In all that I am writing about temptation and the devil, I feel led to state that while God is certainly more powerful than he is and while angels surely outnumber the demons in this world, we should never underestimate the devil.
He is called “the evil one” (Matthew 13:38), “the
prince of this world” (John 12:31), “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “the
accuser of our brothers and sisters” (Revelation 12:10), “the serpent … more
cunning and crafty” (Genesis 3:1), “the enemy” (Matthew 13:39), and others.
But even more than what he is called, it is what the
tempter does that makes temptation so bad. We can be defiled through unforgiveness
(2 Corinthians 2:11), bitterness (Hebrews 12:15), evil promptings (John 13:2),
false signs (2 Thessalonians 2:9), false thoughts (Matthew 15:19), and false
beliefs (John 8:44).
With all of those things in mind, we need to fight against the tempter and the temptation. I came across this poem (although I cannot find it on the internet but is similar to Good Timber by Douglas Malloch1):
.png)
will stand well past tomorrow;
It's the deepest roots
which yield sweetest fruits,
though grown by greatest sorrow.
All three words, temptation, tribulation and testing are found in James chapter 1.
2 Consider it pure JOY, my brothers, whenever you face temptations of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. … 12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under temptations, because 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 one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death... 27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Peirazo = Temptation with evil (James 1:2, 12-14). When we are tempted, we are not in sin, but
we are in serious danger. Jesus was tempted every day of His existence, in
every way (Heb. 2:18) that we are, yet He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He is
able to help us, but temptation is nevertheless still a battle. There is an
escape, 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, but every temptation has the potential of either
being an opportunity to get us closer to God, resulting in joy and perseverance
OR of being an obstacle to get us closer to Satan and further from God,
resulting in sorrow.
Stephen Charnock, a preacher from the 17th
century, said, “A deep sense of the Divine Goodness of God would strike Satan’s
temptation dead at a blow.”
A way to victory is to remember God is good,
divinely good and will deliver from evil (Matthew 6:13).
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.
