Old Testament: Genesis 4
Poetry: Psalm 1
New Testament: Matthew 4
The most formidable opponent to our righteousness is the person reflected in the image of a mirror. Being solely tempted is not sin in itself, but it means that we will soon enter the ring or octagon for a fight. The attack will come at the points where we are weakest. Our pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, or laziness are soon exposed and without the proper guidance by the words of God, we will soon leave ourselves fully exposed to a finishing move. No matter where the dragging and enticing draw from, submission to temptation to serve ourselves rather than submitting to our Heavenly Father’s will, leads down the slippery slope away from the Kingdom of God.
“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
“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” – Genesis 4:7
We see this pattern unfold in Genesis 4 when Cain is issued a warning directly by God to stop jealousy in its path. God states that “sin is lurking at the door.” By giving temptation a place to live, Cain and each one of us are inviting sin to be the next resident. What started as an unchecked emotion, turned into temptation, which led Cain to selfishly taking the life of his brother. Temptation must be addressed and combatted, otherwise we will find ourselves on a path, either through deliberate action or indecision, that leads us far away from the Will of God.
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” – Hebrews 4:14-16
Jesus, as always, provides our example of dealing with temptation because he was tested in every measure. Specifically in Matthew 4, Jesus is tested in the desires of his flesh, the integrity of his faith, and his pride. Jesus meets each one of these temptations head on, attacking them with words of his Father. In doing this, he removes himself from temptation by placing himself closer to God Almighty. By remaining perfect and being raised to life, He now sits at the right hand of God understanding our struggles and weakness. Christ intercedes on our behalf and beckons us to remember that we have the advantage that Cain did not: we do not have to go through it alone.
The Apostle Peter is no stranger to succumbing , and in all reality, he is the disciple with whom we most identify. His advice to those scattered about Asia Minor in his first letter is to remain watchful and alert for the threat that may approach us. He likens our Adversary to a lion, crouching in the savannah, waiting for our guard to be down and becoming the next prey devoured. We have to be ready for the attack, by remaining sober-minded even in the duress of physical, spiritual, or mental stress. We do this best by filling our hearts with the words of God and repeating them time and again, so temptation is at bay, and when it comes, like Jesus, we are ready to strike it down with the Sword of the Spirit.
-Aaron Winner
Reflection Questions
- There is a lot to think about in the following sentence: “Temptation must be addressed and combatted, otherwise we will find ourselves on a path, either through deliberate action or indecision, that leads us far away from the Will of God.” What examples can you think of from your own life?
- What temptations do you need to address now?
- With what 3-5 specific ways can you combat this temptation?
- What roles can God’s Word and God’s Son play in your spiritual battle against sin?
Seek Grow Love 