“We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet He did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) hi
I got a message some time ago from someone I have not talked to in many years. They live far away, and it turns out their life did not take the same direction as mine. She wanted to catch up but expressed a hesitancy to do so out of fear that I would be disappointed in her life choices.
Truth is, I was very excited to reconnect. I love how God’s grace gives us the heart to genuinely love each other right where we are, no matter where we’ve been. It was as I was typing my response to her that I had the strangest thought – How would loving her now, in any way help advance me in ministry? She’s so far away, no one would see what God does in her life.
What???? Now before you throw up (as I wanted to), check this out. Do you remember what Jesus heard in his head while in the desert? “Throw yourself off the temple, then everyone will see that you really are the Son of God because the angels will protect you.” (Luke 4)
It would have been a much easier option than all the pain that lay ahead; and I dare say, what he heard in his head was a bit crazy too.
The enemy often overplays his hand, exposing himself and giving us a clear picture of not only his ridiculous strategy, but often God’s real intentions for our lives. As far as my friend and I, who thinks something like that? I could feel the evil behind it. It made my face contort just to repeat it out loud. After all these years, God must be activating one of his life-changing plans and I’m excited to re-connect!
The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are. That means EVERY WAY. The things he heard in his head were the same as the crazy things we hear in ours. That is so hard to comprehend, especially knowing all the ways we are tempted.
Jesus was tempted sexually & physically. He was tempted to be jealous, resentful, suicidal, and lazy. He was tempted to numb his pain with anything other than trusting his Father to handle it. He was tempted to be proud. He was tempted to quit. Need I go on?
The difference between us and Jesus is that he never sinned as a result of those temptations. He had no broken places in which those thoughts could take root. He knew Truth and would have no cause to believe a manipulative lie…but He still heard the whispers.
Temptation is not sin.
Temptation is the way the enemy starts a conversation with us, in the hopes of luring us away from God’s best Jesus never allowed the enemy to dictate the conversation. He never stepped outside of God’s plan. That means he never entertained the thought as something to consider. He heard all the same temptations we do, yet never for one moment believed any of them could be true.
Temptation always masks itself as our own thoughts and ideas. It causes us to feel shame and guilt as if we came up with the thought on our own. But by pausing and recognizing the source, we expose the temptation for what it is, and it loses all its power.
Mark (my husband) and I had gotten into a disagreement about something. He was not hearing or understanding my perspective on what we were talking about. I remember getting so hurt about it that I stormed up the steps. (Very mature move in know). Halfway up the steps I heard loud and crystal clear, “Well, you need to find someone else who does care!” It was nasty and vile. I could feel the evil. It caused me to stop in my tracks midway up the stairs. I repeated it quietly in shock as I stood there. It was obvious the source. It also made me want to vomit at how nasty the suggestion was. The enemy was implying I should go have an affair with someone who would better “care” for me.
Again, the enemy overplayed his hand. I literally started to laugh and walked right back in the kitchen to let Mark know what the enemy had just said to me. And again, it lost all its power.
Jesus never felt guilty about the temptations he experienced. He just responded with truth and moved on. I can’t imagine the barrage of things the enemy whispered to Jesus. He trusted his Father-God and knew well the enemy‘s voice. He also spent daily time with the Father and knew the scriptures. Our wounds make us very susceptible to the enemies lies, but knowing the voice of God and the truth in his word, means we don’t have to entertain the enemies voice.
Check out this chart I came across a couple years ago. It is quite simple, but it has helped me in determining the source of my thoughts.
Isn’t that helpful?
Have you ever heard the phrase in your head, “You deserve this”? I am convinced that is a phrase frequently used by the enemy. A couple months ago, as I was driving past Starbucks, the thought came to me, “You deserve to get yourself a treat.” It came with such a determined force that I had to pause. Ironically, I had just had my first Starbucks latte the week prior. I know, crazy, but coffee is just not my thing. He overplayed his hand again!
That little whisper revealed that the enemy constantly wants to tempt us to take what is not ours to have. Ultimately, that results in not being able to experience all the wonderful things God DOES have for us. If we stick something in our mouth every time, we think we deserve it, or indulge in every impulse we have, we end up paying for it later. Our consequences are directly related to our choices, and some of those impulsive choices can result in life-changing consequences. It would be a helpful strategy to recognize the source of our thoughts. When you know the source, you get to decide whether you want to listen to it or not.
Could this be why this verse is so very important, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ?” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
In the Meanwhile…
It is frightening how many times a day we entertain the whispers of the enemy and then take on the shame of what those whispers imply. The temptation is just the thought. It is up to us whether or not we put that thought into action. As you go about your day today, be very conscious of the source of your thoughts. It could be that many of them are actually temptations meant to throw you off of God‘s plan for that moment, the day…or in some cases your life. The enemy might be slick, but he is not creative.
Very helpful dear daughter of mine 💞
❤️
“Temptation is the way Satan starts a conversation” is so true. Despite his seeming lack of ill intent, his plan is to kill and destroy what God has created. We can’t afford to give him even a inch.
This stuff is soooo good. Thank you for sharing!