In the Bible, temptation refers to a situation where a person is tempted to do something they know is wrong. This desire can be caused by various factors such as lust, greed, anger or pride.
The Bible is full of examples of temptation. One of the most famous examples is the temptation of Jesus in the desert. In this story, Satan tempts Jesus with promises of power, wealth, and pleasure. However, Jesus resists the temptations and says to the devil: “Go back, Satan! Because it is written: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only” (Matthew 4:10).
Temptation in the Bible
Temptation in the Bible is the intentional deception of a person using a bait—usually pride and always for self-gratification—so that a person disobeys God’s revealed Word. The agent of temptation can be satanic or carnal, but its purpose is always to distort God’s world and to disobey God’s mission in the world.
Temptation and original sin
Temptation is as old as the Garden of Eden. Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted our first parents, Adam and Eve. They were deceived by this lie that stimulated their sense of pride and fell into the trap of death and misery. The rest of the Bible describes God’s plan of salvation in Christ.
Temptation of Christ
Jesus Christ, “the second Adam,” was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan” (Matthew 4:1). Despite God’s guidance, the Savior was tempted by Satan (Mark 1:13, Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13). Satan tried to influence the divinity and humanity of Jesus in three ways in his deceptive effort:
Satan ordered Jesus to make bread to satisfy his hunger.
Satan commanded Jesus to jump from the roof of the temple to demonstrate his saving power.
Finally, the devil offered Jesus Christ to give him all the kingdoms of the world, on the condition that Christ would bow down and worship the devil.
Where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus triumphed. And the victory in the desert is not only a sign of the reversal of the story of Eden, but also a sign of Israel’s defeat in the desert and the real fall of mankind.
The tradition that the Church has about the “long period” (fasting or in other words the “forty days” of Easter) is addressed to the meaning of Christ’s temptation and victory for our lives as believers.
What does the Bible say about temptation?
Considering that there are several verses about the concept of temptation, here we mention a few of them and explain about each one.
James 1:13: “No one should say when tested, ‘The Lord is testing me.’ Because God is not a tempter to evil, but everyone is tempted by his own desires and carnal desires.
God does not tempt us. Satan does this. It does not make sense that God wants to tempt us. Sin is contrary to his nature.
1 Corinthians 10:13: “No trial has come upon you but it is common to men; And God is faithful that He will not test you more than you can bear, but with the test He will also provide a way of escape so that you can bear it.
When we face temptation, we must rely on God. He can provide us with a way to escape from the clutches of temptation and continue on the path of righteousness.
Today in the article : What Is Temptation According to the Bible? We reviewed useful information about the Bible and the way of Jesus. If you wish, you can view other articles of Ali Vahidi about Christianity
