THE SCRIPTURAL DOCTRINE OF TEMPTATION

By Gary Ray Branscome

While the Bible tells us that, “God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He tempt anyone,” it also tells us that God sometimes tests His children; but when He does so it is always done in love, and for their benefit (James 1:13).

The words, “You, O God, have tested us: you have tried us, as silver is tried… but you brought us out into a place of plenty,” speak of the entire nation of Israel being tried during their sojourn in Egypt (Psalm 66:10, 12). Yet as awful as that sojourn was, it welded them together and laid the foundation for their salvation as well as ours.

The words, “God tested Abraham, and said to him… Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering… And Abraham said to his young men, Wait here with the donkey; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and return again to you,” speak of God’s test of Abraham (Genesis 22:1,2,5). However, those who think this test was nothing more than a test of obedience miss the entire point. When they read the words, “I and the lad will… return again to you,” they assume that Abraham was lying. But, nothing could be further from the truth. The words, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called, believing that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead,” tell us that Abraham acted on “faith,” believing that God would “raise him up, even from the dead” (Hebrews 11:17-19). In other words, Abraham believed that Isaac was the promised “seed” that would die and rise again. And, through that test, God not only clarified and strengthened Abraham’s faith, but uses Abraham’s faith today to point us to Christ.

The words, “If a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder of which he spoke comes to pass, and then he says, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them, you must not listen to the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” warn us not to listen to anyone who venerates other gods (Deuteronomy 13:1). The words, “There must also be heresies among you, to reveal those who are approved by God,” tell us that such tests reveal “those who are approved by God” (1Corinthians 11:19). And, one such heresy is Darwinism.

When it comes to the temptation to do evil, the words “God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He tempt anyone,” make it clear that such temptation never comes from God, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed”(James 1:13-14). However, because lust can be initiated and amplified by the devil and the sinful world around us, we speak of the world, the flesh and the devil as the source of temptation.

The words, “The Spirit led Jesus up into the desert to be tempted by the devil,” and the words, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour,” speak of temptation by the devil (Matthew 4:1, 1Peter 5:8).

The words, “Do not love the world, or anything in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, as do its lusts: but he who does the will of God remains forever,” and the words, “Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful desires, that plunge men into ruin and destruction,” speak of the world as a source of temptation (1John 2:15-17, 1Timothy 6:9).

The words, “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed,” and the words, “Do not deprive one another, except by mutual consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan may not tempt you through your lack of restraint,” speak of lust as a source of temptation (James 1:14, 1Corinthians 7:5).

In all temptation it is important to look to God for the strength to resist and overcome. As it is written, “Let him who thinks that he is standing take heed lest he fall. You have not experienced any temptation other than that which is common to man: but God who is faithful, will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear; but when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out, giving you the ability to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:12-13).

The words, “The Lord said, Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to have you… But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail,” tell us that Christ prayed for Simon so that he would be delivered from evil (Luke 22:31-32). And, we pray for the same deliverance whenever we pray the words of the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). Therefore, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Mark 14:38). Knowing that, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses; but one who was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). For He “Knows how to deliver the godly from temptation, while keeping the wicked under punishment for the day of judgment” (2Peter 2:9).