How Are We Tempted?
It’s important to understand.
In order to resist temptation, we must understand what is going on. If we miss an aspect of it, we cannot really resist it. We just shift it around or suffer through.
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”— James 1:13-15
God does not lead us into temptation or use temptation. Temptation comes from demons who speak into our mind or lives and uses the flesh and our own lust to get us to sin. If we live our lives never being washed in the Blood of Jesus, being cleansed of sin, we face eternal death. Which is separation from God in hell and the Lake of Fire.
How does this work?
First, you must consider your family and surroundings from birth. All of it has impacted you. Demons have impacted family members who have impacted you. This is a fact. We do not live in a vacuum. It is not an excuse for our behavior or failure, but it is a fact.
Consider a parent who was terrible to you, or did bad things around you. They got it from someone when they were young, and have spread it to you. These are generational curses. They destroy families and keep them in bondage. Again, it’s not an excuse for our sinful actions but it is a fact.
Do you spread it to your kids?
Probably.
Second, you are born with corruption within you that came from your parents, and lineage. I will say DNA, because we understand that term, but it is deeper than that. It is a spiritual plague which infects us.
Next come the demons that are around us everywhere, all the time.
They start working on you the minute you are born. They desire to create habits and beliefs that they can poke at for the rest of your life.
Consider fear.
Kids can see into the spirit world, I believe.
So, when kids speak of monsters under the bed. Maybe it is.
Maybe the demons are seeking to create fear in you as a child, so it can be used by them later in life for all kinds of purposes.
These are buttons, put into place which can be used to tempt us later and keep us enslaved.
We have fear and it leads to lying to protect ourselves.
We get exposed to things and are tempted, and give in. This opens doors for more temptation and more sin.
As we grow we are enslaved by what the demons have tempted us with, and what we have allowed.
Can you think of the first time you lusted? The first time you lied? The first time you were jealous or envious or desired to have what was not yours? The first time you hated someone and got revenge? The first time you stole candy from the store?
All of it started a path way in your life. It opened doors and set buttons to trigger it again.
The more you did it, the more those doors opened.
This is why its important to discipline kids. So, they stop opening doors of evil that demonic entities can use later.
If they will listen.
Kids grow into adults with the same problems. The same sins and demons riding on their back.
Demons who know how to trigger their human slaves.
God seeks to turn us to Him and get us saved, while those demons keep fighting to keep us from turning and knowing God.
If we get saved, Christ forgives us of all sin. past, present and future. We are washed. we are clean. We will be with Him forever.
But, those demons keep working on our flesh. They keep hitting those buttons.
When we get saved, Christ sets us free from those attachments. But sometimes we open doors again, knowingly or unknowingly.
Those demons no longer control us, we have power over them if we exercise the authority we have in Jesus name.
Sometimes we do. Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we don’t realize what we are doing. We don’t see what we are saying or doing until the Holy Spirit points it out.
James says,
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”— James 1:2-3
When we are tempted we can actually rejoice in it. Because it shows that we are saved and free. Before we got saved, we never noticed the temptation. We never noticed the way demons manipulated our lives to lead us into temptation.
But, when we get saved and set free, we see the truth and have power to resist. We see how hard the enemy works to get us and it gives us faith. Because we see the truth, and the truth sets us free. (John 8:32)
Whether we succeed or fail, the attempts of the enemy to tempt us works to grow us and build our faith and patience. We will face temptations our whole lives and we will get stronger as we resist and endure and fail and try again.
It is the battle between the spirit and the flesh. It is spiritual warfare. (Gal 5:16-17)
“ Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”—James 1:12
We are blessed by God as we endure these temptations. Whether we fail or succeed. We grow closer to God because we are His and “ALL things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)
This is not about succeeding in resisting temptation. Jesus already did that. He already lived the perfect life for us. The temptation is to continue to abide and endure in Christ. The devil wants you to give up if you are saved.
Because if you give up, you are no longer serving God. You are no longer fighting in the war.
Not that you lose or win your salvation. That’s already settled when you confess Jesus as your Lord. You are saved, but not fighting or doing your job. That is just as good to the devil, as having you enslaved. If you are not serving God in the gifts God has given you. If you are not following the Holy Spirit, then you are not waging war. The devil wins.
When you are tempted and fail. Because you will fail. You will sin. It is a fact.
Turn to the Lord. Never run away. That is the devil tempting you. He wants you to feel alone and in shame or fear, so he can devour you like a roaring lion. (1 Peter 5:8)
James says,
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.“—James 4:7-10
Turn to The Lord. Confess your sin to Him. We are tempted by demons and we fail. We sin. Confess it to the Lord. Every time. No matter how many times. Ask the Lord to help you overcome. It will eventually work itself out of you.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”— 1 John 1:8-10
Do not believe the lie that you will lose your salvation. God does not cast us aside. He died for us and worked hard to get us to turn to Him. If you are saved. It is forever.
Turn to Him and confess. He will help and continue to work with you.
God will correct you. He does not cast you out.
“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.“— Prov. 3:11-12
Do not believe this has to be some kind of bad thing. God is able to correct us, and bless us at the same time.
But, He does not cast us out. He corrects. He grows. He teaches. He heals.
Remember, we have demons, wounds, trauma, buttons, doors and pathways that have been a problem for us since childhood.
God heals those things. God closes those doors when we are ready to hold on. He helps us.
Turn to God and cast out those demons in Jesus name. Draw more into God. Resist the devil and he will flee. Eventually.
Do not listen to the lies from preachers who never mention spiritual things. They tell you to resist the flesh. But, never mention demons or your past traumas, or the buttons that get pushed.
The scripture clearly speaks of demonic entities. That preacher cannot help you because he doesn’t believe. You can do battle in the flesh, but it is only half the battle.
Turn to God always.
--
Cover by pexels
