TEMPTATION BY PR. DENIS KALUNGI

KIREKA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

TEMPTATION

People have totally failed to differentiate between Temptation and Test let us look at it. Temptations come from ungodly sources and are designed to cause believers to fall away from their relationship with God. Testing, on the other hand, comes from God and is designed to help you (or show you) your dependence on God, as well as bring you closer to Him.

“ I met one of the witch doctors who asked me a question why do you think God did not kill Satan? as I was planning to answer him, he told me the reason is simple there are two kingdoms one is for Satan and another one is for God! God did not kill Satan because Satan does a good job to filter those who genuinely faithful to God.”

Temptation in the Biblical sense is a situation in which one experiences a challenge to choose between fidelity/ faithfulness and infidelity/unfaithfulness of one's obligations toward God, Based on the definition every temptation is an opportunity to do well. { 1 Corinthians 10:13}. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

While discussing temptation in a broadway we shall have to understand these words Trials and Tests biblically 

Let’s start with Temptations. The purpose of temptation is to bring out the worst in us and for us to learn to overcome. Fortunately, God is our partner; He promises to bring us victory in the midst of our temptations — if we so choose. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” {1 Corinthians 10:13}

TRIALS OR TRIBULATIONS

The purpose of trials is to refine our lives and leave us with a purer, stronger faith, as well as a character that God can bless and use. “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” {1 Peter 1:7}

The result of trials is that, over time, we begin to look more and more like Jesus.

Actually, trials or tribulations help a Christian to develop character see here {Romans 5:3-4}  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. through suffering one can recognize that even the poor is a person. “there some characters which could be part of you and weren't good but only tribulation can iron them out.”

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” {Romans 8:28-29}, Trials are painful and difficult by nature. But how we handle them makes all the difference.

All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,  saying:“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these dressed or arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. we all need to go through tribulations {Revelations 7:11-13}, He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot or have any spot on his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels {Revelations 3:5-6}

TESTS

God is the source of all tests. Nevertheless, please note that tests and trials may look a lot alike. The purpose of a test is so that both we and God learn whether or not we can assimilate and apply the lessons of living a godly life." when tests bump at your door be happy because whenever your going to another level test is the stepping stone God uses." and in the same time Satan is there to tempt

When God said, “Go sacrifice your son,” it was not the first time Abraham’s faith was tested. God didn’t begin with “Go slay your boy.” He started with, “Why don’t you find a new house” and built it from there. for greater things we have to go through tests if you want to become vice-chancellor of a certain university, you have to seat a giant test. and biblically if we yearn to become like Christ tests will never end.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.{Exodus 16:4}

God does not tempt, the tempter is Satan let us see it biblically here Mathew 4:2-3, After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” temptation comes at the time of your victory and the tempter uses it as his powerful weapon to make us fail.

This came at a time Our Lord Jesus Christ had gone through all trials and had prepared to start his active ministry that the tempter visited him to tempt him up, when he does one might think that he loves him or she but the fact is that a hates us if you agree with check what he did to Eve and Adam because they were created to dominate and God made them in his image {Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 3:1-5}, had Eve and Adam passed the trial we would be enjoying.

check when Joseph passed all the trials, he became the governor, Genesis 39:9-10,  No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” and though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. how many of us would pass it?

This is what you should expect whenever tests or trials knock on your door, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything {James 1:2-4}

James 1:12 blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him and more so, on the path to spiritual maturity even temptation becomes a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block 

However, When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;  but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death {James 1:13-15}. 

“My temptations have been my masters in spiritual maturity by Martin Luther”

The Holy Spirit took Jesus in the desert preparing him for spiritual maturity Mathew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, okay this is an everyday example tell me anyone who has ever gone to secondary minus seating for primary exams 

While temptations simply provide the choice to do good thus spiritual maturity, Satan uses it as the primary weapon to destroy God’s children. God uses it to develop you every time you choose to do good instead of sin, you are growing in the character of Christ

THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST

In all his life we see him bearing all these fruits love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22 so when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce the kind of fruits in us.

For those fruits you cannot have them in one day, it’s a process taken by the Holy Spirit as you can see he took Jesus Christ into the desert to fast for 40 days Matthew 4:1 Fruits always mature slowly 

HOW DOES GOD DEVELOP THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE?

