Part 2 of 10 – The Process of Temptation

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Casting Down Imaginations.

Understanding Sin’s Temptations

Most Christians don’t realize it but the spiritual realm is the real and heavenly realm in which we have a part. Our battle is spiritual, against Satan still trying to work his will in us and in the world.

“… we wrestle NOT against flesh and blood, BUT against principalities, against powers (the highest ranking fallen spiritual powers), against the rulers (Gk. kosmokrator, singular; the world-ruler, cf. 2 Cor 4:4) of the darkness of this world, against SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS (Gk. poneria, sinful plotting) in high places (Gk. epouranios, the heavens).” (Eph 6:12)

The Devil is the world-ruler and enemy of our souls. He’s able to tempt us with his sinful thoughts. We wrongly assume that our thought is of our own initiative. Most of us don’t recognize the source of our sinful and damaging thoughts so we may say “Oh, that’s just me,” “I just can’t let go of the past,” or “I’m a failing or defective Christian.” Often our thoughts are not just us. The Devil is called the sinner from the beginning” (1Jn 3:8) and “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10). Referring to the Devil we read, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.(Rev 12:10b). He accuses us, trying to condemn us for awful thoughts, when actually they are thoughts from Satan. Know this, we as believers are now “in Christ,” and we will never be condemned by God. Don’t believe the condemning lies of Satan. “there is now No Condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1).

We should know that our salvation was never based upon how good we could be or how good we can be now – it was and is based upon our “saving faith” in the finished work of Christ’s cross; while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Our salvation isn’t performance based; by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9). We are secure in Christ, never to be lost; we are sealed with His Spirit unto the day of our final redemption to glory. grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30)

The Devil is able, without our planned forethought, to inject into our minds distracting, tempting, sinful thoughts. It’s obvious that with TV programming and advertisements, our culture of sexuality; and women’s dress (today, “undress” is more accurate) there’s plenty of provocation to temptation in our thoughts. But some thoughts simply seem to come out of the blue. Knowledgeable and alert Christians should know what these thoughts are and from whence they come.

Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.(1 Peter 5:8 (AMP)

The sinful thoughts and accusations that are common to all men, and even Christians, are the “fiery darts” (KJV) or “flaming missiles” (AMP) of the enemy of our soul – Satan.

Paul says the members of “the body of Christ” are equipped with the “sword of the Spirit” which is the truth of the word of God that we stand on, and with “the shield of faithwe can “extinguish” these “fiery darts.” We can do this by maintaining faith in the truth that we are forever counted as righteous… because we are “in Christ.”

Ephesians 6:16 (AMP) Lift up over all the [covering] SHIELD OF SAVING ‘FAITH,’ upon which YOU (the believers) CAN QUENCH (Gk. sbennymi; extinguish) ALL THE FLAMING MISSILES of the wicked [one].

As soon as we recognize such evil thoughts of Sin’s temptations and accusations we need to dismiss or ‘cast down’ such thoughts.

Realizing that we live from moment to moment we may need to recognize and cast down these thoughts over and over againuntil the habit is broken by having turned our heart to Him again and again as an expression of continued faith in the truth that we are “crucified with Christ” and “he that is dead is free from Sin’s dominion (Rom. 6:7)

Lust simply means “strong desire.” Such lustful, self-seeking, hateful, unbelieving, and ungodly thoughts can get stuck in our subconscious minds. These are what Paul calls “strong holds” (2Cor 10:4). These “strong holds” may gain a home in our mind by the repeated promptings of the Sin-nature that has established them over the years before and even after our salvation. Our wrong thinking can become habitual, through being tempted over and over. It may seem that we cannot get away from these thoughts, but we do have a way to deal with these thoughts.

Solomon wrote, Proverbs 23:7 as he thinketh in his heart, so is he This agrees with what I once heard Norman Grubb say; “What you take hold of will take hold of you.” E.g., if you take hold of a chair by sitting in it, it will take hold of you by supporting you, and that’s good. But conversely, if you take hold of evil, fearful, jealous, grievous or anxious thoughts, entertaining the “imaginations” that appear in your mind; then they may take hold of you as all consuming, ultimately prompting you to act on those thoughts. Our “imaginations” are “temptations” that can turn us away from the ever-present Lord within.

We can “pull down” and “take captive” evil thoughts by learning to turn our mind away from the thought to the truth of “the word of God,” “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63) Thereby we are turning our heart to the Lord within us. “to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom 8:6). This single motion of turning our heart to “the word of the Lord” is simultaneously a turning away from the evil thought. Christ alone is able to save us from those thoughts in that very moment. He desires to live His righteous Christian life through us.

