Temptation: Everyone’s Common Denominator

When you think about ‘temptation,’ what comes to mind? From the beginning of time, forbidden fruit has had great appeal. It started with Adam and Eve, who decided temptation wasn’t a bad idea and acted upon it. Nothing has changed since then. When children are small, telling them not to do something makes them want to do it all the more. Cookies in the pantry look very enticing, especially if mom or dad says, “No cookies before dinner.”

 

As we move through adolescence, into our teens and then adulthood, temptations may take different forms (the cookie jar remains tempting for many of us) but continue beckoning to us. In the Hollywood mindset, temptation can be a powerful tool. For the film or TV screenwriter, it can provide the basis for compelling story lines. For the film marketing department, temptation can attract many more viewers. After all, temptation is fun to dabble in, even in an imaginary, vicarious sense.

 

Poet, playwright and author Oscar Wilde famously said, “I can resist anything except temptation.” Have you ever felt that way? You’re having a good day, thinking and doing all the right things. Then temptation ambushes you, striking an area of weakness left unprotected.

 

Temptations come in all shapes and sizes. They can be something on your computer you know you shouldn’t be viewing – but you want to look at it anyway. Maybe it’s evening and you’re bored; after watching a parade of tempting food ads on TV, you find yourself staring into the refrigerator or the pantry, even though you’re really not hungry and had vowed to quit snacking to lose those excess pounds.

 

The workplace isn’t a refuge for escaping temptation either. If you’re in sales, it might be to promise more than you can deliver to close an important deal. Or you might be to make excuses for why you couldn’t finish a major project on time. You might find yourself wanting to spend more time with a coworker of the opposite sex than you should. Or you’re tempted to be creative with your expenses after a business trip.

 

Let’s face it. We’re all tempted, even though what tempts you might not be tempting for me. For instance, I’m never tempted to eat liver or Brussels sprouts – because I don’t like them. But crinkly French fries or a piece of cherry pie? That’s a different story. 

 

Being tempted is real and universal. The Bible even says so: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

 

That means when sorely tempted, we can’t claim the excuse the late comedian Flip Wilson’s “Geraldine” character often used: “The devil made me do it!” The Lord will provide the way of escape – if we’re willing to take it.

 

It’s also important to understand that temptation isn’t the same as sin. Temptation is being presented with an opportunity to sin. It becomes sin when, like Adam and Eve, we decide it’s too appealing to pass up. As the legendary preacher Charles H. Spurgeon wrote in one of his devotional messages, “There is no sin in being tempted, but there is sin in yielding to temptation.”

 

We have no greater example of this than Jesus Christ, who lived a life without ever sinning. That didn’t mean He never faced temptation. Matthew 4 recounts how the devil tempted Him three times, but each time Jesus relied on the powerful Word of God, refusing to submit to the temptations being presented.

 

This is good news, not only for affirming Christ’s purity and perfection, but also in informing us we can call on His strength in dealing with our own temptations. The author of the New Testament book of Hebrews states, “Because [Jesus] Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).

 

Later the writer adds, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

 

When confronted with temptation, whether for the first time or the umpteenth time, we can’t complain, “But Lord, You don’t understand.” Because He does understand. As the passage above assures us, He was tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin. Because of that, He offers the mercy and grace we need to overcome whatever temptation we’re facing.

 

That doesn’t mean it’s okay to hang around situations that tempt us, just as it’s unwise to play with fire. If you struggle with alcohol, steer clear of pubs and open bars at weddings. If you’ve got a weight problem, stay away from all-you-can-eat buffets. But we argue, ‘God said He’ll provide a way out.’ Jesus addressed that while being tempted by Satan when He said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Luke 4:12). 

Years ago, a friend of mine who was a diabetic admitted he was tempted every time he drove past a popular donut shop. But he clung to the Lord’s promise to provide a way of escaping that temptation – and would continue driving straight rather than turning into the donut shop’s parking lot. 

Wrestling With Temptation – and Overcoming It

You’ve probably heard about the guy who said, “I can overcome everything except temptation”? Maybe you’ve said or thought something like that yourself. Temptations of every kind surround us, as pervasive as the air we breathe. And during this Christmas season, with commercials and ads bombarding us on TV, social media and phone apps, temptation seems to be surging at a frenetic rate.

It all started with Adam and Eve. They saw that first temptation – to eat of the one tree God told them not to eat from – and decided it was too enticing to resist. The result was the first sin, what theologians call “The Fall,” and humanity’s been wrestling with a sin problem ever since.

 

Temptation comes in many forms, and what’s tempting for you might not be tempting for me – and vice versa. (Emphasis on vice.) Centuries ago, someone in Christian tradition came up with a list of the “seven deadly sins”: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. But even those ‘big seven’ can manifest themselves in countless ways.

 

Lust might involve sexual desires, but can also pertain to lusting for a car, a house, a boat, an item of jewelry or piece of furniture. Anything that generates strong passion or longing, such as the lust for power or influence, or for prestige and prominence. 

 

When we think of greed, fictional characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and King Midas immediately come to mind. Individuals for whom too much was never enough. One translation of 1 Timothy 6:10 declares that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.” It does not say that money is the root of everything evil, but money’s tempting powers are definitely manifested in a multitude of ways.

