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Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Temptations, Trials and Test (Part 1)
Introduction
Let's Turn to:
Matthew 6:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Now let's turn to James chapter 1.
I - About Temptation:
James chapter 1:1-4
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
I want you to notice, he says in verse 2: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2).
Notice he doesn't say, "If you fall into divers' temptations." It's not an if; it's a when.
Or, if you're a Christian, or if you're not a Christian; If you're saved, if you're lost;
I can tell you one thing you can expect in life: difficulty. How did you like that? Just difficulty.
I don't care who you are, there are going to be trials; there will be oppression. There will be misunderstanding. There will be rejection. And, it makes no difference if you're a Christian. Christianity will not make you immune.
All people fall into diverse trials and temptations, Christians included. And, he does not say if, in verse 2.
If I were to stand up here and tell you that all of your life when you become a Christian is going to be rose petals and sunlight, and that you're not going to have any troubles or any difficulties, I would be speaking from a closed Bible, and from an empty head.
II. The Forms of Temptation
But, I want to tell you that persecution, and trial, and testing is a part of life.
It is unavoidable. It is universal. It is inevitable. And so, point number one, verses 1 and 2: the fact of temptation. Point number two: the forms of temptation.
Notice verse 2: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2).
Now, the word divers means, "various kinds; sundry; miscellaneous" temptations.
My trials and my testing's, may not be like yours, and yours may not be like mine, because they're many, and they're varied; but they come in two categories-two categories.
A. Testing Our Faith
This word testing and trials may mean just simply a test like you test an automobile, or you test or you test a new medicine. It's used in the Book of Peter where the Bible says,
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you" (1 Peter 4:12).
It's used as fire will test metal to prove whether it's pure or whether it's an alloy. And so, that's one kind of testing. This kind of testing is sent by God to cause you to stand.
B. Temptation by the Devil
But, there's another kind of temptation-another kind of testing-and, that's sent by the devil. And, the word temptation not only is used in the sense of a trial or a test. It's also used as a solicitation to evil, as a tempting to sin.
Now, this is not sent by God. "God tempteth no man with evil. Neither can he be tempted with evil" (James 1:13).
This is sent by the devil. And, the difference between the two is this: Trials are sent by God to cause us to stand. Temptation to sin is sent by the devil to cause us to stumble.
One is meant for our maturity. The other is meant for our misery.
James uses this word interchangeably. And, when he says "temptations," it can mean either, as we're going to see; it can mean either.
III. The Force of Temptation
Now, the third thing I want you to notice is the force of these temptations-the force of these temptations. Notice again, in verse 2: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2).
Now, just look at the word
fall into.
That's the way they come. This word fall into is a Greek word that is used as translated in the Gospels.
Do you remember the story of the man who was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among thieves? Same word. He fell among thieves. It's the same word, Peripipto, which means, "to fall into suddenly."
Here's a man, just going along; he feels fine and suddenly, just like that, he's in trouble.
You might be saying:
"Well, preacher, you're preaching to all of those folks who've got troubles; I don't have any troubles." Living fine today, everything's fine, blood pressure down, bank accounts up, everything is fine. Well, for the next 15 minutes, maybe. See, you don't know what the next phone call's going to bring, do you? You see, you don't know what you're going to meet, when you turn the next corner. You just don't know.
It may seem fine right now, but what the Lord is saying, when he talks about falling into diverse temptations, he says that, "When they come, they may come savage; they may be serious; they may be sudden."
IV. Facing of Temptation
So, let's go on with the next point. Not only the force of temptation, but the facing of temptation.
Notice in verse 3:
"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience"(James 1:3).
And so, when temptation comes, it's just like taking a test. It is the testing of your faith.
A. It is not a sin to be tempted.
Now, get that in your heart. It is not a sin to be tempted. You say, "I had a temptation to steal something. I must have been a sinner." No, you weren't. You say, "I had a temptation to tell somebody off. I must be awful." Not necessarily. You say, "I had a temptation to commit adultery. Wasn't that a sin?" It was not a sin.
Temptation to sin is not a sin.
If it is a sin, then Jesus is a sinner. For the Bible says Jesus was tempted "in all points like as we are, yet without sin." Do you want the scripture for that?
Hebrews 4:15
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin".
Jesus felt what you feel; Jesus was human. He was just as much a man as though He were not God at all. He had humanness about Him. Jesus felt what you feel; Jesus was human. He was just as much a man as though He were not God at all. He had humanness about Him.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
B. Testing is not Because of Your Sin and, secondly, I want to say to you, friend, that testings, and trials, and tribulations are not necessarily because of your sin.
Morbid introspection
Sometimes something bad will happen to you and you say, "Oh my, what did I do-what did I do? I must have done something terrible. I wouldn't have lost my job; I wouldn't have had to go to the hospital. Or, what did I do? Why these trials?" And then, we go through what we call morbid introspection!
We take ourselves apart by little pieces, and we examine ourselves, and we put ourselves back together, trying to figure out what we did. It may be that you have done absolutely nothing wrong, but God is just simply testing your faith.
C. How to Face Temptation
1 Corinthians chapter 10:13 -look at it.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; butwill with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it"
1 Corinthians 10:13
Closing: Seven Things we should Pray
- DELIVER us from an "evil conscience" (Heb. 10:22) by the application of the blood of Christ.
- Deliver us from an "evil heart of unbelief" (Heb. 3:12), by unwavering faith in God's Word.
- Deliver us from "this present evil world" (Gal. 1:4), by living in the purpose Christ had, when He died for us.
- Deliver us from "evil speaking" (Eph. 4:31), by enabling us to speak the truth in love.
- Deliver us from "every evil work" (2 Tim. 4:18), by leading us in the Spirit to abound in every good work.
- Deliver us from "evil communications" (1 Cor. 15:33), by heart fellowship with Christ and those who are His.
- Deliver us from "all appearance of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22), that Christ's honor may be untarnished.
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