Temptation sometimes feels like a powerful magnet that can cause us to flirt with choices that we know are bad, and even destructive. It did not take long for Adam and Eve to succumb to Satan’s deceitful temptation in the Garden of Eden. No one can go through life without being tempted. Temptation is not sin; Jesus was without sin, yet He was tempted in every way, just as we are. As we go through these tests, our faith is strengthened. 

Many temptations revolve around control – control of our appetites (instant gratification), control of our ambitions, and control of our lives.

-Instant gratification: In the long run instant gratification leads to disillusion, emptiness, and despair.   Listening to God and building a relationship with Him leads to deep spiritual satisfaction, joy, and purpose.

-Selfish ambitions: The temptation to accumulate things for ourselves is very powerful, especially in today’s world where wealth is often a measure of success. Material prosperity may lead to authority and elite status in this lifetime but following this path may result in financial security becoming our ambition and putting our trust in wealth and not in God.

One of the strongest forces that often leads us to yield to temptation is when we are tempted to compare. Just as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Luke 4:1), the people of God were tempted in their wilderness years. Their temptation to compare recorded in Numbers 11-12 resulted in:

  1. Discontent - God had supplied them with food, but they craved “other food.” Rather than thanking God for His miraculous provision, they said “who shall give us flesh to eat?” (Num 11:4b). They were tempted to make comparisons with their old life back in Egypt from where God had delivered them from bondage. It is easy to fall into this trap as there always seems something to complain about. The antidote to discontent is thanksgiving following the familiar saying, ‘cultivate an attitude of gratitude’.
  2. Jealousy – An example of jealousy can be seen with Miriam and Aaron asking, ‘Hath the Lord not spoken also to us?’ (Num 12:2). Moses used a model of spiritual leadership and gifting when assigning tasks to the three (Aaron, Miriam, and Joshua) at the center of his team. Like Moses, we need to avoid the temptation to compare and to be jealous when we see God using other people to do His work.
  3. Pride – Jealousy comes from comparing ourselves with others and thinking we are less well off. Pride, however, comes from thinking too highly of ourselves, comparing with others and thinking we are better. God used Moses in miraculous ways because he was humble (Num 12:3) and resisted the temptation of pride. Pride is the biggest barrier between God and human beings. A quote from C. S. Lewis, ‘True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.’

Sin has a process. The first stage of the process starts with a temptation. We cannot isolate ourselves enough to be immune from being tempted because we are human. Satan is constantly looking for someone to devour but he is limited to certain powers. As Christians, we have a much greater power, the Holy Spirit, living within us to repel the darts of Satan and help us from yielding to temptation. Praise the Lord!