A Familiar Battle

by Rebekah Harvey

This week in our Simple Truth Bible study we had a lesson on temptation. It is important for us to understand the reasons that the enemy tempts us. John 10:10 says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  The enemy wants to steal from us, kill us and destroy us. He takes pleasure in our trouble and pain.

It is important for us to know that when we are tempted it is not sin. The temptation becomes sin when we act on it. As long as we are in this world we will be dealing with this. Fortunately, we have tools that we need to overcome temptation.

2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

We are to bring these thoughts and temptations into captivity, to the place of obedience. Think of catching a wild horse and putting it in a pen and all the work that goes into training and teaching it obedience. This can be like the battle that we face against temptation in our thoughts. It is like fighting a familiar battle regularly. We might think things are starting to come under control and then something unexpected pops up and we wander off track again. This is part of the battle that we face as Christians living in a fallen world.

Temptation to do evil does not come from God. God does not have any evil in His character so He can’t tempt us with it, and He would not use evil against us.

James 1:12 “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. 16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.”

Temptation comes from our own evil desires, which are used to entice (lure) us away! Temptation also comes from the enemy.  The word lure in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is an inducement to pleasure or gain, appeal, artificial bait used for catching fish. The enemy will use “artificial” to try to entice us. He will put enough of the truth into his deception to make it hard to recognize.

Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

We are able to walk in the Spirit as we put ourselves under submission to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is our offense against the enemy, so we need to read it, think about it, talk about and have it in our heart to use as an offensive weapon when the enemy comes against us because he is waiting for his opportunity.