MESSAGE

TEMPTATION

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." (Matthew 4:1).

Dearly beloved in Christ,

I greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

During this Lenten season, usually in all the churches, the meditation is on the temptations that Jesus Christ faced to enable us to understand the benefits of temptations and to get closer to the Lord. This season is not a ritual. It is a measure to move closer to the Lord. It is a time to renounce all our physical desires and to humble ourselves before the Lord. It is based on how Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil. In Matthew 4:1 we read the first statement of how the Holy Spirit led Jesus Christ. He was led to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The temptations in the life of the wilderness would be terrible. When we speak of the desert, it lacks direction; a life without any help; a life of loneliness with no clues as to what needs to be done. In this situation Jesus Christ has given us a model as to how to act. How to face the temptations of the devil? How to overcome it? You can discern through the process how it can give you spiritual blessings. If you live for Christ, you will have to face different kinds of temptations. No one can say that he has no temptations. Temptations come from different problems. When we face them with understanding of what the Lord teaches and live in Christ, there would be blessings out of those temptations.

 

How to Overcome Temptation

1.     Be Faithful to the End

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10).

The Bible counsels us to be faithful to the end when we encounter trials and tribulations. The Lord expects faithfulness from us: “Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.” (Psalm 31:23). There is shortage of such people these days. There is no faithfulness in the relationship between a husband and his wife, between parents and children. In this way we lack faithfulness in many things. Those who speak of faithfulness become haughty and lose their faithfulness. Faithfulness is lacking in the job, in the prayer life, in holiness, etc. The faithfulness that the Lord expects should be  till the end, till death. David when confessing his guilt says: “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” (Psalm 51:6). What is required of us is faithfulness. This should be there till death.

The Lord Jesus Christ narrated a parable. A rich man gave talents to his servants and one day asked them to give account of the talents given to them. The one who had received five talents did some business and earned five more talents. “His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord'” (Matthew 25:21). The one who received two talents also earned two more talents.  He was also rewarded for his faithfulness. But the one who had received one talent buried it underground. He was called “wicked and lazy servant” and also “unprofitable servant” and was condemned to be put into outer darkness. The Lord expects faithfulness till death. There may be delays and defeats. Dear child of God, meditate on these. The Lord desires faithfulness in you. Whatever be the temptations of the devil, be faithful till the end. When there is no faithfulness in you, you will meet with more failures, defeats and disappointments.

Once they had planned to find fault with a person in his work. But he was faithful in his work. They could not find any fault in him and were transferred to another place. But he was promoted. Similar was the life of Daniel in the Bible. Those who were with him tried to find some basis for accusing him. They knew that he pleased the king and would surely be promoted. They plotted against him. It is written: “So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him” (Daniel 6:4). When we are faithful to the Lord, no one can accuse us of anything. But what happened to the life of those who accused him? They got entangled in their own scheme. They along with their families were thrown into the very den of lions into which they had planned to put Daniel. They met their death there.

Dear child of God, our God wants faithfulness. He exalts and preserves the faithful. He blesses them and welcomes them into happiness. We should be faithful in everything.

Moses was such a man.  The Bible says of him: “And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward” (Hebrews 3:5). As he was faithful, he was great in the sight of Egyptians. His birth and bringing up were in terrible conditions. But he was faithful and so the Lord God blessed him and exalted him. “...Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people” (Exodus 11:3).

If we remain faithful to the Lord and live in Him in all that we do, in the ministry that we do, the Lord God who loves us will exalt us in the midst of our enemies.

2. Do Not Harden Your Hearts

"Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness” (Psalm 95:8).

In the midst of temptations, we should not harden our hearts. Our heart should be acceptable to the Lord. He loves a contrite heart. He knows the pangs and feelings of the heart and is very much concerned about it.

Many of our hearts are wicked and crooked. In the days of trial, we should not harden our hearts and grumble, but humble ourselves before the presence of the Lord. We should be filled with the love and fear of the Lord. We should make our hearts understand the glory of the Lord. Our hearts should be transformed to make them worthy to receive any good thing from the Lord. The heart should be cleansed of all sins and made holy. If we come into His presence with a contrite and humble heart, He will not forsake us but accept us. David speaks of the nature of God: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart -these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). In Psalm 34:18, it is said: “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

In the midst of problems and struggles, do not give up hope or harden your hearts saying, ‘What is the use of seeking God?’ Be patient and wait. Man looks at the face of man. But the Lord looks at the heart. Our hearts should be acceptable to the Lord. In days of trials, let not your hearts be hardened, but humble them before the Lord.

