Travis L. Quertermous

     Temptation is a daily fact of life. All of us are faced with making decisions between right and wrong every day. Even Jesus Christ was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 says of our Lord, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” So we learn that it is not a sin to be tempted, but it is sinful to give in to temptation.

What is the source of temptation? In answering, we must emphasize that God never entices us to sin! James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, not does He Himself tempt anyone.” James went on to explain that the source of our temptations are our own weaknesses (James 1:14-16). The devil is called “the tempter” in the Bible because he preys on those weaknesses and entices us accordingly to disobey God.

Satan once tempted Jesus Christ in three different ways as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11. Every time, He countered Satan’s Temptations by quoting Scripture. He answered the devil’s lies with God’s truth! In Ephesians 6:17, the word of God is called “the sword of the Spirit.” It is the one weapon Satan has no answer for. God gave it to us to overcome the tempter and his schemes.

James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Friends, how is your spiritual swordsmanship?