366-The Lord's Prayer Series 7-Do Not Lead Us Into Temptation#
366-The Lord's Prayer Series 7-Do Not Lead Us Into Temptation
(JP Text Group - shalom compilation)
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival, continuing to share the Lord's Prayer series.
The topic of the sharing is: Do Not Lead Us Into Temptation.
Matthew 6:9-13,
9 Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. 10 May your kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Let us start with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to enter into your word of truth together. Please guide the following time, let us know how to pray, that in any situation we encounter in life, we have hope to seek our Father in heaven, and you will lead us. Even when we face temptation and problems, we believe that you have the answers we need, and you will help us. We also commit this time into the hands of the Holy Spirit, help us renew our thoughts and minds, so that we may know you more, in the name of the Lord Jesus we pray, Amen.
Today we share: Do Not Lead Us Into Temptation
In the English King James Version, the translation is: Lead us not into temptation. It does not mean that we will not see it; we may see it, but we will not enter into it. Temptation in the Bible mainly comes from Satan, the devil. The Bible refers to the devil and Satan as the tempter, as mentioned in Matthew 4:3. Temptation can bring negative and adverse consequences to people, aiming to destroy their faith, corrupt their lives, and lead them away from God and betray Him. We need to be clear that the purpose of temptation is not good; God does not want us to enter into temptation because the consequences of temptation are not beneficial for us.
The first point of sharing: The Source and Manifestations of Temptation
Temptation certainly has a source. Some say it comes from the devil Satan, which is correct, but the devil cannot successfully tempt everyone. He can tempt all Christians, but some people cannot be successfully tempted. For example, Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil many times, but he always failed. Let us take a look at what the source of temptation is, what triggers people to enter into temptation, and what its manifestations are.
- Being Tempted is Due to Personal Desires
James 1:12-15:
12 Blessed is the one who endures temptation, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Brothers and sisters, from these verses, it can be seen that temptation is something every Christian will encounter, and those who endure temptation without falling into it are blessed. Seeing temptation, avoiding it, overcoming it with God’s word, prayer, and the love received from God turns it into a test. What was originally a bad thing can be turned into a good thing by overcoming it with God’s strength. However, if we have personal desires within us, bad things will lead people directly into temptation, just like opening a door.
God tells us here that if we discover this temptation and do not enter into it, and can overcome it, we will receive the crown of life, which is the promise of the Lord to those who love Him. When our hearts are filled with God’s truth, we can naturally overcome personal desires. When tempted, one should not say: I am tempted by God. God does not tempt people; people are tempted by evil. There must be something in us that attracts the devil, and the devil sees this as a breach, wanting to open this door. Once discovered, we use God’s truth to overcome and block that door. It is like a vineyard having a hole; little foxes always come through to steal grapes. Once the hole is discovered, it is blocked up, which is overcoming temptation and enduring temptation.
But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. This refers to people being able to enter into temptation. Today our topic is: Do Not Lead Us Into Temptation, which means not letting us enter into this snare, not letting us fall into temptation. Some people certainly fall into it; it is not God who lets them fall, but they are dragged away by their own evil desires and end up falling in.
Some have conducted experiments with a basket, scattering many small grains that sparrows like to eat, such as millet and rice, underneath it, propped up by a stick, tied with a rope from a distance. Many sparrows come over to see food and quietly go in; they do not all fly in at once but quietly observe if it is safe to eat. At first, they are allowed to go in and eat; this is actually temptation. Once they feel it is safe, when a person pulls the rope, the basket falls, and the sparrows are trapped inside.
Many times, people have personal desires and want to do something, but there is no way. Just when the devil hopes they will fall, he opens such a door, and people enter without thinking, ultimately falling into the devil’s snare. I have often told everyone not to enter projects like Ponzi schemes or get-rich-quick schemes. Especially now, there are too many such projects online, and many people tell you about high returns; you must not enter. This is a temptation aimed at swallowing your principal, not genuinely helping you. But if people have that desire to get rich quickly and are unwilling to work steadily, they are particularly easily tempted and fall into such temptations, right? Brothers and sisters.