 

Gluttony is an interesting sin because it’s often overlooked. When was the last time you went to an all-you-can-eat church supper and found someone at the end of the line looking at your plate and saying, “Now, that’s all you can eat”?

 

Personally, I think that if there’s an actual root for every kind of evil it’s pride. Because pride – excessive regard for oneself without being concerned about the interests of others – seems to undergird every one of the big sins, and probably all of the smaller ones, too.

 

However, as I’ve often told men I was discipling and mentoring, temptation isn’t sin. Temptation is being presented with the opportunity to sin. Sin itself is acting upon the specific temptation, deciding it seems like a good idea.

 

How do we know that temptation and sin aren’t synonymous? Because as we read about Jesus Christ in Hebrews 2:18, “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” Later in the same book we’re told, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

 

Putting it simply, we don’t have to confess or repent being tempted. Because even Jesus was tempted. Confession and repentance are needed when we succumb to temptation – whatever it is – and commit sinful thoughts or actions.

 

The question is how do we successfully deal with temptations, fending them off so they don’t lead to sinful behavior? We can be heartened in knowing that Jesus, our Savior and Lord, experienced temptation. We can’t offer the excuse, ‘But Lord, you don’t understand.’ Because He indeed can and does understand, having faced similar temptations – and probably worse than any we could imagine.

 

This is why the next verse in Hebrews assures us, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). God promises to provide the strength and wisdom necessary.

 

Another passage speaks directly and clearly to this perplexing issue of temptation and how to overcome it. The apostle Paul wrote to the ancient church in Corinth, offering this counsel: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).

 

These verses contain several important points. First is the warning: If we’re feeling smug, with an attitude of ‘I’ve got this. No problem,’ beware. That might be the time we’re most vulnerable. History is littered with sad stories of spiritual ‘giants’ who fell into sins they felt confident could never touch them.

 

The second point is whatever it is, the temptation we’re facing isn’t unique. We haven’t discovered some unknown sin no one has ever experienced before. We’re not the first ones to ever deal with the temptation we might be wrestling with right now. 

 

One other key point is that in His faithfulness God promises He won’t allow us to face temptations beyond our capacity to cope with them. If we’re willing to let Him, the Lord will always provide ways out of temptation. “A way of escape,” as another translation states it.

 

An old friend, a diabetic, admitted having a weakness for Krispy Kreme donuts. He often would drive past the donut shop when its red neon sign was on, “Fresh Donuts,” beckoning to potential customers. For my friend, the ‘way of escape’ was to keep driving and resist the temptation to turn into the parking lot.

 

Temptations are everywhere. We don’t have to look for them. They’ll find us. But they don’t need to defeat us. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “I can do everything through [Christ] who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Including overcoming temptation.

Taking Steps to Conquer Temptation

It’s been repeated many times since, but it was probably Irish poet and dramatist Oscar Wilde who first declared, “I can resist everything except temptation.” Kind of like stating, “I’m not tempted to eat anything except food.”

 

This witticism carries with it a ring of truth. We’re not inclined to do or say something we know we shouldn’t, except when the opportunity to do so presents itself. For instance, if we’re among the many who are frequently tempted to give someone a piece of their mind they can’t afford to lose, the only time they risk doing exactly that is when they’re around other people. Or perhaps, responding to someone’s post on social media.

 

Temptation is a universal problem. There’s no one that’s never had to deal with temptation. Even Jesus, the Bible informs us, confronted it at times. Hebrews 4:15 candidly states, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

 

As I’ve met with men in mentoring relationships, one important understanding I’ve emphasized is the distinction between temptation and sin. As I’ve explained, temptation is encountering or being presented the opportunity to sin – sin is when we act upon it, deciding it seems like a good idea.

 

James 1:14-15 affirms this: “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.” Clearly, yielding to temptation – in whatever form it takes – ignites a destructive, potentially fatal process.

 

What steps, then, can we take to conquer or overcome temptation before it transforms into sinful behavior? Recently I learned of an acronym that could help us, especially in times of weakness. The acronym is HALT: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired.

 

Think of it – each of those states can weaken our resolve as we focus on satisfying immediate needs. Feeling hungry can make us irritable and impatient. Anger can provoke verbal or physical responses we would later regret. Loneliness can prompt us, as the old country song warned, to go “looking for love in all the wrong places.” And tiredness and fatigue could cause us to do any of the above.

 

Even with safeguards we erect and the best of intentions, temptation can still sneak up when we’re least expecting it. Perhaps this was why the apostle Paul conceded, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). If even Paul struggled with temptation, what chance do we have of conquering it?

 

Thankfully he responded to this question in another of his letters, the first that he wrote to followers of Jesus in ancient Corinth. He asserted, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

 

When confronted with temptation, whatever it might be, there are times when good intentions aren’t enough. Instead, we need to face it through the power of Christ, made available to us through His Spirit. “The way out,” or as another translation expresses it, “the way of escape,” is to turn away from the sinful “opportunity” and look instead to the Lord, trusting Him to empower us to overcome whatever is threatening to take us down.

 

In another epistle, Paul summed it up this way: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

 

Trying to overcome temptation on my own, I might experience failure – as has been the case in times past. But through Christ and His power, each of us can enjoy victory instead.