Wordly Temptation & the Christian Man
Jesus in the Wilderness
As Christians, we are all too familiar with the power of temptation. It is a force that can be overwhelming, leading us down a path of sin and destruction. However, we can take solace in knowing that Jesus Christ himself was also tempted by the devil during his weakest physical state.
In Matthew 4:1-11, we read about Jesus being led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The devil first tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, to which Jesus responded by quoting scripture, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4). The message is simple, the word of God is our bedrock, our foundation for life, more than the food we eat.
The devil then took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and tempted him to jump, saying that the angels would save him. Jesus again responded by quoting scripture, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." (Matthew 4:7).
Finally, the devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, promising to give them to him if he worshipped him. But, Jesus responded with yet another scripture, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" (Matthew 4:10).
Temptation does this convincingly, promising fleeting immediate pleasures, enticing our souls but it's all at the expense of our relationship with our maker. The enemy uses temptation especially on men to make them ineffective witnesses in a world that dearly needs Christ and He is our example of how to resist the evil one.
Through his temptation, Jesus showed us that we too can overcome temptation with the help of scripture and the Holy Spirit. As Christian men, we are called to follow Jesus' example and resist temptation with the power of God's word.
We Endure, we don't Escape
We must understand that we will never escape temptation. It is a part of our human nature and the fallen world we live in. However, we are called to endure it and resist the devil's schemes. In James 4:7, we are told, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This shows us that our strength to resist temptation does not come from our own human effort but rather from submitting ourselves to God and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.
The Holy Spirit provides us with the necessary wisdom to identify and close the backdoors in our lives where we are allowing temptation to creep in. In Proverbs 4:23, we read, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." This means that we must guard our hearts and minds against the temptations of the world. We can do this by immersing ourselves in God's word and surrounding ourselves with fellow believers who can help keep us accountable.
Remember that temptation in and of itself is not sin. It is the actions and thoughts that come from yielding to temptation that are sinful. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we read, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." This verse reminds us that God is faithful and will provide us with a way out of every temptation.
As Christians, we must take practical and spiritual steps to avoid and minimize the effects of temptation in our daily lives. This includes avoiding situations and people that may lead us into temptation and actively seeking God's guidance and wisdom in all areas of our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can resist temptation and live a life that is pleasing to God.