When personal desires have conceived, they give birth to sin. Especially sisters know that without conception, it is impossible to give birth. Conception is not a matter of one or two days; it takes a long time. Personal desires conceiving means that this desire has existed in a person's heart for a long time, always wanting to do something. Finally, when an opportunity arises, they do not listen to others' advice and ultimately fall into it, giving birth to sin, their actions become corrupt, and when sin grows, it gives birth to death. In the end, this person may gain nothing. So the first source of temptation is due to personal desires.
1 John 2:15-17:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Satan's temptations attack us in these three aspects: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. Here it is mentioned not to love the world and the things in the world. This does not mean we cannot appreciate the beautiful world created by God; that is not the meaning. The world and the things in the world refer to the desires of the flesh. What are the desires of the flesh? It is self-centered, hoping to gain more and live more comfortably, even at the expense of others' interests.
The desires of the eyes want to see better, to make the eyes more comfortable, and are also self-centered.
The pride of life, when one has something, begins to boast and even belittle and deny others, as if they are the only one correct in the world. This is what John reminds us not to love. If one is entirely self-centered, God's love cannot be in them; these are not from the Father but from the world.
The world and its desires are passing away. The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—these things that people can boast about are all temporary. God does not want us to hold these in our hearts because they cannot last; they will all pass away, ultimately leading to emptiness. God does not want us to fall into them.
Only those who do the will of God—God's will here refers to what is eternal and not self-centered. Our ancestors Adam and Eve fell into these three aspects of temptation and ultimately sinned.
This story is in Genesis chapter 3. God created the world and everything in it, all of which was good, and then placed Adam and Eve in the garden, blessed them, and let them manage everything. This authority was quite significant; God loved them very much. However, there was one thing: they could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden. On the day they eat of it, they will surely die; this is God's command. When there are personal desires within people, they can set aside God's words.
Genesis 3:4-6:
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
The serpent gave the woman ambiguous words. God said very clearly that on the day you eat of it, you will surely die. God does not want them to die, nor does He want them to eat. But the serpent said, “You will not surely die.” Some may ask, was Eve's intelligence insufficient? Was Adam uncertain about God's words? They were not confused at that time, so why did they not see through the serpent's lowly deception? This lie is easy to expose; as long as they ask God, this lie would be broken. But why did the serpent succeed? The reason is simple: both of their hearts already had personal desires. The devil discovered this and used it to tempt them, testing whether they fully believed God's words.
The serpent said, “You will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” In fact, the serpent merely articulated some thoughts that Eve had in her heart but had not expressed. She had been thinking about what would happen if she ate this fruit. God said it would lead to death. But what does death actually look like? At this moment, the devil told her, “You will not surely die, for when you eat, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil!”
When the serpent placed such personal desires and temptations within her, it resonated with her. Thus, verse 6 begins with the word “so”, indicating that after the serpent finished speaking, the woman saw that the fruit of that tree was no longer the same. She found that the fruit of that tree was good for food.
Brothers and sisters, is it only the fruit of this tree that is good for food? Are there no other fruits from other trees in the garden that can be eaten? It is because of her desires of the flesh! The devil told her that eating it would open her eyes and make her like God, knowing good and evil, which perfectly matched her desires.
Just like I have repeatedly advised against entering into quick return projects; those are scams. Why do people still enter them? Because the deceivers say, “Don’t believe what others tell you; they don’t know this is a secret. If too many people know, it will be too late! You are the leaders, the pioneers; if you enter first, you will profit…” The tricks are the same. When this person hears this, they think it makes sense. They want to get rich quickly and cannot listen to others… The devil hopes Adam and Eve will listen to them. After others tell you how good the project is, the more you think about it, the more you feel it is true. You wonder how you did not realize it before. At this moment, when we try to advise her again, she will not listen because she is already filled with desires of the flesh.
Next, it is also a delight to the eyes. She does not see that the fruits from other trees are also delightful to the eyes. After the devil reminded her, she felt that the fruit of this tree was different from before; the more she looked at it, the better it seemed. This project seems to be more profitable the more you look at it, with no traps at all, as if you could quickly become wealthy. It is also desirable and can make one wise. Brothers and sisters, did Adam and Eve not know? God had already given them the best wisdom, yet they wanted to gain wisdom through these means. Isn’t this the pride of life? She took the fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, and he ate it too. This was their weakness.
