How temptation works...
Ahh… the perfect breakfast! The older I get the more tempting food becomes! Have you ever noticed that you can go for a long time without something…unless you know you are not supposed to have it… then suddenly you want it all the time! I notice this most when I am fasting, or when I have given something up for lent. I can go for days without sugar, unless I decide to join my wife on a 10 day sugar fast. Then I can’t stop thinking about it. It seems crazy, but that seems to be how it works. Perhaps if we could begin to understand why this is so, it may provide us with a few keys to help us overcome it.
Understanding temptation...
Psychologists and counsellors tell us we are more susceptible to temptation when we are tired, angry, hungry, or stressed. It's not surprise then that all those work together to cheer each other on. When my wife has gone for more than about six hours without food, she starts to get "hangry". (hangry is when hungry and angry work together against us) If she happens to also be tired and stressed it is like adding gasoline to a campfire.The temptation at this point is to react, to lash out at anything and anyone who happens to be unfortunate enough to be near us.
I have a similar response when the caffeine level gauge starts getting close to empty. It is at these times when we are tempted to say and/or do things we under better circumstance would never do or say.
So how does one learn to "resist" the temptation to slap someone "so hard that even google won't be able to find them" when we are convinced they obviously deserve it? Is it possible to control these emotions that seem to pop up out of nowhere and catch us by surprise? The answer is yes, but typically not without a little assistance from both within and without.
The Source of Temptation...
To identify the source of temptation, we must travel back to the very beginning. We see the fruit of yielding to temptation in Genesis chapter 3, but the source goes back even further. It begins when Lucifer, the most beautiful, most powerful, most talented archangel yields to his desire to rule in the place of God. Most orthodox scholars suggest that this caused a war in the heavenly realm. Lucifer followed by one third of the angels, rebelling against Michael and Gabriel and the other two thirds, resulting in Lucifer and those who followed him being cast out of God's presence.
It is Lucifer who places the question in the mind of Eve, "Did God really say...?" which results in Eve choosing to disobey God's warning not to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is Adam who was also aware of the warning who did nothing to stop Eve, and ultimately joined her in the disobedience. And so it began...
Resisting Temptation...
A huge part of resisting temptation, is in recognizing the deception. When the snake in the garden of Eden approached Eve, it came as a friend. Eve was not alarmed or afraid of the snake. She didn't freak out when the snake spoke to her. Apparently the relationship between humans and animals was different prior to the events of Genesis chapter 3. Eve trusted the snake, and why shouldn't she? She knew nothing else, except that God had clearly said they should not eat the fruit Eve was admiring. She trusted God, but now the snake was suggesting that she should question her trust in God. Lucifer plants a thought in her mind. Why would God be withholding something from them? And then Lucifer suggests the very idea that got him kicked out of God's presence. "If you eat this fruit, your mind will be opened and you will become like God, knowing good from evil". All Lucifer ever wanted was to become like God. What he failed to grasp was that prior to his rebellion - he already was like God. Eve (and Adam with her) fell for the same deception. They already were created in the image of God, but fell for the deception that it was not enough.
Winning the Battle...
Temptation always begins with a thought. What we choose to believe about ourselves and about God determines not only our experience in this adventure we call life, but also determines our eternal destiny. It is literally a battle for your mind. God speaks to our mind in many ways. Through the words of the Bible, through the words of trusted friends, through the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, (which we sometimes mistakenly call our conscience). Lucifer's attempts to deceive come in surprisingly similar packages. The words of a friend, the feelings of anger and fear, through well intentioned human wisdom of secular philosophers and internet influencers. For many of us it is difficult to discern truth from deception, because we are not familiar enough with the truth.
Recognizing the Deception...
Do you know how the people who are trained to recognize counterfeit currency are trained? They focus almost entirely on studying the genuine currency. They study every little detail and nuance of genuine article, so that any time they see something a coin or bill that has something missing, or if they see something unfamiliar they immediately recognize it as a counterfeit. We can win the battle over temptation using the same technique. The more familiar we are with the truth, the more likely it is we will recognize the deception. So the question then becomes…how do I become familiar with the truth? And I’m so glad you asked…
Knowing the Truth...
Knowing the truth in this case is more than just knowing what is true, though that is critically important. When scripture speaks of truth, there is more than one application that we can make. There is the certainly the obvious literal application, which Jesus mentioned in John 17:17 where in his prayer for those who follow him, he asks God to “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” The Psalmist also declares, “the sum of your word is truth, and every on of your righteous rules endures forever.” (Ps 119:160) So to study the Bible and to be familiar with what God has revealed there about himself and his relationship with humanity is critical to knowing what is true and what is false in the literal sense.
There is another sense in which we can know the truth which is perhaps even more critical than the literal sense, because it is the first step to really understanding what the Bible is communicating to us. Jesus often spoke in riddles, particularly when speaking to skeptics like the religious leaders of his day. In the New Testament he makes two statements which when we connect the dots, reveal that one of the keys to knowing the truth, is knowing him. The first statement is recorded in the fourteenth chapter or the gospel of John.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
The corresponding statement that leads me to believe that knowing him personally is key to understanding and recognizing the truth, appears earlier in the gospel of John in the eighth chapter.
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32)