THE TEMPTATIONS OF LIFE are ubiquitous. They appeal to all of our various senses and permeate our minds with complex layers of desire colored by emotion and FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out. The flirtatious glance, the beckoning outdoor apparel ad couched in the visual images of the freedom of the wilderness, the desire for upward mobility expressed in status symbols of brand of luxury vehicle or zip code of address—all these have one thing in common: desire for something we do not have. As James explains, “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (Jam. 1:14-15)
Moses tells us, and it is good to remember that this is written in stone, “You shall not covet anything of your neighbors.” (Ex. 20:17) To covet is “to yearn to have or possess something.” This is a pernicious and powerful form of desire that overrides the rational mind and casts a spell over will and choice. Jesus warns, in strongest terms, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
Lurking behind all temptation is the tempter, Satan himself. His voice is first heard in the Garden of Eden. “Did God really say…?” (Gen. 3:1) His is the voice that contends with God in the story of Job. “Does Job fear God for nothing? Stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and surely he will curse you to your face.” (Job 1:9, 11) By the time of Job, Satan has become not only the tempter, but also the accuser. In the historical context of a society and culture that sees personal righteousness through the lens of honor and shame, his is the voice that pits desire against morality and laughs in pitiless derision at the fallen. “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8)
Victorious over all temptation is the Lord of the Spirit, the anointed one of God, the Messiah, Jesus. All three of the synoptic gospels tell the story of the forty days and nights of his temptations by the devil. He was physically weakened by the last of this ordeal. “He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” (Luke 4:2) The devil then comes with three named temptations. The first is to his body. “The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” (Luke 4:3) Jesus responds to him, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” (Luke 4:4) The second is to his soul. “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ‘If you worship me, it will all be yours.’” (Luke 4:5-7) Jesus again quotes scripture. “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” (Luke 4:8) The last temptation is to his spirit, and here, the devil shows his own knowledge of scripture. “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” (Luke 4:9-11; cf. Psa. 91) Again, Jesus answers, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:12) Jesus, in the Luke version, stresses that the written word of God is literally the voice of God. The devil left him, and “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” (Luke 4:14)
It is Jesus who reminds us that in our prayers we should ask, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matt. 6:13) On the surface, this may seem disconcerting, and so we look more deeply into the bible. We recognize that our English translations, or for that matter, all translations, do the best they can to convey the original meaning of the Hebrew or Greek texts. Here, the word for “temptation” can equally mean “trial.” And this is no small difference in meaning, for the way in which we understand this gives great insight into both God and Satan. Though it is not simplistic, the simplest way to understand this is that Satan is the author of our temptations, and God is the author of our trials. Any circumstance that we face may be viewed as either trial or temptation, even though it is the same circumstance. There are two ways in which we can respond. The first is to view it as temptation, fall prey to covetousness, and feel the sting of shame. The second is to see it as a trial, and overcome it by the word of God— ‘You shall not covet’ —and walk forward in the honor of righteousness. But we need be careful that we do not view this as our own righteousness.
We further these thoughts, from the Book of Hebrews, with a view that Jesus is “the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Heb. 12:2b) The author writes, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Heb. 4:15) And less we be discouraged in our own struggles with sin, he says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16) Those times of need have come in the past, and they will come again. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)
The strength of our faith is not that we can overcome all temptations and walk on in righteousness; that is a dangerous path in which the left foot may step out in works and the right foot follow in pride. Scripture warns, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18) Instead, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.” (Heb. 12:1-2a). As we do this, consider that which is at the heart of desire. If it is temptation, woe be us. Instead, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” (Psa. 37:4-6)
Q. Is God’s word all-sufficient for every day of my life?
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