James 1:12 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.
This passage of scripture pronounces a blessing on all who by the grace and power of God, resist the temptations to which we all are subject. There is absolutely no such thing as a human being living on this planet without being tempted, and this applies to Christians and non- Christians alike. It's just a simple fact of life that if you're alive, you will be tempted. However, we should be aware that temptation in and if itself does not constitute sin, for wrongdoing occurs only when we yield to temptation. Let's read:
James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
The fact that we are exposed to temptations of divers sorts does not necessarily mean that we must sin, for no man, or situation can control our freedom of choice and our decision- making processes. We are free moral agents, and God has placed a limit on satan's power in that he can solicit, but he cannot coerce anyone to sin. However, the cold reality is that we are born in sin and shapen in iniquity, and thus, deep within the recesses of our minds, lies latent tendencies and evil propensities that can be fanned into life when favorable circumstances occur, and the only way we can defeat this internal enemy is by trusting in the mighty power of the Eternal God. This is what the young Joseph did when he was sorely tempted by Potiphar's wife on a daily basis. Let's read:
Genesis 39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
Joseph had no choice but to face these grave temptations, since he did not by his own choice, presume to place himself on satan's enchanted ground. And so it was, that day by day as he went to work, he knew full well that sore temptations would be waiting for him, because Potiphar's wife would be dressed in a provocative manner and would by various means and enticements, try to coerce him into sinning. But try as she might, her efforts to seduce this God-fearing youth were unsuccessful, and the Bible gives us the all- important reason why. Let's read:
Genesis 39:2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
The question then is, what was God's purpose in permitting Joseph to be exposed to such serious temptations, and what lessons can we in our day we learn from this experience? Answer: It is a fact of life, both in the physical and the spiritual realm, that greater resistance equals greater strength, and faith that is not tested cannot be trusted. When Arnold Schwarzneggar started lifting weights, he did not begin with a 200 lb bench press or a 300 lb squat. He began with much lighter weight, and then as his strength increased from day to day, through resistance to increasing workloads, he was finally able to confidently and consistently squat over 420 lbs.
The same is true in the Christian warfare against sin, for as we resist temptations on a daily basis through the power and grace of God, we wax stronger and stronger, and the devil gets frustrated after a while and flees, for he does not continue to waste precious time, tempting persons who through the power of God offer formidable resistance on a consistent basis, even though he does try from time to time. This statement of fact is emphasized in the scriptures in more than one passage. Let's read:
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
In our day we often hear the phrase, "The devil made me do it", and so many of us hide our decision to sin under a cloak of pretense, by asserting that we were powerless to resist the incursions of the enemy against our souls. This false premise actually gives the devil more leverage against us, because by making this assumption, we virtually state that no omnipotent power is available to us in the battle against sin and self. But the Bible teaches us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and thus it is possible to successfully resist every type of temptation, if we trust to in the mighty God.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reminds us that we have a never- failing refuge in Christ, and that by His Holy Spirit dwelling within our hearts, we can be more than conquerors. Let's read:
2nd Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
Let us therefore be encouraged in resisting temptation, for in due time we will reap if we faint not. "Good night" and God bless!