A World Of Temptation

We live in a world that desperately needs Jesus. We all need to return to Him and follow Him closer than ever. Why? Just look at the news, look around you. Stand back and look at our world.

There are so many options to be distracted and drawn away from the Lord out there that we need to be strong in our faith not to fall.

Matthew 18:7-11

“Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!
“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the  fiery hell.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. [ For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

Luke 17:1

​ He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!

These two passages tell us that there will be temptations, stumbling blocks that will be put in our way. What we do, how we respond, react or deal with those stumbling blocks is up to us. We can avoid them or fall for them. The closer the walk we have with Jesus the better we will be able to withstand the temptations that come

Ephesians 6:10-13

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

A close walk with the Lord, knowing the Word, will empower you to resist those challenges to your faith. You will be able to withstand the temptations, the stumbling blocks that are put in front of.

It is at moments of weakness that you will be tempted, we always need to be on guard. We never know when something will present itself to distract us from our path, take our eyes off Jesus. Just as Jesus was tempted in everyway, we are tempted in every way. He had to be tempted in all the ways we are tempted so that He would be the perfect Lamb of God. We can follow in His foot steps, listen to the still small voice, when temptation comes stand firm.

As we are told in Ephesians “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

We have the Lord with us, and when we have on the full armour of God, we can withstand the and resist the evil that is set before us.

Study the Word of God. Make it part of your life. Study to show yourself approved. Equip yourself so on the day that temptation presents itself you can speak to that mountain and tell it to move. The world we live in today has so many distractions to take our focus off Christ and we must know the Lord, know His Word, Have the Holy Spirit living in us in order to resist in the evil day.

This isn’t a new problem, it is something that has been around for as long as man has been on the earth.

Genesis 4:7

If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

This passage speaks volumes to me about the condition of the world we live in, it speaks about choices and that we can make the right choice. It tells me that sin looks tempting and that is its' desire, that it is set there to draw us in, it says that the choice is ours,

What will we do? Will we as Cain did allow the temptation to take over, will we fall into the trap?

The choice is yours and it is mine! Fall for it and allow it to be your master or you be the master and follow the narrow way.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.   For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Luke 13: 23b - 28

And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.   Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’   Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’;  and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’   In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.

In these passages we are told that the way is narrow. The path leading to destruction is broad and there are many that travel that broad path. Luke says that there will be people knocking at heavens gate looking to come in, saying they knew Jesus but His response will be Go away, I don't know you, I don't know where you are from.

Luke uses words that would suggest that it is not easy, but it is something we will have to work at  “Strive to enter through the narrow door.” How hard are we striving to get in, are we on the straight and narrow, do we really work at our salvation from the stand point of once we have accepted Christ we continue in His ways or do we continue in our worldly ways?

Jesus says “He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’”

Depart from Me, how hard will it be to hear those word? I pray that none of us will, but I have to ask, are we walking in the way of the Lord? As that passage in Genesis tells us that sin awaits, it is crouched at the door waiting for us, we can fall for it or we can master it, the choice is ours.

I am not just writing this for people to hear or read, I am writing this for myself as well. It is something we all need to hear and all need to be reminded of, sin awaits!

We must walk daily with the Lord, not just when it is convenient or is the right moment because of where we are and what people around us think of us. This is an issue we all face, no matter who we are or what we do.

Temptation, sin awaits us. What we do with it is up to us! Will we master it or will it master us?