May 29

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.” —1 CORINTHIANS 10:13

It has been said that sin or temptation will take you further than you ever wanted to go, will cost you more than you ever wanted to pay, and will keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay.

Temptation is the most common experience which unites us as human beings. No one is excluded, and there is nothing that tempts us that is not common to everyone. Inside every Christian there is an ongoing battle where the flesh wages war against the Spirit. Jesus, Himself, was not exempt from this battle. His first assignment was not to preach the Sermon on the Mount or feed a massive crowd or to heal anyone. Matthew 4:1 tells us, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”

The devil’s intent was to tempt Jesus in order to weaken and disqualify Him for the ministry that lay ahead. God’s intent was to test Jesus, and thereby strengthen, equip and qualify Him. It is important we recognize this, because sometimes the very things the devil would destroy us with God builds us with. That’s why, as odd as it seems, the devil will sometimes do us good in preparing us for God’s work.

Scripture states three areas common to all of us in which we are vulnerable: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. (1 John 2:16) The lust of the flesh is natural appetites, good in themselves, but abused and exploited. The lust of the eyes is greed and coveting something that isn’t ours. The pride of life is our egos, the desire to be looked up to and recognized as someone. In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted in all these areas.

The closer we come to God, the harder the devil will try to gain a foothold, and the way to resist him is by submitting to God. We submit to God by obeying Him, and we obey God by submitting to His word. The word of God not only has a cleansing power, but a preventative power. It helps us to understand how the mind of God conflicts with the devil, and knowing the Word of God, prepares us in advance to withstand temptation.

The profound message in Christ having been tempted in all areas of life is that He is able to help us in our temptations as we look to Him, trust Him, and draw on the same resource He drew on… the Word of God.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, may I always look to your word when confronted with temptation, and may the strength and discipline of Jesus grow deeper in me.

TO REFLECT UPON: What are my thoughts when faced with temptation? Do I make it a practice to draw on the Word of God?