A Test vs. A Temptation, Pt. 1

Genesis 22:1 says, “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.”

When you take a test, the teacher is always in the room monitoring. Although he does not speak, he is always there. That is the same with Jesus Christ. When it comes time to take the test, He is there, watching and hoping for your best effort, but He will not speak. Sometimes, in your greatest distresses and trials of faith, it will be so hard to hear your heavenly teacher speak, but just know that He is watching, making intercession on your behalf. You may fall during the test, but you cannot quit. Defeat is temporary, but quitting is what makes it final. Do not quit, but get back up and be determined to pass the test, that you may go to a new level in God!

In Genesis 22, class was in session, as Abraham was taking the test of faith. Even though the KJV says, “God tempt Abraham,” it literally means “God tested him.” There is a difference between a temptation and a test. A teacher never tempts you, but he or she will test you. James 1:13-15 says, “13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” From reading the KJV Bible, this almost sounds like a contradiction within itself because Genesis says that God tempted Abraham, while James said that God cannot be tempted with evil, neither will he tempt any man. God is not going to lead someone to sin, but He will test people’s faith. A teacher shows and teaches you how to work the problem or make the right choices so that when the question comes in your ball park, you will be able to hit a home run because you have already been shown the details and prepared to make the right decision. But when you have that multiple choice question, and the teacher has taught and instructed you correctly, you know how to work, but temptation comes in, trying to cause you to be debate in your own mind and second guess yourself, not allowing you to go with your first instinct. Temptation leads you to make the wrong choice, causing you to believe you can do it in yourself without following the teacher’s instructions. **Temptations may be part of your test, but your test in itself is not a temptation! Temptations can lead you to sin, but tests can build your faith!

God cannot tempt anybody, but we are tempted when we are drawn away by our “own” lusts or desires, and then we yield to it and fall into the trap of the enemy. That lust, if not changed or taken care of, will lead to sin, and when that sin is finished, it brings death and destruction to your future, reputation, integrity, etc. You are only tempted when your flesh attempts to draw you away from God. It reminds me of when dad and I go wade fishing in the creek. It is something that we love to do, and it provides a whole lot of enjoyment. All we fish with is minnows, and blue gill, red-eye and bass love them. Before the first time I went, the only way I knew to fish was by casting, but dad introduced me to something called “jigging”. What you do is you get your bait and move it up and down or side to side, and, if possible, as close as you can be in the opening of a rock to entice the fish to grab that bait. I believe that is how the enemy entices many to sin. That bait looks so good, but remember, it is still bait, and the purpose of it is to lure you into a trap of the enemy. You have to leave the rock in order to grab the bait! What many fish try to do is grab that bait and pull it in under the rock, but you cannot have it both ways. Let the devil move that bait anyway he wants to, but just do not leave the rock! Stay on a firm foundation.

If that bait begins to move in front of you, the longer you think about it, the more likely you are going to go after it. However, God is faithful that He will never allow you to be tempted above what you are capable of facing. You will have all the necessary answers and tools need to find the solution because the teacher will never give you a question on your test that is not covered in the class or in the text, which is our Bible. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Isn’t it good to know that God will not allow you to be tempted above what you are capable of overcoming? In other words, the temptation will never be stronger than you! That is some powerful truth. When you are tempted, keep that in mind. Not only will God allow a temptation to be stronger than you, but He will always make a way of escape, that you may endure the temptation and receive the crown of life. God will always make a way out of no way when it comes to being tempted, but you have to be on the look out for that detour route.

No matter how strong of a Christian you are, you will be tempted, and the reason simply is because you are human in the flesh. It is not a sin to be tempted, but the choice that you make in the moment of temptation, whether to yield to the lusts of the flesh or the desires of your spirit, is the difference between sin and righteousness. Jesus Christ was tempted many times by the devil, probably more than we could ever know, but He did not sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. (1 Peter 2:22) You can be tempted and still live a sinless life, but it is all about the choices you make when you are tempted. When Jesus was tempted, He did not give it any time for his mind or flesh take control of the decision. In fact, when the devil tempted Him with the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life, Jesus did not give any time for the devil to work, but He spoke the Word of God in authority. He quoted Scripture because God’s Word is a two edged sword, meaning that when we speak what God speaks it is a powerful weapon that breaks through the attack of the enemy. Christ left us the example, that if we would quit allowing our minds to dwell on the temptation and simply speak the Word of God in authority and meditate on His Word, we would overcome temptation and travel that detour route to escape sin.

The first warning 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 concerning temptation is, “Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” In other words, do not think you have grown too big to be tempted and sin. If Saul, David, Solomon, Samson, Peter all fell into temptation and sinned, then we are more than capable of doing the same. Peter thought for sure when talking to Jesus that he would go all the way to the grave for Him, but Christ knew that Peter was not ready or willing just yet, but rather that he would deny Him three times before the cock crew. We are never too big to sin because we are human, but God will always make a way of escape, a detour route out of temptation. Because certain men of God fell when they were tempted does not mean that we are without a choice, that we will most definitely sin everyday of our lives. I know Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” but when God saved Paul, you never read in Scripture we he sinned everyday afterwards. Instead, Paul concealed himself for three years in the mountains of Arabia, where God would give Paul outstanding revelations. Can you imagine being away from everyone in the world you have ever known and be consecrated by yourself to God for three years? Leonard Ravenhill said, “A praying man does not sin, and a sinning man does not pray.” How can you sin when you are in prayer? How can you meditate on God’s Word and still sin? It is impossible for the human mind to think two thoughts at the same time. So, when you are in prayer or meditation on God and His Word, then you cannot sin and will be able to overcome in every temptation.

One lesson that I have learned is from what Bruce Wilkinson said in the Prayer of Jabez book, “It is a lot easier to avoid temptation than it is to beat it.” If you struggle with pornography, limit your time or spend no time on the computer so that you can avoid the temptation. If you struggle sexual activity with a boyfriend or girlfriend, never be in the same bed with them all alone. If alcohol is a strong temptation for you, refuse to hang around those old friends who drink all the time. Regardless of what temptations comes, avoiding it is the better solution than trying to beat it, especially if it is a struggle for your life!

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” This is how temptation works. The enemy will simply put a thought into your head to tempt you. You have a choice to make:  will you take control of your mind and focus on something else, or will you dwell and entertain that thought. It is when you dwell on that thought that the level of temptation begins to increase, and you begin to compromise with the sin because it is beginning to look better and better to you. It is by meditating and speaking the Word of God that you begin to make the temptation grow dimmer and dimmer instead of brighter and brighter. Then, that imagination leads to sin, a sin that the enemy will most likely tempt you with over and over again until you commit it repeatedly, to the place where it becomes an addiction and a stronghold over your life. When you have a stronghold over you, you are at a place where it is no longer a temptation, but rather something that is now in control and dominion over you. Strongholds are a lot harder to break than a thought, but the same God can overcome anything that comes our way. The armor we have in God captivates our thoughts and turns it into obedience to Christ. It casts down imaginations that rise against the throne of God, and it pulls down strongholds over your life. When you are equipped in salvation and God’s Word, you have what it takes to overcome any thought, imagination or stronghold that tries to rise up against you. You cannot do it all by yourself, but when God is with you, what can stand against you?