All human beings are subject to temptation. The inevitability of temptation is to do wrong.

Temptations prove the moral strengths of an individual, and of a faithful commitment to God The Father, God The Son Jesus Christ, and God The Holy Spirit.

God cannot be tempted by evil. While God is Sovereign and could prevent any given situation, He does not instigate tempting events. It is not God who wills all manner of ill to His people or try to make them fall, when His purpose is to save as many of mankind that is possible.

The devil tempts in order that God's people will fail. The devil always makes his temptations seem attractive and his enticements are usually short cuts. Inducement involves the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.

There is and has been pressure to yield to outside influences that invariably lead people away from God in every generation. Any behaviour which might cause others to do wrong is to be avoided. There is help for believers facing temptation.

God as Creator saw fit to allow Satan to tempt the obedience of man and woman. Mankind are to be moral agents, and doubting God, which was the result that caused a violation of His law and commandment not to partake of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, ending in the fall of mankind.

During the Temptation of Christ, repeated unsuccessful efforts were made by Satan to deflect Jesus from The Father's will. He tries the same tactics to distract God's people today from carrying out God's purposes.

Jesus also conquered all the failures of the nation of Israel, and invaded the domain of Satan, bringing about freedom from bondage and Salvation into everlasting life. Jesus was the true Son of Israel.

Believers sometimes doubt God and test Him, but to tempt God is forbidden.

Christians are to look within at their own desires which make them vulnerable to temptation. Having done this The Bible advises, to stand firm, draw near to God, and resist the devil. Put on The Armour of Christ. (See Titles God's Armour and Weapons of Warfare) When the influences of temptation have been resisted, the devil must flee.

People are capable of resisting temptation that arise from human desires. The Bible promises to those who overcome by withstanding life's temptations will receive the Crown of Life.

Christians are to be aware of temptation. They can overcome, God is faithful, He will not allow a person to be tempted beyond what is bearable, and always provides a way of escape. Temptation is not sin, sin is to submit to the temptation. Temptation is acted upon by evil in mankind. Satan can only tempt.

Believers of Christ have victory over temptation, sin and death and over every enemy. This has been achieved for believers by Jesus Christ and not anything that people have done themselves. Christians should never give up hope, no matter how overwhelming the odds, the outcome has already been secured by The Work of Jesus Christ who has already made possible the victory.

Until Jesus' Second Coming, Satan has the freedom to tempt mankind to sin against God and each other. Satan is called 'the tempter' and 'the adversary' of Christians to deceive.

God never leads a person to commit sin, this would be opposed to His purpose for His creation to be moulded into His holy image. However, temptation is divinely permitted, in order for growth in obedience. Those tempted to do wrong are challenging God.

Though the temptation does not proceed from God Himself, He provides protection for His people, which is available for their choice to accept, for temptations are designed to ensnare with evil intent.

Temptation is an action that is opposite to testing of trust and confidence in The Godhead, which brings spiritual strength and good. God is incapable of any contact with evil at all, He cannot therefore be the cause of mankind doing evil. He is not the author of sin.

God didn't destroy Satan at the beginning when he tried to exalt himself, because The Supreme God wanted to prove His wisdom to the power and the principalities of the spiritual world.

Temptation is outward circumstances, but carelessness and disobedience to God and self, is by one's own thoughts and behaviour.

Self-discipline against temptation is essential for Christian living, spiritually and for service. Words, actions, thoughts and emotions are to be acceptable to God.

Self-control is a fruit of The Holy Spirit, and when personal willpower is linked to God's supernatural power, it makes possible commitments to obey God's statutes and become more and more like Christ.

When a Christian falters in the area of temptation, there is no condemnation, for God's mercy and The Blood of Jesus Christ forgives repentant offenders.

The conscience is a God given capacity to distinguish right from wrong as regards one's actions and motives. A person's conscience can become insensitive and seared by believing lies, allowing compromise into their lives.

More seriously, a person's heart can become hardened to the point of losing all values. The ability to decide upon the moral quality is no longer reliable to conform to the moral law of right and wrong.

Graphics and documents are copyright.1991-2003 All rights reserved.
Documents may be printed for single personal use but may not be alterted without written permission of the Publishers.

Managed by Stefan Kreslin, Last updated August 2017