p. 50 | TEMPTATION by E. Goodrich

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 15, 1877

TEMPTATION

By E. Goodrich

“And lead us not into temptation.” It is rather hard for the mind to grasp the meaning of this text. One would infer upon reading it that God was quite in the habit of leading men into exposed positions and leaving them there at the mercy of their common enemy, the devil; but this cannot be true, because we are assured elsewhere in the Bible that God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. But a man is tempted when he is drawn away with his own lusts and enticed; and it is always a law of temptation “that the power of enticement from without is proportioned to the power of inward desire.”

A man can only be tempted with that which he desires. One is tempted with the shining dust, the almighty dollar; another with the wine cup or alcoholic drinks; another with ambition and the sceptre of empire; while another is charmed and taken captive by bright eyes, coral lips, and words that drop sweeter than honey.

The sentiment of the prayer in the text is to be delivered from the wiles and power of the evil one in the hour of danger. But man is to be tempted and tried; and there can be neither excellency nor development of character without trial. Untempted innocency is at best but insipid virtue. And we are most earnestly exhorted in the word of God not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try us, as though some strange thing had happened to us; but we are to rejoice inasmuch as we are made partakers of the sufferings of Christ, that when his glory shall be revealed, we may rejoice with exceeding joy. Yea, we are to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations, knowing that the trial of our faith worketh patience. And we are to let patience have her perfect work, that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

The trial of our faith, though it be tried like gold when it is tried in the fire, will be found unto praise and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, because a blessing is pronounced upon the man that endureth temptation, even that he shall receive a crown of life. Even our Saviour was made perfect through suffering; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him. And having been tempted in all points as we are, he became a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, and is now able to succor and save all that come unto God by him.

Satan is indeed a cunning foe. In view of this, we are exhorted to be sober and vigilant, because our adversary, the devil, walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. And when we are tempted, we are not to say we are tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man; but we are tempted by our own passions and the allurements of Satan, and he always adapts his temptations to those whom he would devour.

Satan is an experienced general. He has his head-quarters, his well-drilled army, his battle fields, and his lines of battle. He has his signal station, his outstanding pickets, and his spies; and he is perfectly equipped with all the instruments of warfare. And no one is safe to engage him presumptuously or to be found within his lines unbidden.

The text that we have read does not mean that God leads us into temptation. We are not only assured that he does not, but we are also assured that he will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear, but will with the temptation make a way to escape. And it is to this way of escape that we wish to speak. It is true that we are to be tried and tempted and to fight the good fight of faith even unto death. And our warfare is as much an offensive as a defensive one. But we are not to engage the enemy on our own account, neither are we to fight without our whole armor on. God will most surely make a way of escape, but not for those who needlessly expose themselves to danger by going upon the enemy’s ground unbidden by their Captain.

Where God sends a man there God will sustain him and not otherwise. It is written, “Then was Jesus led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” And the same power by which he was led or driven supported him in his temptations.

But how very different it is with many who seem to think themselves safe anywhere and everywhere, whether in the way of duty or upon the enchanted ground of the enemy. It is the God of battles that plans our way of escape, and it is neither in the way of danger nor is it in the way of retreating from danger, but it is the way of duty, the way of the cross, and often through the thickest of the battle and over the dead bodies of the slain (the carnal appetites), or in so fighting that our enemies flee from us. Our Saviour was perfectly safe in the wilderness with the wild beasts and without food and with the tempter, and upon the exceedingly high mountain with the kingdoms of the world below him, and upon the pinnacle of the temple, as long as he obeyed God. And when he had resisted the devil at every point of attack, angels came and ministered unto him.

This is our example. Satan always makes his approaches either by the way of eye-gate or ear-gate, or by some of the low back ways of passion or appetite. And sometimes he attacks us at various points all at once, and the temptation reads, That which is pleasant to the eye and good for food and desirable to make one wise. The form of temptation addresses itself to the lusts of the eye, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life, and is very formidable, because so seductive. The way of escape from these is not by the way of indulgence or gratification, feasting the eye upon forbidden sights and the appetite upon forbidden fruits, and following the prompting of worldly ambition; but the way of escape is self-denial.

The exhortation is, Handle not, touch not, taste not, and look not upon. Every indulgence in sin strengthens sin in us. It both “lessens the power of resistance and augments vitiating force,” and the increasing power of temptation is its most fearful attribute. The same law that governs falling bodies—the law of accelerating speed—governs the action of sin in us. The drunkard, the libertine, the grumbler, the miser, present forcible illustrations of this law.

The way of escape is provided for those who would otherwise be tempted above that which they are able to bear. And we should always remember that (as above intimated) the violence of temptation addressed to the mind from without is exactly measured by the violence of inward desire, and we are won only by that which we inwardly wish. It is often our fault that we are severely tempted. The way of escape is the way of humility, and by overcoming our unholy or carnal desires. The way of escape is the way of watching and praying. The way of escape is that strait and narrow way which alone leadeth unto life.

E. GOODRICH.

Edinboro, Pa.