"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)
Many people misinterpret this verse by saying that God will not give us more trials than we can bear. Clearly, this is not addressing trials, but is about the temptation to sin. God does not diminish our trials, because He uses trials to work character in our life (James 1:3). He does, however, strengthen us to resist the temptation to sin. He wants us to walk away from temptation as victors rather than victims.
Temptation is common to all of mankind and does not affect our Salvation. The first unholy thought is not a sin; it is a temptation. It is Satan’s tool to draw you away from spiritual pursuits. We only sin when we agree with and entertain those ungodly thoughts and quests. When we are tempted, God always gives us His wisdom to see right through Satan’s lies.
One way we withstand temptation is by renewing our mind (Romans 12:2) with the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We start pursuing eternal matters rather than allowing issues in the earthly realm to consume us. This is easier said than done.
Since we live in this worldly realm, its shackles continually pull us back to earth. Some people are spiritually immature and give in to a wide range of fleshly driven, decadent, corrupt behavior that brings God’s judgment on their lives. Others are less overtly sinful; yet, are still excessively busy with worldly pursuits. Some are even idle gossips or full of anxiety or prideful about their own accomplishments.
If we make a commitment to follow Christ, then withstanding temptation gets easier every day. As we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, read the Bible and listen to the preaching of God’s Word, worship with fellow Christians and share with others what Christ is doing in our life, then we renew our mind by puting on the mind of Christ (Psalm 27:11).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the tools You give us to live a life, which is victorious over sin. When Satan attacks, prepare us to do battle using Your armor (Ephesians 6: 11-14) as our defense.
Thought for the Day:
Our defense against temptation is to be fully dressed for battle. 