Faithful to Forgive

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit up into the wilderness, to be tempted by the Devil.” (Matthew 4:1)

We read this Scripture. We accept it. But do we wonder at such a declaration? The Holy Spirit led Jesus. This was the Will of God at work. And Jesus complied. It was with the intention of being tempted by the devil that Jesus went into the wilderness. He showed us how to keep from falling into temptation. Temptations will come. It’s a certainty. And we all get tempted. “No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say.” (1Corinthians 10:13-15)

What is a temptation? Strong’s defines it as to test, scrutinize, entice, discipline, examine, prove or try. It’s saying to us that if we truly believe in what we say we believe, then we won’t fall into the temptation. But if we fall, this test will prove that we’re hypocrites. It doesn’t come from God. It’s the devil’s attempt to prove God wrong. And there’s the certainty that temptations will come. “Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour;” (1Peter 5:8) The devil roams the earth tempting mankind with all kinds of evil. He is the prince of this world. Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” (John 12:31) What He meant was that now that He, the Messiah had come, the devil was defeated. The devil had no power over Jesus. And after the resurrection he would have no power over mankind.

But we still are tempted and still fall sometimes. Yes. But now we have a choice. Before we could not help but sin. We were sinners, with a sin nature and a proclivity to sin. But when that sinful nature is put to death, through our decision and allegiance to Jesus, we are born-again, new creations, with a nature from God that abhors sin, evil and wickedness. “So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17)

We are new creations with God’s nature, but we still get tempted because we are in this world, the sphere where the devil roams, is corrupted and continues to be corrupted. But he really has no power over God’s children, those who are born of the spirit of God. “...having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the living Word of God, and abiding forever.” (1Peter 1:23) We may fall but are not destroyed. “...for a just one falls seven times and rises up again; but the wicked shall fall into evil.” (Proverbs 24:16) We can take the stance that Micah did, saying, “Rejoice not against me, my enemy; for if I fall, I shall arise; for if I sit in darkness, Jehovah shall be a light to me.” (Micah 7:8)

The Lord has given us everything we need to overcome temptation. There is fellowship with Him. If we fellowship with the Lord daily and recognize His presence with us and the Holy Spirit within us, it will be very difficult to sin in His divine presence. Another thing that Jesus taught us to keep us from falling into temptation is to pray. He told His disciples, “Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) While Jesus was in the wilderness, He fasted and prayed. Fasting is another thing that will help strengthen our spirit man and thus be able to resist temptation. Jesus also used the Word of God. This is the importance of reading our Bibles daily. How will we know what God says if we never read what He has declared? With every temptation, Jesus said to the devil, “It is written...” In other words, God has declared this truth against the temptation, proving the devil the liar that he is. He will always come against us with a lie. His strategy hasn’t changed since the Garden of Eden.

Many Christians are very concerned about their salvation when they fall into temptation or are faced with a troubling weakness to a particular sin. Our spirits have been reborn of God, but the flesh has not. It’s still under the power of the world and its desire for what is easy and comfortable, drawn to what glitters and looks good and yearns for importance and uniqueness. “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1John 2:15-16) This connection to the world causes our spirits lots of trouble. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another; lest whatever you may will, these things you do.” (Galatians 5:17) And it’s because of the flesh that we sin. “Let no one being tempted say, I am tempted from God. For God is not tempted by evils, and He tempts no one. But each one is tempted by his lusts, being drawn away and seduced by them.” (James 1:13-14) The devil uses what entices us through the flesh to tempt us to give in to sin. But we are without excuse even if we are living with this flesh. God has given us what we need to have victory over our sin. Remember Jesus also lived in the flesh. He was tempted in every way that we are. But He didn’t sin. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

In closing, we see that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. There He showed the power of fasting, prayer and the Word of God. Sometimes, God just lets us walk into that wilderness, not to tempt us, but to prove to the devil that we are born of His Spirit. Even if we should fall, the Lord made a way for us to be restored. And I believe that is for our sake because to our Father, we are still His sons and daughters even if we fall into temptation. But our consciousness will bring us to despair. So, He gave us the opportunity to renounce and repent (turn from) our sin so that the Holy Spirit can remove it and we can be restored in our conscious to our Father. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

Let us pray:

Holy Father, thank You that You are so good to me. You took me out of darkness and placed me in Your beautiful light. You gave me of Your life and daily teach me to live in Your righteousness. And You teach me how to stay in Your light. I am human and frail spiritually, but You are always with me to help me and to teach me. I cannot fail with You. You are my strength. You are the way to life, joy and peace. Nothing in this world can compare in beauty and power to You. Thank You for Your continued provision for all I need spirit, soul (mind, will, emotions) and body. Thank You for forgiving me of my lapses and for keeping me from falling completely. Your protection from every evil is apparent in my everyday walk and in every circumstance I find myself. I cannot express in words or deeds my gratefulness. I rest in You because You know me better than I know myself. You know what I really need and what I desire in my inner most man even when my actions and words say otherwise. I love You my Lord. In the Name of Jesus I pray, amen.