So brothers and sisters, I have repeatedly advised everyone in sermons that there are some things you should not be curious about and should stay away from, because that curiosity may be a temptation for us, and if we are not careful, we will fall into it. We often read such verses in the Bible, especially in Proverbs, which tell us to stay away from many things. When you discover something, just stay away from it. Don’t ask why you can’t look at it; because you cannot withstand temptation.
- Not Listening to the Truth
People are tempted; the first reason is personal desires, and the second is not listening to the truth.
John 8:42-47:
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
When Jesus preached, there were many who opposed Him, opposed Him, and wanted to find fault in His preaching. Jesus was very clear with these people: If God were your Father, you would love me. But why can’t these people listen? It is also self-centered; they have already fallen into temptation. Once a person rejects the truth, it is particularly easy to fall into temptation. People have a preconceived notion; when they feel that Jesus is incorrect, they hold a skeptical attitude toward everything He says. When you have a strong aversion to a person, even if they smile, you feel there must be a conspiracy behind their smile because you have already denied them.
In God’s truth, if you start by rejecting and denying it, you are listening with a heart of temptation. Once you find that this statement is incorrect, you can immediately attack others, and you have already fallen into temptation. Jesus was very clear with those who tempted Him, saying, “I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but He sent me. Why do you not understand what I say?” Sometimes you will find that some people are clearly doing something wrong, and when we remind them, they attack us instead, simply because their hearts have already determined that something is right, and you are wrong.
Jesus speaks the truth, but these people just cannot understand; in fact, they cannot listen. Why? Their hearts are filled with the devil, with personal desires. Jesus made it very clear that they have no truth in their hearts; they are lying. Therefore, when Jesus tells them the truth, they will not believe or listen.
That is why I always advise everyone not to argue with others, because when others argue with you, they have already denied you. We can pray for them, and when they are truly willing to understand, we can explain to them. When their hearts are opened, they will be able to listen. During Jesus’ preaching, the Pharisees could not listen, and even if He performed many miracles, they would still find fault. That is why Jesus said, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. You do not hear because you do not belong to God.” Amen. One manifestation of temptation is not listening to the truth. At this time, do not argue with them, as it will have no effect. It is better to pray for them first, let God show them, and guide them.
- Doubting God
Psalm 78:18-22:
18 They tested God in their hearts by demanding the food they craved. 19 They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness? 20 When he struck the rock, the waters gushed out and streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread or provide meat for his people?” 21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel; 22 for they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance.
The Israelites tested our God ten times in the wilderness. Some may ask, what form does temptation take? It is actually mocking words, not recognizing it in their hearts, and speaking in a contradictory manner; these are generally words of temptation. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they wanted to eat meat. God sent them manna, but they did not like it; they wanted to eat meat. They should have prayed to God, saying, “Lord, I want to eat meat; please give me meat!”
What a good thing that would be! But they did not do that; they mocked God! They spoke in contradiction. What does that mean? “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?” He indeed struck the rock and made water gush out like rivers, but can He give us food? Can He prepare meat for us? This is clearly not a seeking heart but a questioning heart, which means disbelief.
If we pray to God like this, it is actually disbelief. No matter how many prayers we offer, they will be of no use unless our hearts humble themselves and say, “Lord, I believe you struck the rock and made water gush out like rivers; you can surely give me food! You can also prepare meat for me!” If you truly believe, God will let you see. If you doubt God, it is easy to fall into temptation.
Brothers and sisters, it is the same in our interactions with others. When we doubt someone, it is particularly easy to test them, saying things like: “Is that really how you are?” Brothers and sisters, this is also called temptation. Many times, when we test someone, they fall into it, and as a result, we also get hurt.
The reason the Israelites tested God was actually due to their personal desires. Have you noticed? They knew they had no ability but did not believe in God’s ability, demanding food according to their desires. Do you know how terrifying this is? The horror of temptation is that even if you satisfy their first request, they will have even more outrageous demands later. In the end, no matter how much you give them, they will not know gratitude and will continue to mock and ridicule you. Therefore, we must stay away from temptation and overcome it with God’s word; otherwise, we will easily become weak!
A few days ago, I saw a little story about a rich man who went traveling on a camel. At night, the camel was outside, and the rich man was sleeping in a tent that was too small to fit more than one person.
The camel said to the owner, “Master, look, during the day I carried you, but it’s too cold outside. Can you let my head come in?”
The owner said, “Okay, you can come in.” Just the head, after all, takes up no space.
The camel stretched its head in. After a while, the camel said, “Master, my head is in, but my neck is a bit cold! Can you let my neck and front legs come in too?”
The owner looked and said, “Okay, then you can come in.”
After a while, it said, “My front legs are in, but now there is a gap in the tent, and the wind is blowing in. Can you let my whole body come in?”
But the tent was too small. The owner saw that the camel was quite pitiful and said, “Okay, let’s squeeze in together!” So the whole camel came in.
After a while, the camel said, “Master, I’m quite comfortable in here by myself; you are too fat! It’s too cramped! Can you go outside for a while?”
So the owner went outside.
Brothers and sisters, what do you discover from this little story? This is what the idiom “gaining an inch leads to taking a mile” means, being ungrateful. What do we want to tell everyone? If a person tempts you, their purpose is already set. No matter how many benefits you give them, they will only take more.
How many opportunities did Jesus give to the scribes and Pharisees, helping them, yet they just could not listen, and in the end, it was this group of people who crucified Jesus. Our Lord performed many miracles for the Israelites in the wilderness, supplying them daily, yet this group of people complained and did not believe. Clearly, they were in temptation.
The verse we just read, Psalm 78:21, says: “Therefore, the Lord heard and was angry; his fire broke out against Jacob, and his wrath rose against Israel.”
If these people in temptation are not punished, all the people will learn from them. This is why God must intervene to punish those who complain. Otherwise, God would not strike people dead. Many people do not understand why God destroyed the people in the wilderness. If those people were not destroyed, more would be led into temptation. These people do not believe in God or rely on His salvation, but instead speak contradictory words.
When we present the truth to some people, some say: “Is this okay? If everyone believes like this, won’t they all enter the kingdom of heaven? If everyone believes like this, won’t people fall?” They all use contradictory words, doesn’t it sound familiar? And God tells us not to tempt people because the purpose of tempting is disbelief, hoping that the person will fall. God does not want temptation to enter our hearts; entering temptation means that one is no longer in the truth, and their heart may be filled with other things. Brothers and sisters, even if we do not want to tempt others in this world, we cannot stop others from tempting us. The devil always raises various environments and people, hoping Christians will fall. What should we do?
The second point of sharing: Strengthen Yourself with God’s Word and Overcome Through Prayer
- Use the Bible as the Standard
Temptation is not scary; not all Christians fall into temptation when it comes. Our Lord overcame temptation.
Matthew 4:1-11:
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Earlier, we mentioned three things in the world: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. The devil’s tricks are always the same, just these three aspects, and the temptations against Jesus are also in these three aspects.
First, let’s look at the first one, the desires of the flesh.
What do the desires of the flesh refer to? Jesus fasted for forty days and nights and was indeed hungry. At this time, the flesh is at its weakest. The devil came and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Do you see? He tempted Jesus with the desires of the flesh. Some may say, “What’s wrong with turning stones into bread?” This is a door; once you enter, it is easy to fall into it. It is not that it is impossible to turn these into food; Jesus performed the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. Jesus also told Peter to catch a fish and then get money. However, once this door is opened, it is hard for a person to control themselves. If Jesus turned stones into bread, the devil might tempt Him even more.
Adam and Eve fell because of this, so Jesus used the words written in Scripture to defeat the devil’s first temptation—the desires of the flesh. Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus did not deny that He needed to eat food, but His point was that His food comes from His Lord, not from what you say. If you ask me to turn food into bread, then am I not listening to you? Why should I listen to you? I want to listen to the words my Lord speaks; I want to rely on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Amen. God allows the earth to produce grains to supply us as food, but He does not want us to turn stones into food. This is the first way Jesus overcame.
The second: the desires of the eyes.
What are the desires of the eyes? Jesus went and stood on the pinnacle of the temple. This temple refers to the holy city of Jerusalem. Standing on the pinnacle and looking down, there were crowds of worshipers! If at this moment Jesus jumped down, God would catch Him and let Him descend slowly, and all the people below would immediately worship Jesus. Isn’t this the desires of the eyes? It would be very simple to make these people listen to you; you just need to perform a miracle by jumping down from the pinnacle, and immediately everyone would listen to you! This has a huge impact!
Today, too many people stand high and do not recognize themselves. They think, “I have so many fans; I am so great…” It is entirely self-centered. This is the desires of the eyes; with a wave of the hand, how many people will listen below? Why did Jesus not do this? He did not want people to worship Him insincerely. Jesus only hoped to bring God’s truth to people, not relying on His special abilities but on the truth. Therefore, He saw through the devil’s temptation and still used the words from Scripture, saying to him, “It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
The third: the pride of life.
How did the devil tempt Jesus this time? The devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, saying, “If you bow down and worship me, I will give you all this!” The pride of life has emerged. Therefore, if a person has the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes, the third pride of life will certainly lead to falling. If a person is proud and wants to show off, they will not pass this test.
The devil said, “If you just worship me, I will give you the world, the kingdoms of the world, and their splendor.” But Jesus knew very well that all this was originally His; the devil had only deceived it from Adam. Because Jesus had the truth in His heart, He could recognize the devil’s tricks. To be honest, too many people fall at this point, but the devil will not really give you these things. The devil is just a liar. As I mentioned earlier, the characteristics of a liar are that they are destined not to give you benefits; they will only take what is yours and make it theirs. So the devil’s promises are all false. Can everyone be clear about this? How did Jesus overcome? “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only!”
At this moment, do not say anything about how the kingdoms are mine; don’t say that. Just say, “Get away from me; I only worship my Lord!” That is enough. Amen! Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came and attended to Him.
Do you see? Brothers and sisters, only by relying on God’s word can we strengthen ourselves. Many Christians are always weak and fall into the devil’s temptations because their hearts do not have the truth as a standard. Once temptation comes, they may pass the first test, and the second test, but fall into the third! The devil hopes all Christians will fall. This is also why I always emphasize that everyone should read the Bible more; read a little bit every day. This is the reason. We must store the truth in our hearts; otherwise, if others give you wrong information, you will easily be influenced. Strengthen yourself with God’s word.
- Believe that God’s Blessings for Us Are the Best
James 1:16-17:
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James makes it very clear here that the reason people fall into temptation is that they are dragged away by their own desires, ultimately falling into the devil’s snare. How can people overcome these temptations and not fall into them? Today’s theme is: Do Not Lead Us Into Temptation, meaning we should not fall into temptation. What should we do? Believe that what God gives us is the best.
Using Adam as an example, if Adam believed that what God gave him was the best, and that the blessings God gave him were the best, no matter what the devil said, he would not eat! Even if the fruit from that tree was described as divine fruit, he would still not eat! Just one thing, he would not eat! Because God said not to eat, he would not eat, and he did not want to know why he could not eat; he just would not eat!
What is frightening is this curiosity. There are many things in the Bible that God does not want us to do, but there are always people asking why they cannot do them. With such thoughts, the devil has the opportunity. If we simplify it and believe that what God does not allow is certainly not beneficial for us, and what God allows us to do is certainly beneficial for us, wouldn’t that be the end? We would have overcome.
People are too clever and have their own ideas, saying, “Doesn’t that make us puppets? Whatever God says, we do; whatever God does not allow, we also do; doesn’t that make us puppets in God’s hands?”
Isn’t that human cleverness?
Because people think this way, the devil has the opportunity; otherwise, how would the devil have the chance? But I want to tell you that you must believe that what God gives us is the best, and this will help you overcome all kinds of temptations! My beloved brothers, do not be deceived; every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. What is recorded in the Bible is that what God gives us is grace. What is grace? It is what we do not deserve and should not have, yet God freely gives it to you, allowing you to receive it!
The devil will certainly make people pay a price without giving anything in return. Why would you believe what he says? Therefore, we do not envy what does not align with the Bible. Even if someone has truly gained benefits, we should not envy; what God gives us is the best! If God says not to do this, we will not do it, no matter what people say, no matter how many generations have passed, we will not do it. Amen. No matter how many people around us do it, we will not do it. Because we believe that the best grace is what Jesus gives us, and in Him, there is no variation or shadow due to change. This means that the words God speaks will not change. Amen. Unless there are personal desires within, one will fall into these temptations.
Someone once asked me a question: Why did Balaam, the prophet who died for money, when he first asked God, God said not to go, but when he asked a second time, God said, “Go!” Did our God deny what He said before? I told them that Balaam’s heart had already gone; even if God disagreed, he would still go. So God said, “Then you go,” but on the way, God still blocked him. Even the donkey saw it, but his heart was unwilling to turn back.
This is humanity; falling into personal desires is because he was tempted by money. In the last days, many people fall into the devil’s snare because of money, and we must be cautious about this. Amen. The gifts, rewards, and blessings that God gives us are real; He does not change. What He says He will truly give us, and everyone must remember this! This is the second way to overcome temptation: believe that what God gives us is the best.
- Believe that God Cares for Us
Let’s look at 1 Peter 5:6-10:
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Peter’s letter brings us hope. Even in the most difficult times, believers must still believe that God will restore us, strengthen us, and give us power! The reason is simple: we are God’s children, and He will certainly care for us. Even when sickness and circumstances are terrible, we must still believe! Many people begin to doubt when circumstances are bad and seem unchanged. The devil sees this and finds an opportunity for temptation. Too many people fall into the devil’s snare because they are self-centered, proud, and complacent.
For example, the last pride of life: people want to rise up, to rise by themselves, but what does God say? You must humble yourselves! Simply put, in worldly terms, be low-key! When you are so high-profile, you actually want to boast about yourself, but that is empty! But those who truly have something are all low-key. The Bible says you must humble yourselves. How can you be humble? By seeing God’s greatness and God’s love can you truly humble yourself; otherwise, you will only want to show off!
This is the best era for self-promotion; various media and ways can showcase oneself. Being able to sing and dance, to speak well, there are many channels and platforms to express oneself. But our God says: You must be humble, submit to God’s mighty hand. Simply put, act according to God’s words; there is no need to stand out or show off because it is not your performance that will elevate you, but God will lift you up. If a person wants to climb up by themselves, what will happen when they have no strength or talent one day? They are destined to fall!
But if God lifts you up, His strength will always be there. Amen! This ensures that your elevation is lasting. If a person relies on themselves to rise, their pressure will be great, and their worries will be many. What should they do? Cast all your anxiety on God, and the devil will have no opportunity.
Be alert and sober-minded, for your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. This indicates that some people must have some problems; they must not have surpassed the three points mentioned earlier: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. Once the devil discovers this, he will tempt people, and they will easily fall into it. The devil is looking for those who have such opportunities. How can one overcome? It is simple: cast all your anxiety on God, believing that He will certainly care for you. Even if the environment has not changed, even if you have prayed and the situation remains the same, you must still believe that God cares for you, and you can overcome temptation!
You know that the latter part is very frightening: the environment is so terrible that we cannot bear it. We pray to God, but the situation still has not changed. The devil will say: “Look, God has abandoned you! Where is your Lord? Why are you living worse than the world? Just give up on your God!” This is how Job fell! He was already miserable enough, and his wife came to mock him: “Why don’t you just curse God and die?” What does that mean? “Aren’t you a believer? Don’t you offer sacrifices every day? Why are these things happening to you? Where is your God? Don’t believe in Him; what good is it?”
I believe many Christians, in their weakness, will have such doubts in the face of circumstances, which will allow the devil to attack us, making us more and more discouraged, and we may even want to give up our faith. But in such situations, remember one thing: God cares for you! God cares for you! Hallelujah! All the negative things you just heard, which lead you away from God, make you weak, and cause you to fall, are all temptations! No matter how these temptations appear, their purpose is to make you fall, make you weak, and lead you away from God. We must resist the devil with firm faith, which means to store God’s truth in our hearts, believing that God cares for you. No matter how the environment is, God cares for you. Amen.
Because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. The Bible has many people who have experienced such sufferings, but in the end, they saw God’s promises and blessings. This is the example we should follow. When you encounter such environments, it is advisable to look at Hebrews chapter 11, the hall of faith, where many held onto their faith even in suffering. How can we know that we are steadfastly believing in this God? It is when the environment is terrible, and we have prayed, and God seems not to have immediately fulfilled it, yet we still believe. This is true faith; this is when you truly believe that God cares for you. Amen.
Verse 10: The God of all grace
God is the God of all grace. You must believe that God will accomplish the best blessings for us at the most suitable time and place because He wants to give you the best. If He gives it to you too early, it may not be a good thing; if too late, you may not be able to bear it. When you do not see results now, you must believe that God cares for us, and you can overcome all kinds of temptations brought by the devil. Believe that God is the God of all grace; He has called you to enjoy His eternal glory in Christ, and this will not change.
After you have suffered a little while, He will restore you. What does this mean? God has not promised us that we will not encounter suffering, but God hopes that when we encounter these temptations, we will see Him, and we will resist temptation with firm faith and truth. At that time, God will restore us, strengthen us, and give us power.
To illustrate this with an example, we always believe that God is the God of healing and grace. When can we experience this? It is when a person is sick, and all the doctors tell him there is no cure. But he believes in Jesus, prays for a while, and indeed experiences much pain in his body, but ultimately God heals him. Looking back at his experience, he finds that health is so wonderful and realizes that he wasted too much time tormenting his body in the past, such as staying up late, drinking, playing games, etc. He indeed suffered for a while, but after experiencing it, he realizes he must take care of the body God has given him!
He puts down his past bad habits and starts to live according to God’s words. This process is crucial and extremely precious for him, just like the prodigal son returning home, realizing how much his father loves him.
If this son had always stayed at home, he would not have known how much his father loved him, but his father’s love has never changed. You must believe that God cares for you. Amen. Even if the environment is terrible, when you encounter difficulties, you can pray to Him. He will give us strength and will strengthen us, just like Jesus, who overcame the devil with the truth, commanded the devil to leave, and angels came to attend to Him, giving Him strength.
When you encounter troubles and problems, you can pray to God, continuously listen to the word, update some wrong thoughts inside; you can also pray to the Father together with brothers and sisters. But remember, do not pray with a heart of temptation: “Lord, I am like this; can you help me? I don’t believe you can help me!” Do not pray to God with such a heart. We should pray to God, saying, “Lord, no matter what, I believe you love me. I believe you will strengthen me and help me overcome difficulties and these problems! Perhaps I fell into the snare because of my own reasons, but you save me. Amen.”
Believe that our God will not abandon us; this is a truth we repeatedly emphasize. He will not forsake us or abandon us. Amen. Brothers and sisters, remember at any time, you still have a way, which is to raise your hands to pray to the Father in heaven. Jesus gave us this statement so that in our weakness and helplessness, we can pray to the Father in heaven. He is willing to listen to our prayers and will certainly give you the best. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! Thank you for giving us this time to enter into the truth together. You keep brothers and sisters from entering into temptation and falling into the enemy’s snare. Every day, brothers and sisters strengthen themselves with the truth, believing that your words in our hearts can overcome all kinds of temptations from the devil, for the power of the Holy Spirit is greater, and your promises are more reliable!
The devil is a deceiver; we do not believe his words. When facing the temptations and attacks from others, we are willing to return to the Father’s presence to receive your strength. Father, thank you for giving us such hope, not leading us into temptation, keeping our steps to walk in truth every day, and also keeping all the brothers and sisters who hear the word in truth, in the light of Christ, using the words “It is written” to overcome all the problems we encounter and all the attacks from others.
The Bible is the standard of our faith; your love for us never changes; you care for us. No matter what, you will not abandon us; this is your promise to us. We hold onto your promises in our lives, believing that this will be a different week. I am willing to live according to the truth, no matter how the current environment is, believing that God will certainly give me the best blessings and let me see it with my own eyes! Hallelujah! All glory be to our Father in heaven. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!