“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” (Matt. 6:13)
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” (James 1:13)
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” (Matt. 4:1)
Always in context, always searching for the wisdom of the Lord our God, that is how the Scriptures are to be read, contemplated and applied in our lives for His glory.
The verses are clear, the Almighty tempts no one, Satan has been created for this purpose, by the design of the Lord our adversary was made, at least in part, to tempt man. The Holy Spirit drove the Lord Jesus Christ into the wilderness, but He did not tempt Him.
“And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:25)
The tempter tempts, the father of lies was created to test mankind, to reveal to them who it is they actually serve, to prove to those who serve the Living God that sin is always available to us.
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” (1st Cor. 6:12)
The Lord Jesus Christ knew exactly what He was talking about when He said, “Lead us not into temptation,” for God Himself, the Holy Spirit had done that to Him, drove Him into the wilderness to be tempted.
There is a difference, an incredibly huge difference between the day to day temptations that Satan has been allowed to place before man since he spoke with Eve, those that are spoken of in 1st Corinthians 10:13. “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; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” and those that our Savior was talking about when He said lead us not into temptation, Satan’s are common to all men, God’s are personally directed, specifically designed for the individual that desires to be profitable, that desire, that ask to be in the fellowship of the suffering of His Son.
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb. 5:14)
No one who is still in the milk of the Word, no one who is still a weaker brother, either by nearness to the day of their salvation, or by their own slothful design, will be tested this way.
I could be mistaken here, but I believe that wilderness that the Holy Spirit will drive us into to be tempted specifically in this fashion is beyond that dry and thirsty land, it is beyond the valley of the shadow of death, it is for those who can recognize those common traps, those common temptations and have been blessed with the wisdom and knowledge of how to avoid them.
It took Balim how to teach Balik the subtlety of this, it took the purse of money for Judas Iscariot, the antichrist will use Job 2:4, “Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.”
And the mark of the beast taken will be the proof of failure in those days.
Proof of submission for the glory of God will be revealed by those who will not love their lives to the death.
God does not tempt us to sin, He has our adversary to do that, and Satan is no less under our Father’s complete and total command than the evil spirit was, and still is, that He sent to vex King Saul, or to place that thorn in Paul’s side. But if, and when, the Holy Spirit drives you into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan, then our Father’s design, His will, is not for you to sin, but to run to Him, to find protection and strength under the shadow of His wings.
And how did our Savior respond to those temptations? With the Scriptures, with the sword of the Spirit, the same Spirit that drove Him to be tempted.
Do the same.
It is not in context, but Matthew 10:19 is a good verse to recall here. “But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.”
If that moment, if those days arrive in your life, then listen to Him who placed you there, hear the words of God that you have hid in your heart.
It is the only sword that works against our adversary.
