Temptation

by R. ARMSTRONG, Vancouver, B.C. | Category: General | Aug 1959

Since the day that Satan entered the fair scene of Eden and beguiled the woman, and thereby brought about the fall of Adam, this great arch-enemy has dominated the lives of men and women, who have not known deliverance by the greater power of God.

Man's inherent nature is to do wrong, and the evil within quickly responds to evil temptations. The devil exploits every human weakness in endeavouring to cause men and women to commit sins. The long, dark page of human history repeats the sad evidence of his success in this foul purpose.

Satan, who fell as lightning from heaven (Luke 10.18), was cast out from the divine Presence because of pride and rebellion against God; and knowing his final doom is forever sealed, his malicious intent is to drag as many as he can of the sons of men with him into the eternal fire, which the Lord said is "prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25.41).

The Scriptures clearly teach that temptations arise from two sources, (1) man's own evil nature, and (2), from the devil. "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempteth no man" (James 1.13). "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil " (Matthew 4.1). It is clear from these scriptures that every temptation, which the Lord Jesus knew, as the God-Man, came from without.

While the whole world lieth in the evil one (1 John 5.19), and men are held captive by Satan and sin, yet it is his greatest triumph when he causes a believer in the Lord Jesus to sin, either morally or spiritually. It is gloriously true that neither sin nor Satan can mar the believer's eternal standing in Christ, yet sin can mar the present life and testimony for God, and render it ineffective.

Temptations, varying in kind and subtle in approach, come into the lives of God's people every day. We cannot over-emphasize the great need for watchfulness. Have we not witnessed with sadness the havoc wrought in the lives of many through sin, lives that were destined for higher and nobler things? Alas, they yielded in the hour of temptation!

God has provided, through the medium of His word and prayer, the proven weapons of defence and deliverance in temptation. How good it is to do as the psalmist, who said, "Thy word have I laid up in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalm 119.11). What the writer of this psalm did is equivalent to memorizing the Scriptures.

A closer look at the James 1 scripture about temptation, shows five steps in its progressive development, (1) " Each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, (2) and enticed." (3) The lust conceives, (4) it beareth sin, (5) sin, fullgrown, bringeth forth death (James 1.14, 15).

Thus the sin is not in being tempted, for temptations will come, but it is in yielding to it, the consent of the will and the performance of the act. Human thoughts and imaginations are the fertile ground of temptations. The mind of the flesh responds to evil; the old nature is in continual conflict with the new man in Christ.

The apostle Paul, in writing to the Corinthian church, likens the mind of a Christian to a garrison under siege. He portrays the weapons of light battling against the strongly entrenched desires of evil thoughts and imaginations in the citadel of the mind. To live a life of victory in Christ, this stronghold must be conquered and every thought brought into captivity, "to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10.4, 5).

The beginning of temptation is a wrong or evil thought. It may be only a thought, but when it comes we should seek the help of God through His Word and indwelling Spirit to drive it quickly from the mind.

"When temptations round you gather

Breathe that Holy Name in prayer."

Someone has well written of temptation, "First there cometh to the mind a bare thought of evil; then a strong imagination thereof; afterward delight, an evil motion and consent." A clean mind and pure thoughts go together, and to maintain such we must live in a healthy atmosphere. Habitual reading and meditation on the Word of God are essential to spiritual growth. Beloved, for His sake who loves us, and for our own spiritual health, shall we not heed Paul's exhortation, "Give heed to reading"? Do we still gather round after the evening meal to read the Scriptures ? Do we still find precious hours to be alone with the Lord for a quiet time? Here, and here alone, we find spiritual food, and a spiritual atmosphere, in which life in Christ and the Spirit will develop. The word of God promotes mental health. An evil thought can be admitted to the mind through reading books which ought not to be read by us, or feasting the eyes on pictures which we ought not to look at. Indeed there is no scarcity of books of a questionable character, and of lewd pictures also there is no lack in this shameless and brazen age. Evil thoughts may come through conversation with company which should be shunned. May we who name the Name of the Lord, "depart from unrighteousness,"... " abstain from every form (all appearance) of evil" ... and be "a companion of all them that fear Thee" (Psalm

119.63).

Be the evil thought covetousness, the acquiring of earthly gain, be it lasciviousness, ("Every one that looketh on a woman" Matthew 5.28), or be it worldly ambition, ("the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them" Matthew 4.8), let us make no mistake, if such thoughts are entertained, the play on the imagination will result in sin. Imagination may conjure up the golden prospect of riches (Judas said, "What are ye willing to give me?"), or fleshly indulgences, or the elevation and influence of worldly advancements. What then? To the extent to which these are mentally enjoyed, there is guilt, and to the extent to which they are abhorred, there is innocence. While such observations penetrate into the secrets of our lives and hearts, where only God can see, such things must be dealt with and put away or spiritual life will wither and die. Instead of the " fruit of the Spirit," there will be nothing but leaves.

Strong, persistent temptation assailed Joseph in Egypt during those days in which he admirably performed his faithful stewardship in the house of Potiphar, but he won the victory when he fled and got out from the presence of that wicked woman. There can be absolutely no confidence in the flesh. Paul testified of this when he wrote, " In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7.18).

Fresh encouragement comes from consideration of the temptations of the Lord Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4.1 to 11). They were very real, because He was a Man; as such He felt the severity of the relentless onslaughts of Satan, who found nothing in the Lord's perfect nature that responded to his temptations. As a dependent Man He defeated the tempter with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Evil thoughts, entertained, defile the mind; full-grown sins, practised, defile the body and spirit, bringing unhappiness and misery. The blessed Holy Spirit is grieved. He withdraws His power. Communion with God is broken. If such sins are not confessed and forsaken, judgement from God may result. "The Lord shall judge His people " (Hebrews 10.30).

Yielding to temptation will result in hidden and sometimes unconfessed sin in our lives, not to speak of the sins of the disposition, such as anger, bitterness, resentment, gossip, criticism, jealousy, evilspeaking, all of which are causes of stunted spiritual growth and barrenness in service for God. 0 how often we grieve and quench the Holy Spirit!

Beloved, the night is far spent, the Lord's return is near. What shall we do? We need to seek the Lord with all our heart, and in humility seek cleansing from all sin, and seek to cleanse ourselves (by His word on our ways) from "all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God " (2 Corinthians 7.1).

As of old, God is waiting to pour out on His people in the churches of God a rich blessing: to open the windows of heaven, to revive His work in our midst, but it can only be on His terms, obedience to His word, and clean hands and a pure heart.

Shall we begin to prove this today? In the words of the prophet of old, "Who knoweth whether He will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him? "(Joel 2.14).

R. ARMSTRONG, Vancouver, B.C. | Aug 1959
General