3.     Keep the Commandments

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10).

In the midst of trials and temptations, we should observe the Word of God diligently so that we may not be bowed down by them. The Word of God is essential as a weapon against the wiles of the enemy. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). To overcome the enemy, the given powerful weapon is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:17 asks us to “take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” The sword can annihilate all the attacks of the enemy. It also protects us in the Lord. Psalm 119:105 says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” When we do not know what to do in the midst of trials and tribulations and are at our wit’s end, the Word guides, gives us hope and direction, comforts us and gives us new strength. That is why we should take time off our schedules to read and meditate upon the Word. The life of those who love the Bible and meditate on it day and night will be a blessed one in the Lord. All that they do will prosper. The Lord does that. When you give importance to them and accept them, He sends HisWord and heals you and delivers you from destruction . His words are both spirit and life according to John 6:63. These living words are very useful to life. Paul instructs his followers: “that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain” (Philippians 2:15,16). “Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:11).Yes, we are warned when we do something wrong. As you honour the Word of the Lord by keeping them, you would see that it leads to blessings in the Lord. Psalm 119:9 tells us: “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” The Word of God prevents us from sinning against the Lord and helps us to walk in His way.

Dear Brother / Sister, it is not enough to read the Word of God and meditate on it, but you should act according to it. Then you would have His blessings and also you would be delivered from trials.

4.     Lead a Holy Life

“. . . . for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (John 14:30).

When the tempter, the devil, comes to tempt you, you should be free of sins. There should not be any hold for him to accuse us. An example that I give often is this. When we eat something, if something falls from the table, in no time some ants or flies come there. If you want to drive them away, it is enough if you clean the place. Those insects would vanish. Similarly, in solving the problems of life, you identify the cause and address it. But very often people seek the help of a powerful servant of God and if there is no relief with his help, they seek another. But the Bible teaches that we should be holy like Jesus Christ and have nothing for the devil to accuse us of. The devil can do nothing to us if we are sanctified by the blood of Christ, by the Word of God and filled with His Holy Spirit.

5.     Love the Lord

“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” (James 1:12).

At times of trials, we should not be worried over it and shrink from reading the Bible or making our requests to the Lord. We should love the Lord and remain still for the Lord Himself wages battles for us. He is such a loving Lord whom we should love at all times. Apostle Paul shares his experience, “For the love of Christ compels us. . . .” (2 Cor. 5:14) and that he served “the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews” (Acts 20:19). To love the Lord is to serve Him and work for Him in the midst of trials and tribulations. But very often we fail to do that. Today decide to love and work for Him. Decide to be planted in a church and exalt the name of the Lord with others. In the book of Daniel we read about three youths who decided not to be tainted by this world but to worship the Lord. As they did that, the Lord Himself was present with them in their midst and preserved them from all harms of the burning furnace. Let us examine ourselves in the presence of the Lord to set us right before Him. Christ Himself will “...after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).

Blessings of Temptation

  1. Produces Patience

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2,3).

Patience is an essential quality for perfection. We should not be hasty to speak. The Bible advises: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Long suffering is another quality to be cultivated in us. It is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We should be filled with the fruit of the Spirit to experience the goodness of the Lord in a large measure.  2 Peter 3:15 counsels us: “consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation...” Let us be with this long suffering to inherit His salvation.

  1. Victory over the Devil

“Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (Matt. 4:11).

As we overcome trials and temptations, we become blessed to receive immeasurable benefits from the Lord. That is why Job said: “But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). That was his experience. Trials and tribulations mould a person in his life and he becomes a partaker of divine qualities and portions. As Job said, we become precious tools in the Lord and for His use.

  1. Crown of Life

“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” (James 1:12)

We are promised the crown of life when we overcome temptation. The Lord Christ has set us an example in overcoming temptation by His words and power. As we adopt His approach, we will be blessed according to the Word of God.
May the Lord bless us! Amen.

In the service of Christ Jesus,

Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul