James 1:13 speaks for itself. God is ALL TRUTH, therefore He cannot tempt us. We allow ourselves to be tempted/used by the evil one. I know I’ve been tempted.

Tempted and failed:

1) My parents taught me the difference between right and wrong. I attended Sunday School and was taught about temptation, but yet and still I had a friend who stole candy from the corner store every day on the way home from school. He would always try to entice the rest of us to join him. I held out for the longest, we were around nine years old. Finally, I gave in to the temptation. When I arrived home my Dad asked me where I had gotten the candy. He knew I had no money and teachers did not give candy to students for behaving back then. I already felt guilty and thought I was going to jail for stealing. He told me he was taking back me to the store (the owner was his friend) to report that I had stolen candy from him and he would decide my fate. I knew it was wrong. I was tempted and instead if standing in faith (like I did for weeks) I gave in to the devils evil ways and forsook the Word of God, ‘thou shall not steal’. I knew God could not tempt me, it had to be the evil one.

2) It was my first week on the job and we had a three/day weekend. I requested a few extra vacation days but had not yet earned the time off and the request was denied. Friends and I sailed to Catalina. Everyone else had five days vacation time, I had three. I knew I should not have gone, but it was a trip of a lifetime. I was tempted and failed. I took the trip. During the trip, I contacted my boss via Western Union, (this was long before email and cell phones) and told him there was no wind and the engine had broken, sharing that it would take a few days for repairs or according to the weatherman for the wind to pick up. This could have cost me my job, but I was young (this was a long time ago.) I felt guilty throughout the vacation, but by the grace of God, I did not lose my job. Some would have said God tempted them, but I knew it was Satan and took the bait anyway.

Tempted and stood fast:

I worked for a management company that turned out to be unscrupulous. They wanted me to sign over a rather large check to them and threatened to tell the board president to fire me if I didn’t, but if I did they would promote me.

They thought they could persuade me. I knew this was the evil one trying to bind me. I reported the incident to the president and she fired the management company.

Temptation comes in all forms, from taking gifts from donors to cheating on tests and significant others, to major white crimes. God would never tempt us to do things outside of His Will. However, Satan tempts us every day. We know it is him because we can sense it in our spirit. The key is to acknowledge the temptation and walk away from it as fast and we can. I knew it was Satan and walked away.

Fact – God does not tempt. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy and will use every trick available to do so.

God saves. Satan Kills. God is All Truth. Satan is All lies. God gives life. Satan takes life away. All truth cannot lie. Temptation is not of God. Temptation is of Satan.

I am certain that everyone reading this has temptation experiences, some that we don’t mind sharing and others we will never reveal to another. The ones that are too hurtful or embarrassing to share can be handed over to God. Ask for forgiveness, He will never forsake you.

Images – YouVersion.Bible.com; google.com
Scriptures – Biblegateway.com

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