“Temptation is enticement to sin, and this does not proceed from God, but from Satan and from the evil of our own hearts. ‘God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempteth no man.’ James 1:13, R.V.

“Satan seeks to bring us into temptation, that the evil of our characters may be revealed before men and angels, that he may claim us as his own. In the symbolic prophecy of Zechariah, Satan is seen standing at the right hand of the Angel of the Lord, accusing Joshua, the high priest, who is clothed in filthy garments, and resisting the work that the Angel desires to do for him. This represents the attitude of Satan toward every soul whom Christ is seeking to draw unto Himself. The enemy leads us into sin, and then he accuses us before the heavenly universe as unworthy of the love of God. But ‘the Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ And unto Joshua He said, ‘Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.’ Zechariah 3:1-4.

“God in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious graces of His Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships, not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives. Every temptation resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances us in the work of character building. The soul that through divine power resists temptation reveals to the world and to the heavenly universe the efficiency of the grace of Christ” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 116, 117).

FRIEND OR FREELOADER?

My first-grade teacher, Mrs. Ayres, taught me things I needed to know to start school right, including one important rule: “Keep your eyes o your own paper.” It was a simple rule, but on that stuck with me over the years. Unfortunately, it’s not a rule everybody chooses to follow.

Recently, I encountered one of the rule breakers during an English exam. Every time I answered a question, I felt as though somebody was watching me a little too closely. I turned my head and glanced at Joel (not his real name), who sat right behind me. He gave me a wink and whispered, “I hope you studied for this test!”

I gave him a wary smile, not sure if he was joking or not, and returned to my test. This time I leaned more closely to my answer sheet.

“I can’t see!” Joel whispered.

What am I going to do? I thought to myself. Along with being a strict follower of Mrs. Ayres’ rule, I’m also a Christian, and cheating goes against my beliefs. Besides, I’d studied hard for the test. Apparently Joel hadn’t. Why should he sponge off my hard work?

I curled my arm around my answers. Then, just like in the movies, that mini-angel and mini-devil seemed to pop up on each of my shoulders: “He’s your friend, and what are friends for?” “You know it’s wrong.” “But he’ll think you’re a snob.” “Remember Mrs. Ayres.” “But he’ll think you’re self-righteous.”

I tapped my nails nervously on the top of my desk, hoping for an easy way out of this mess. No easy answer came. I knew I had to do what I felt was right, even if it made Joel mad. For the rest of the test, I guarded my paper so there was no way he could cheat off me.

When class ended, I stood to leave and faced Joel’s icy glare. If looks could kill, my parents would have been planning my funeral that afternoon. I stood there for a moment wondering what to say, I felt guilty for not letting him cheat, but then guilt turned into anger. He has no right to make me feel guilty! I felt like telling him off. But then a verse I’d memorized came to mind: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans12:21, NIV).

I felt my need for revenge melt away. While I needed to let him know I felt cheating was wrong, I didn’t want to destroy a friendship. “Sorry, Joel, but you know me well enough to know how I feel about cheating,” I said. “But maybe I could help you study before the next test.” I watched as Joel’s expression softened. “OK, Allison. I’ll give it a try.”

I felt relieved that my friendship with Joel hadn’t been destroyed. Even more, I was glad I’d stood up for my values. Mrs. Ayres would have been proud. I’m sure God was, too.

1. Is it a sin to be tempted?
   

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2. When does the temptation become sin?
   

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3. How can we resist the thing we are being tempted to do?
   

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4. As members of God’s kingdom, will we always have temptations to resist? Explain.
   

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“What is temptation? It is the means by which those who claim to be the children of God are tested and tried. We read that God tempted Abraham, that He tempted the children of Israel. This means that He permitted circumstances to occur to test their faith and lead them to look to Him for help. God permits temptation to come to His people today that they may realize that He is their helper. If they draw nigh to him when they are tempted, He strengthens them to meet the temptation” (In Heavenly Places, p. 251).

HERE’S WHAT I THINK

 Your best friend calls you frantically on the phone asking you to lie to protect him. He stayed out late one night and claimed to be with you, when this was not the case at all.

Punishment is undoubtedly going to take place when his parents call to confirm the story, unless you go along. What will you do? What are some of the real problems in this scenario?

What would you say to your friend? He knows he made a mistake and is sorry for it; he is pleading with you to cover for him. What would a good friend do? What are some of the options you have?

Go to http://guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your answers. Your thoughts and feelings may seem clearer to you when you write them down, so we’ve provided space for you here as well. You may also wish to share them with your class later. Be up front and honest.

“At the Saviour's baptism, Satan was among the witnesses. He saw the Father's glory overshadowing His Son. He heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Ever since Adam's sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion with God; the intercourse between heaven and earth had been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh’ (Rom. 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan had hoped that God's abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored.

“Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. The issues of the conflict involved too much to be entrusted to his confederate angels. He must personally conduct the warfare. All the energies of apostasy were rallied against the Son of God. Christ was made the mark of every weapon of hell.

“Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special bearing on their own life; and for them it has little interest. But within the domain of every human heart this controversy is repeated. Never does one leave the ranks of evil for the service of God without encountering the assaults of Satan.       The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we find it so difficult to withstand. They were urged upon Him in as much greater degree as His character is superior to ours. With the terrible weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test upon appetite, upon the love of the world, and upon that love of display which leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us”  (The Desire of Ages, pp. 116, 117).

Matthew 4:1-11 (The Message)

“Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: ‘Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.’

“Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: ‘It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth.’

“For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, ‘Since you are God's Son, jump.’ The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: ‘He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone.’

“Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: ‘Don't you dare test the Lord your God.’

“For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, ‘They're yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours.’

“Jesus' refusal was curt: ‘Beat it, Satan!’ He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.’

“The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs.”

1. What were Jesus’ temptations?
   

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2. What was significant about these temptations?
   

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3. How did Jesus overcome temptation?
   

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4. How can we use Jesus’ experience in our daily Christian walk with God?
   

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“When youth attempt to break away from Satan’s control, he will redouble his temptations. Taking advantage of their ignorance and inexperience, he attempts to obscure the distinction between right and wrong. He transforms himself into an angel of light, and beguiles by promises of pleasure in a forbidden path. If the youth have formed habits of following inclination rather than duty, they will find it hard to resist temptation. They do not see the danger in indulging even once in forbidden pleasure. The suggestions of Satan will stir every lingering element of depravity in the heart” (Messages to Young People, p. 82).

SO WHAT?

If there is one common thread that runs through all of humanity, it is the reality that we all struggle under the pressure of temptation. In the Bible, temptation is not as much a “seduction” as it is a testing of our true convictions. Some might disagree, but for the most part, we tend to act on our deepest values. If you succumb to lying, it’s probably true that you believe the short-term benefit of avoiding responsibility outweighs the long-term benefit of being a person of integrity.

Jesus was tempted to use His divine power to turn stones into bread.

Can you recall ever being tempted to go outside and zap a few rocks and turn them into bread? Can you recall ever being tempted to go outside and zap a few rocks and turn them into doughnuts on a Sunday morning? Doubtless, if we had that ability, we’d be tempted sometime to use it. The temptation was selfish—“use my edge to get a bite to eat” would have been all about Jesus at that point. Jesus modeled for us all a thoughtful process for responding to Satan’s tricks. He anchored in His Father’s words in Scripture. He considered who His Father was and who He was in relation to His Father. He chose the best way, His Father’s will over His, and the end result was the redemption of humanity. The promise for us still remains:

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:12, 13 NIV).

1. What can you do to stand firm against the devil?
   

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2. Other people in the Bible were tempted. Make a list of a few of them and their temptations.
   

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3. In question 2, you made a list of Bible people who were tempted and their temptations. Now list the individuals and how they overcame the temptation, or what caused them to sin.
   

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Match the texts with the correct phrase.

1. James 1:13-15 (NIV)
2. Psalm 91:11, 12 (NIV)
3. Deuteronomy 6:17-19 (NIV)
4. Psalm 2:8-9 (NIV)
5. James 1:12 (NIV)
6. 1 Corinthians 10:12, 13 (NKJV)
7. Hebrews 2:17, 18 (NIV)

1. “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
   

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2. “When tempted no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’”
   

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3. “But with the temptation he will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
   

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4. “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
   

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5. “Because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
   

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6. “Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you.”
   

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7.  “‘Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.’”
   

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Romans 8:35-37 (The Message)

“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
   “They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
   “We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.

“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”

1 John 4:4 (The Message)

“My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world's language and the world eats it up. But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.”

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

Henri Nouwen once said, “I cannot continuously say no to this or no to that, unless there is something ten times more attractive to choose. Saying no to my lust, my greed my needs and the world’s powers takes an enormous amount of energy. The only hope is to find something so obviously real and attractive that I can devote all my energies to saying yes. One such thing I can say yes to is when I come in touch with the fact that I am loved.”

In fact, this is what Jesus did in the wilderness. He said “Yes” to His Father. In your moments of temptation, know that you can say “Yes” to God and experience the fullness of God’s power to overcome. If you have the tendency to leap without looking, know that you have company. Even the most thoughtful person in the world has succumbed to temptation sometime.

God longs for you to choose the best way out of a heart of love for Him and a deep sense that you belong to Him. It’s not enough to know how to say “No.” You have to know why you’re saying it.

1. How does God want to help us overcome sin?
   

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2. How can we work with God to overcome the temptation to sin?
   

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3. What is the first step in resisting temptation or overcoming sin?
   

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Matthew 14:25-33 (New International Version)

“During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It's a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear.

“But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.’

“‘Lord, if it's you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’

“‘Come,’ he said.

“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’

“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’

“And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Don’t just do something! Think about it.  Sometimes we get into big trouble because we leap without looking. Think of a few temptations you struggle with and list them in the far—left box. Then think about the three W’s of resisting temptation found in the wilderness story (Matthew 4:1-11). Then remind yourself of what a child of God would/should do in response. And imagine the intended result.