Trials, Tests and Temptations

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 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.”

 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:1-4

                                  

Maybe you’ve noticed that the greatest time of testing occurs when we are discouraged or disappointed? A difficult situation comes into our life; we get our eyes off of Jesus, and then trouble comes.

We can often handle one discouragement okay; but when two or three come, we really struggle. Or, if the negative situation lasts for a lengthy time, it discourages us, and often sin follows. Negative situations can set us up for temptation.

Satan’s mission or purpose in life is to cause us to sin. He wants to test us, and he hopes that we will sin. Satan is not our friend. His goal is to cause us to sin. His goal was to cause Jesus to sin!

Satan is after us. Satan is after you! There is only one way to fight him. We can win the fight only with the armor of God. Jesus used all of the armor. He was truthful and righteous in His conduct. He exercised faith and trusted the scripture.

Through each temptation Jesus trusted God and He used scripture – the Word of God. The only way we can do this is to know the Bible, and to ask Him to help our unbelief or our lack of trust.

I find that the tests are difficult when I lack faith or trust in God. Since Satan is coming again, let us pray and ask God to help our unbelief and to give the correct scriptures when we are tempted. Thank you Lord.