Temptations must come. They are an inevitable part of life in this world. They are enticements to transgress the law of God. They must be distinguished from sin, for even the Lord Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15). The sources of temptation are three-fold. The world—the beliefs, desires, and practice of mankind that are opposed to God. The scriptures say, “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” (1 John 2:16). This attack can be viewed as coming from the realm of mankind in general. The flesh—the sinful nature of man resulting from the fall. James tells us “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). This attack can be viewed as coming from our own fallen nature. The devil—the powerful adversary of mankind who seeks nothing less than our complete destruction. He is called the tempter (Matt 4:3, 1 Thes 3:5), and he uses all of his ability to entice God’s people. This attack can be viewed as coming from the realm of the spiritual forces of evil.

Temptations have a purpose. “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13), but He is the Governor of all things in His world, including the existence and outworking of temptations. Like all things operative under the sun, temptations accomplish His sovereign will. They are the means of exposing man’s true inner character in the sight of His holiness. They lure to the surface what resides in the inner depths of man’s heart. They uncover sin, leading either to rebellion or to repentance: rebellion in the presumptuous, who reject the ways of God to serve their own appetites; repentance in the pure-hearted, who acknowledge their failures and call upon God for strength and forgiveness. Temptations cause God’s people to long for heaven where they will serve God in perfection. They expose those “who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13), and at the same time prove the truly faithful in preparation for the blessedness of heaven: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). Temptations expose the devil and his emissaries, who use them to attack the people of God; and above all, they reveal the character and greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone endured perfectly and is uniquely qualified to save His people.

Temptations are formidable. They go unnoticed by most because they promote their desires. Though their end is destruction, they promise pleasure, peace, happiness, prosperity, and fulfillment. They are like the colorful and attractive bait that hides the hook of death from view. Temptations offer much and attract much, but they deliver nothing, and in the end will rob a person even of what he has. Consider the man in the Proverbs who entertained the advances of the adulteress: “With her enticing speech she caused him to yield. With her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life” (Prov 7:21-23). How dreadful! How deceptive must temptation be if it lures a man to his very destruction! How powerful! So grave is temptation that the book of Hebrews mentions it side by side with the suffering of death. It says that those of faith “were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword” (Heb 11:37). If temptation is so serious and so powerful, how can we escape? What are we to do in the midst of a world of temptations that surround us? —When every day we are bombarded by temptations that war against the soul?

Temptations can be remedied. The remedies given by Christ are to watch and pray. Consider their application in two ways:

Watch and pray so as to avoid the occasions of temptation. To watch is to be on the alert: to be wise regarding those occasions that may lead to sin and to be diligent in our avoidance of them. We have no license to attend situations in which temptation abounds, for it is written, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matt 4:7). Many find themselves in sin because of failure to avoid the beginnings of it. A snowball is easily placed in the hand and thrown aside, but encounter that snowball after it has traversed a large snow-covered hill, picking up mass and momentum, and even the strongest of men are not assured of stopping it. Therefore, we must be vigilant in our avoidance of sin. To pray is to beseech the Lord of heaven and earth to so direct our paths as to keep us from temptation. In this sense Christ taught us to pray to the Father, “do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Luke 11:4). God does not promise to remove every temptation of life, but insofar as He directs our every path, we are to beseech Him to keep us from them. Only eternity will reveal the many ways in which God has spared His people from what they could not endure, and how He has worked in their hearts to turn their desires from sin—and for this, we must pray.

Watch and pray so as to be faithful in the midst of temptation. As Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph, so temptations will come, sometimes unexpectedly and sometimes forcefully. They will sometimes come through no provocation of our own and sometimes because of our own mistakes. What is needed in such times is a means of victory. We must watch by looking for a means of escape and taking it. As Joseph, we must flee the house where temptation resides. And God promises that “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor 10:13). We must pick ourselves up from previous failures and resolve to get back into the battle. We must not allow ourselves to fall deeper into sin because we have already failed. We must pray that God will deliver us and grant victory. We must call upon Him for forgiveness and the strength to endure. Though we may lose some battles and the scars of war may be upon us, with God’s help we are assured of winning the war. He knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment (2 Peter 2:9).

If temptations do not currently bombard you, rejoice and be thankful; but beware. When the devil had failed in his temptation of Christ, he departed until an opportune time (Luke 4:13). He similarly waits for opportune times in which to attack God’s people. At all times, “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Pet 5:8-9). Look to Christ, the helper and defender of His people. “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb 2:18). “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16).