What a beautiful promise God made to us in that verse. Temptation exists, and as you read throughout the Bible you will encounter moments when all of the main characters, including Jesus, are tempted. God promised to provide us with a way out of temptation when it occurs, but you have to be willing to look for that way out. Satan knows you almost as well as God does. He makes it his practice to get to know you, specifically so he can tempt you, and so he knows which temptations you'll be most likely to fall for. But you have the power to overcome him, just as Jesus did.

"For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world." 1st John 2:16

In this verse from the New International Version of the Bible the three types of temptations are named. The King James Version is even clearer; "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Adam and Eve failed when faced with each of these temptations, but Jesus passed them all.

Adam and Eve: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Genesis 3:6

Jesus: "The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."" Matthew 4:3

When Satan tempted Eve he basically called God a liar, and she agreed by seeing the fruit as "good for food" and "desired to make her wise". She thought that she was wiser than God was. Even though he commanded her not to eat the fruit, she decided that it wasn't wrong, because it was good for food and wisdom. She chose to give in to the temptation and ignore God's command. She chose to sin.

Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness while Satan tempted Him. You can only imagine how extremely hungry He must have been, and Satan, knowing this, tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus had the power to do this, but even though He was starving, and probably dazed by this point, He resisted the temptation. He didn't chose to see the stones as "good for food". He chose to obey God.

Satan looked for their weaknesses and seized upon them. He does the same thing with us because he knows that the flesh is weak. Where are you weakest right now? Watch out, because that's where he's trying to tempt you.

Adam and Eve: "And the serpent said unto the woman, you shall not surely die: For God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5

Jesus: "Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "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."" Matthew 4:5-6

Satan was very subtle in his temptation of Eve. He didn't try to put himself before God by saying, "don't listen to him, listen to me," and he didn't directly call God a liar. Instead he told her that she would not surely die as a matter of fact, and to convince her, he said that God knows she won't die. Eve simply accepts these 'facts' because the temptation to have her eyes opened to the truth, to become like a god herself, and to know good and evil was too great. She had to decide the truth for herself, but without even a second thought, she gave into the temptation, and ate the fruit.

Satan tempted Jesus by quoting the Bible, attempting to use God's own scripture to tempt Him, which shows just how devious he can be. He basically told Jesus to prove He was the Son of God. He reminded Jesus that if He was truly the Son of God, He had the power of the angels at His command, and He could use this power to prove who He was. Of course if He were only human he would fall to the ground and die. Picture yourself in that position, if you knew that you had the very power of God at your fingertips, how quickly would you use that power against Satan? How fast would you say, "I'll show you," and then prove your supremacy? Jesus resisted the temptation to boast of His power and authority, and defeated Satan's attempt to trick Him by quoting scripture Himself. He knew who He was, and didn't have to prove it to anyone.

Satan is the father of lies, and he is willing to use anything in his power to trick you, but you need to be aware of his deceptions, and always be watchful of his temptations.

Adam and Eve: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Genesis 3:6

Jesus: "The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Luke 4:5-7

Eve saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes. She liked what she saw, and she just had to have it. This is a temptation that we all fall prey to. When's the last time that you saw something that you just had to have? Was it something that you really needed? Was it something that would please God? When you first laid eyes on it, wasn't it tempting? This was the temptation that Eve felt. Her desire to have what looked good to her was overwhelming. She didn't stop to think if it was something that she really needed, and she quickly forgot God. She convinced herself that she deserved it, and so she took it.

A simple piece of fruit was enough to tempt Eve's eyes, but for Jesus Satan had to pull out the big guns. The Bible says that Satan is "the god of this world." He owns everything in it, rules over all of it, and so as much as God allows him, he can do as he pleases with it. So he offered Jesus his throne over the entire world, if Jesus would just bow down to him. It has been Satan's desire to replace God since before his fall, and this was another devious attempt towards that goal, but beyond his ulterior motive, what he showed Jesus must have been a magnificent sight for the eyes to behold. Could you imagine being tempted by such an offer? Have you ever sinned when tempted by lesser things? Jesus could have had the whole world at that moment. He wouldn't have to suffer or die to get it, but instead He chose the more difficult path. He chose the way out of the temptation that God gave him, and at His resistance to this, Satan fled from Him.

Satan knows your desires. He knows exactly how much your eyes need to see in order to be tempted, and that temptation can be very difficult to resist. But Jesus showed us that if we resist Satan long enough he will flee from us.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

Each time Jesus was tempted He looked for the way out that God had promised. In fact, Jesus quoted scripture each time He was tempted, which shows the strength and power that exists in God's word, and is an excellent example for us to follow as a means of arming ourselves against temptation. When He resisted Satan's temptations, Satan fled. Remember; God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, all you have to do is hold out, reject the Devil, and he will flee from you. If it ever feels like too much to handle, turn to God, He won't let you down. But be careful not to fall into the trap of accusing God.

"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:13-15

God tests us, but He does not tempt us. He allows us to encounter temptation to see how we'll react; to test the level of our devotion, but He does not perform the temptation. The Bible refers to Satan as the "Tempter", and "The Father of Lies". He was given these names because they describe him so well, and he is the one behind all deception, temptation and lies. He has been developing his skills of deceit since before the creation of man, and you'd better believe that he has gotten pretty good at it. You must always be on guard against him, and be weary of him and his nature, so that you will know him when he comes to you. He will do everything in his power to lure you to him, and to lure you away from God, because he wants to insult God, and he tries to accomplish this by persuading believers to sin. But why should he care about making Believers sin? Why waste his time with people who are already saved?

"Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army." Revelation 19:19

Satan knows that his throne and dominion over earth are at stake, and he will do whatever it takes to protect his power. He is actually convinced that he can defeat Jesus when He returns, and maintain his throne, even though God states a different outcome. Satan, even now, is building his army. Even though you're saved, he knows that if he can persuade you to sin, you will not set a good example as a Christian. When you sin, nonbelievers see it, and think that you are no different then they are. They already have doubts about salvation, and now they're convinced that they're right. What kind of truth is there to the Bible, or Jesus, if the people who claim to know Him are just as bad as me? Why should I become saved? When Satan can tempt you to sin he wins and his army for the final battle grows.

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1st Peter 5:8-9

Temptation is a solicitation from Satan to do evil, and the Bible warns us to keep alert to it. Satan is watching for an opportunity to entice you, and the best opportunity is when you least expect it. The Bible says that he will flee from you if you resist him, but it also says that Satan masquerades as an angel of light, attempting to fool even those that know God. The only way that you can avoid being fooled by Satan is to make sure that you know the truth. Jesus said that if you hold to His teaching, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Read God's word and get to know Jesus; walk with Him to become more like Him; practice what He teaches, and you will persevere and triumph over temptation.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

The crown of life is one of the three crowns that the Bible specifically speaks of as rewards that we can receive when we join God in heaven. The crown of life is the reward of unending life, and as the verse above states, it will be rewarded to those who persevere under trial.

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5

You will have trials and tribulations in your life because it's God's purpose to refine you, and ultimately to help you develop a character like His. When it gets hard, and you're sure that you just can't take anymore, turn to God. Ask Him to guide you, and to help you get through that trial. He promised to never allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, and He promised to never leave you or forsake you. If you turn to Him, He will help you through your trial. He will stand with you against Satan.

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