How to Face Temptation

- Tunde Mabinuori 

 

Who Does The Tempting? Devil or Man?

The answer is not far-fetched. It is the devil. Revelation 12:9 (NIV) The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray…

Then our own sinful nature (James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed) and other human beings (Matthew 18:7), even well-meaning Christians can tempt us (Matthew 16: 21-23). King Solomon is a good example. The pagan wives of this wise king tempted him to commit crass idolatry in his old age (1 Kings 11:1-13). “For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods… For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites…

Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”

What is the goal of temptation?

The ultimate goal of the devil in tempting us is to separate us from God. This he does by making unbelievers to be in a state of unbelief until death (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) and for believers to ensure that they lose their faith (1 Thessalonians 3:5, Luke 8:13; James 1:14). Here also belong those passages that say that the devil is a murderer (John 8:44) and that he “prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Though eternal separation from God is the ultimate goal, it is also true that every transgression drives a wedge between us and God.

How do I react to temptations?

Some people simply give in, while some struggle with it daily. The best thing to do is to overcome it through the power of God. The Bible says in James 4:7 “Resist the devil and he shall flee from you.”

Are there blessings for overcoming temptations?

The Bible says in James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” The reward for victory over temptation will be the crown of life. James 1: 12 “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Processes of temptation

It is important that we highlight the process that a usual temptation takes using the example of Mr. A, a married man:

a.       It starts with a simple evil thought. e.g. He says “How pleasant it will be to have Tonia as my girlfriend.”

b.      A strong imagination, or impression made on the imagination, by the thing to which he is tempted – Dwells on the thought and imagines what he will do with her.

c.       Delight in viewing it – Begins to look at her seductively.

d.      Consent of the will to perform it. This lust is conceived, sin is finished, and death brought forth. James 1:15 – He approaches her, asks for a relationship and spirals downward into sexual sin.

Temptation is not limited to the influences of the environment but it also has a lot ro do about you. Everyone has his own lust.

Every man has a weakness; one man may lust after money, another food, and another for sexual immorality. It is this lust (weakness) that draws a man to his own temptation. Let us check out this illustration. Two people can both be in a place where money is carelessly placed. While one looks at it and walks away praying that the owner will come back to pick up his money, the other person may start scheming on how to steal the money. Both were exposed to the same stimulus, but it elicited different responses from them.

We think temptation is ‘around us’, but God says it begins ‘within us’. If you don’t have the internal desire, the temptation would not attract you. Temptation always starts in your mind, not in circumstances. Jesus said, “For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasures, envy slander, pride and foolishness. All these vile things come from within” – Mark 7: 21-23. James tells us, “a whole army of evil desires within you”.

The man planning to steal has a lust for money, while the other man does not have. Everyone has, according to James 1:15 “his own lust”.

The beginning point of temptation is not only outside but within. A good Christian who wants to overcome temptation must identify and deal squarely with his weakness. The evils of sin should not be blamed on societal decadence. The Bible says a man is drawn by HIS OWN LUST. Ladies will continue to dress half naked on our streets especially on our university campuses. Would that be the reason you have to be involved in fornication or adultery?

No. You are not the only one seeing them. Many other men live in the same society and are not into fornication and adultery. It is your lust that draws you and entices you. (James 1 vs 14)”… when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

The Bible says that these are the last days and we will witness many enticing works of the enemy. Would you say because there is job scarcity, that is why you will go into prostitution? There are many girls like you without jobs and who are not into prostitution.

Do you engage in ritual killings just because you are poor? There are many people who are even poorer than you. You went into it because of your lust for money.

Most temptations people fall into are things that they really want to do. There is something within them that connects them to the sin they committed.

Pastor Tunde Mabinuori is the Minister-in-Charge, Rhema Chapel International Churches, Ooluyole Estate, Ibadan.

e-mail: tundemabinuori@gmail.com