The most important truth you have to know is, God develops the fruit of the spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances. You’re tempted to express the exact opposite quality! Character development always involves a choice and temptation

You will never say 

1, You can love when you have never been tested by someone unlovable around you

2. Joy is tested amidst sorrow, when you turn to the lord the test will be done.

3. Peace is never tested when things are going on well with you as you planed but by allowing times of chaos and confusion when you choose to stick on God during this time, you pass the test

4. Peace is developed in circumstances in which we are forced to wait and are tempted to be angry or have a short fuse

5. God uses the opposite situation of each fruit to allow us a choice. You cannot claim to be good if you’ve never been tested to be bad.

6. You cannot claim to be faithful if you’ve never had the opportunity to be unfaithful

7. Integrity is built by defeating the temptation of dishonesty

8. Humility grows when you refuse to be prideful

9. Endurance is developed each time you reject the temptation to give up

Every time you defeat a temptation you become like Christ 

HOW DOES TEMPTATION WORK?

From the very beginning, Satan has been a liar and so cunning if you read in Genesis 3:1-4 and John 8:44. And he has used the same four strategies and the old tricks since creation, all temptations follow the same pattern, the same tricks he used on both Adam and Eve and on Jesus are the same trick he is still using. And they are as follows. 

Genesis 3:4–6

You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Four steps

1, Satan identifies a desire

2. Doubt

3. Deception

4. Disobedience

1. Satan identifies the desire inside you it can be a sinful desire like:

James 4: 1-4 what causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, that's why we some habits like adultery starting from the mind." Adultery occurs in the headlong before it occurs in the bed."

1, Revenge

2. To control others

3. Pride

4. It can also be a legitimate desire like to be loved and valued or to feel pleasure.

Temptation starts when Satan suggests {a thought} that you give in to an evil desire, or that you fulfill a legitimate desire in the wrong way or at the wrong time. Always be aware of shortcuts

Satan whispers

1, You deserve it

2. You should have it now

3. It will be exciting, Comforting, or making you feel better {Temptation always begins within us if you do not have the desire temptation cannot attract you} 

Mark 7:21-22 

For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, those evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly.

2. Doubt, Satan tries to put you doubt what God has spoken to your life.

James 1:7-8 that person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do and Hebrews 11:6 and without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Satan will try to get you to doubt what God has said about the sin

1, Did God really say not to do it?

2. Didn’t God mean prohibition for someone else {unbelievers} but for you, you are free.

3. Will this poverty end?

4. Will I really produce?

5. Will I really get a job?

6. Doesn’t God want me happy? Watch out do not let evil thoughts or doubt make any of you turn from the living God.

3. Deception, Satan is capable of telling the truth and lies and he is called the father of liars 

John 8:44 you belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Satan whispers {At times from your close friends}

1, He can tell you give him a chance it will be one nightstand only

2.No one will see you

3.No one knows the lodge you are going to hide in

4. Everyone else is doing it

5. This man  will solve your problems please give him a chance

6. It’s a little sin

7. Just pregnancy

8. HIV is fever

This is what he did to EVA & Adam in Genesis 3:3-6 you will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman, and from that day they lost their dominion to the devil.

4. Disobedience, you finally act on the thoughts you have been toying with in your mind

What began as an idea gets birthed into behavior James 1:13-15 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Saul disobeyed the Lord by converting some of the things he had got from the battle to his treasury, and the best cattle's to his herds but he had disobeyed the lord because the Lord had instructed him not to get anything from there read {1 Samuel 15:21-23} Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

WHAT DOES SATAN BENEFIT FROM TEMPTATION? 

1, Satan always targets to kill God’s glory

2. Satan targets our victory

3. Satan always targets to kill our promotion

4. He targets to spoil our trust before God

WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT TEMPTATION? 

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” {James 4:7} Temptation loses its power when the love of Jesus Christ satisfies our desires. And I know that if you have been tested and failed, like Peter {Matthew 26:69-75}, or tempted and trapped, like so many others, God’s grace and love covers a multitude of sins

Understanding how temptation works is self-helpful, but there are specific steps you need to take to overcome it. And no one is beyond temptation for you to grow spiritually you have to pass through tests. 

Refuse to be intimidated, bearing in mind that you’re not the first to be tempted so many have been tempted and have surmounted victors.

Satan does not have to tempt those who are his, because they can do nothing Godly

Temptation is a sign that Satan hates you but not of weakness or worldliness you can consult job 1:6-21

JOSEPH 

Read Genesis 39: 6-16. We see Joseph getting tempted by Potip har’s wife to sleep with her but Joseph passed the temptation.

Genesis 39: 7-8 and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care

How many of us can pass the temptation?

