that it is Divinely inspired than praying a simple prayer admitting your sins and telling God that you want to experience His grace through salvation, through Christ.
Temptation is something that is not simple to overcome, but if we have the power of Christ in our lives, He will always be there to help us.