James here clearly outlines the progression and consequence of falling into temptation toward sin.

“Blessed is the man (of Israel) that endureth (stays true in) temptation: for when he is tried (tempted), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him (Christ). 14 But EVERY MAN IS TEMPTED, when he is DRAWN AWAY OF HIS OWN LUST, and ENTICED. 15 Then WHEN LUST (GK., epithymia, forbidden desire) HATH CONCEIVED, IT BRINGETH FORTH SIN: and SIN, WHEN IT IS FINISHED, BRINGETH FORTH DEATH. (James 1:12, 14-15).

“Lust” here in James 1:15 (above) is defined as strong desire for what is forbidden; this includes all manner of sin; it is not limited to sexual sin. Hebrews 11:25b tells us there are “pleasures of sin for a season.”  All manner of “sins of the flesh” (Col 2:11) are manifested as result of a person going along with or giving into whatever the temptation.

Here we summarize James’ four-step process leading to actualizing sin that begins in the mind.

1) A spontaneous “temptation” arises as a thought in the mind.  

2) Being “tempted,” we may be “drawn away,” “enticed,” due the “lust” of the Sin in the flesh” (Rom 8:3)

3) When “lust” is conceived it usually culminates in an act of sinning against what we know as “truth.” These thoughts are contrary to our true identity “in Christ”

4) Then, with the act os sin, we bear the first consequence of “sinning,” falling into the “condemnation of the Devil, (as the accuser) (1Tim 3:6).

5) This brings spiritual death,’ we feel hopelessly cut off and distant from God and those around us. This all because we of ourselves chose to turn away fromvaluing our grace-union with Christ in our spirit more than anything this earthy life has to offer.

Yet know this, even in our sin, our ‘position’ is still “in Christ” and the Lord Jesus never leaves us or ceases to love us unconditionally. If we trust, Him He will lead us out of the quagmire we fell into.

We need to turn our heart again to Him, recognizing that Sin is not of our true identity in Christ… but that Sin is the very nature of Satan manifested as “Sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3).

Sin brings death. All of us are born of Adam, physically alive, but we were spiritually, “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), spiritually dead toward God, but in Christ we were “made alive” unto God. But this death in James may be defined as a cessation of fellowship with the Lord – we turned away. Though Christ never leaves us, but in the course of sinning we chose to separate our self from the Lord, choosing to live by our own self-desires.

The sequence of temptation that James outlines applies universally, being common to all mankind, both the believers and unbelievers. It’s imperative that the Christians know how to recognize and respond to the very first step in the progression toward sinning, which is the initial “temptation.” Sin impacts our life and often the lives of others. Sin has far reaching affects; consider DUI accidents, and how sin can prompt divorce, or loss of a job, tearing apart families and relationships, and the hurt that results.

There are practical steps that may be employed to prevent some temptations, such as the simple concept of “don’t go there.” By this I mean if you’re tempted to drunkenness then you don’t go to places or to be with people that will tempt you with alcohol. You may need to block certain TV stations to keep the “eye gate”of your “physical eyes” and “mind’s eye” guarded, so you don’t stir up “imaginations” in your mind.

[Under the influence of wine] your eyes will behold strange things [and loose women] and your MIND will utter things Turned the Wrong Way [untrue, incorrect].” (Proverbs 23:33 (AMP)

Jesus of Nazareth Himself was tempted but never sinned, so there is no sin in the temptation itself.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest (Jesus) which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but Was In All Points Tempted Like As We Are, Yet Without Sin (sinning).

Jesus always dealt with temptation by declaring His dependence upon the “the Father” (e.g., Matt. 4:4). Jesus did in fact have a body of human flesh just like ours. God was “the Father” of Jesus of Nazareth (not Joseph), but Mary, as a sinful human was Jesus’ mother (Gal 4:4). God the Father “is Spirit” and He was one with Jesus of Nazareth in His Spirit (Eph 4:4), but Mary gave Jesus a body of flesh just like hers. Thus Jesus’ body was as capable of sinning as we are because it is clear that His human lineage goes back to “Adam” (see Luke 3:23-38) by whom “Sin (as a nature) entered the world (of humanity)” (Rom 5:12).

Thus, Jesus could actually betempted like as we are…” yet Jesus never acted upon His flesh body’s promptings with any act of sinning. Jesus was sinless in that though He was tempted, He never actualized sinning! By taking the cup of our sins Jesus was able to take the death penalty for us.

For he (the Father) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; (so) that we might be made (become) the righteousness of God in him (Christ). (2 Corinthians 5:21)