1, Even your close friend cannot trust you with his or her young daughter

2. Your close friend cannot trust you with his wife or her husband

3.No one can even trust you with ten thousand shillings or dollars only

Genesis 39:9 how many of us can stand in it, No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” be concerned of your God

Note if you’re tempted

Remember that the temptations that come into your life is not different from what others experience and it’s not a sign to be tempted even Jesus Christ was Tempted Mathew 4:4-10 {Temptation only becomes a sin when you submit to it}

Physical attraction or sexual arousal and lust.

God made all of us sexually being and that is good, attraction and arousal/awakening are normal, their God-given response to physical beauty, whiles lust is a deliberate act of will.

Lust is a choice to commit in your mind what you’d like to with your body. You can be attracted or even aroused without choosing to sin. Read John 7:4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”  {The reason why you hide when going to lodge it is because your mind is telling you this is a sin Peter}

Attraction is not lusting until you begin to dwell on it, so many Christians especially Christian men feel guilty that their God-given hormones are working

Actually the more you grow into Godly things or God the more Satan will try to tempt you. Example Job was faithful to God. Read Job 1:6-19 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

Recognize your Patten of temptation and be prepared for it

There are some situations that make you more vulnerable to temptation than others 

Satan knows exactly what trips you up and is constantly working to get you into those circumstances.

But ask yourself the following questions  

1, Which day I am almost tempted

2. At what time?

3. At which place {neighbor’s house or bar places}

4. When I am with who?

6. How do I usually feel?

Request God’s help.

Heaven has a twenty-four-hour emergency hotline. God wants you to ask him for assistance in overcoming temptation. He says call on me in times of your troubles. I will rescue you and you will honor me. Psalms 50:15 {it’s called a microwave prayer because it’s quick and to the point}

Keep yourself with the word of God {Hebrews 4:12} for the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. if you position yourself in the word of God it simply means God will be in you and with you see John 1:1-2

Identify your weakness, when you identify your weakness it will help you to overcome {me I used to take off}, If you know that beautiful ladies or handsome men are a problem to you don’t pass around them 

Make an agreement with your body before God as Job did it {Job 31:1} I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at any younger woman. 

Pray continuously {Jesus kept on telling his disciples to pray continuously to overcome temptation} 

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And in {1Thess 5:17}

Expose your problem, problems grow in dark and become bigger and bigger but when you expose them to the light of the truth they shrink {Ephesians 5:13-14}, But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Take off your mask, stop pretending that everything is fine 

DOES GOD TEST US?

Yes he does, and I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.’{Zechariah 13:9}

Silver and gold are tested by fire but a human’s heart is tested by the Lord proverbs 17:3 The red bricks we all need for building and the iron bars we love most to forge doors all pass in fire to be strong.

DOES GOD TEMPT? He does not.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. the James 1:13-15

PRINCIPLES TO OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS

Trust in God, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego trusted in Lord Daniel 3:16-17 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us

2. Put on God's humor of truth, righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, and foot ready to preach the good news.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

3. Have the word of God with you this is how Jesus managed Satan, He quoted him. 

Deuteronomy 8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. And Luke 4:3-4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone

4. Keeping God's statutes {psalms 119:9-10} how can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. We again see God commanding Joshua. Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

THIS IS WHAT YOU MUST KNOW THINGS OF GOD ARE GIVEN TO TRUSTED MEN
let us examine some examples of men that were tested in the Bible and passed:  

JOB: If you say it was Satan who tested Job you will be technically right, but it’s also true that it was God who allowed him to be tested. God was convinced that His servant would be faithful to Him no matter what, and He was right. Though Job was already “the greatest man among all the people of the East,” the Lord rewarded Job with even greater blessings after his test than before.

Second one

ABRAHAM: Abraham was another man whom God loved and tested. Hebrews 11:17 says, “By faith Abraham when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.” Like Job, Abraham remained faithful to God in good and bad times and the Lord kept His promise to “bless him and make his name great.” If you study the lives of the people of the Bible, you will discover that those God blessed and used the most were often those He tested the most, and many times, the greatest tests came right before the greatest blessings. 

Maybe you feel like you’re in the desert of testing right now. Perhaps God wants to use you in a special way, as God is looking for vessels to use and He is calling you to a higher level of faith and obedience. Instead of resisting the stretching pain of your trials, it can settle down and determine to pass the test by walking in obedience to God, not only will your faith become stronger, but God will reward you by giving you greater responsibilities or opportunities. 

Rest assured that when God allows you to undergo tests and trials, it’s because He wants to obligate you. 

I pray the next time you face the test of God, your declaration of faith will be the same as Job

PRAYER FOR TEMPTATION 

Lord, help me to pass my tests with a good attitude so that I can become what you want me to be and I can be qualified to be used for your glory.