"And lead us not into temptation..."

       The Greek word for temptation is pierasmos, which means adversity, a trying situation, putting to proof, discipline, provocation. Actually, the phrase would better be rendered into our modern English: "And allow us not to be led away of temptations." God emphatically says He will not tempt us!

        Notice what James, the Lord's brother, wrote, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.

        "Let no man say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted of God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man!

        "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

        "Do not err, my beloved brethren [by thinking God tempts us] every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1: 12-17).

        At first glance, it appears Christ is telling us to pray that God will not lead us into temptation; as if we would be tempted of God if we did not pray otherwise. But no, we find the Bible says God is neither tempted, nor will He deliberately tempt anyone.

        Satan is called "the tempter." He is called "the god of this world" (II Corinthians 4: 4) and the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). Peter described Satan as a "roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (I Peter 5:8-9). Satan is a very real being. He has destructive powers which he can use insofar as God allows (read the example of Job's trials—how Satan caused the death of his family and servants), and is aided by literally millions of fallen angels called "demons." These powerful spirit beings are able to influence, and sometimes even possess, human minds. There is simply no question whatever of the existence of these spirit cohorts of Satan.

        Christ encountered many who were possessed of demons, and cast the demons out, restoring these afflicted humans to their normal, rational state.

        God promises His children protection from Satan and his demons. He says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). James also wrote, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). We need not be in fear of demons or Satan, but we do need to be aware of their power, of their evil influences. God says it is the demons who fear; that, in the presence of Christ and His Spirit, they must shrink away in fear.

        There are three major sources of temptation of which we should be aware: Satan, society, and our own human natures.

        Remember the Bible description of our natural, fleshly minds? We are "not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" in our natural human state prior to conversion (Romans 8:7). Human nature contains vanity, jealousy, lust, greed, avarice, cunning, selfishness, and, now and then, beneficence, selflessness, and surprising humanitarian instincts. How many hundreds of books are there concerning the human mind; our ego, our psyche, our mental, psychological and spiritual makeup? Human nature is a mixture of good and evil. The most evil person who ever lived might contain certain good qualities; the finest may contain various evil qualities.

        When we were born, we were an altogether sweet, precious, innocent, beautiful little life to our parents. They showered love and affection on us; showed us tender concern, the finest care. We did not learn how to reciprocate this outpouring of loving concern until many years later. Some never do. No, for all our innocence as a little child, we were mostly a collection of unbridled physical appetites.

        As an adult, when we are uncomfortable, hurt, hungry, cold, or tired, we express ourselves in controlled ways. We may be vindictive toward one who has hurt us, or we may snap at someone, "For Pete's sake, (why do we say that—why not "For John's sake," or "For Elmer's sake?") close the door, I'm freezing to death!" A spouse might snap at a mate, "Will you turn off that light, so I can get some sleep?" But normally, we don't explode in mindless tantrums over minor discomforts. By adulthood, we're supposed to have outgrown all that.

        As a child, we simply yell. We fill our lungs with air, kick, wave our arms about, and scream out our hurt, frustration, anger, and self pity. What parent has not moved with compassion to see the lower lip of their tiny infant curl downward, the eyes fill with tears, the plaintive wail of absolute self pity, as if to say, "You must hate me terribly, to make me feel this way?" Babies have no sense of fairness. They wail as if their little hearts will break even as Mom is doing everything in her power to coddle and love them.

        As a little child, we are completely unacceptable to normal society. We are blissfully unaware of all social graces. We cannot control our bodily processes. We drool, burp, spit up, urinate and defecate with gleeful abandon—and unless our parents are quick to clean us up, we will play in it all if they let us. We do all of this happily unaware that it is unacceptable behavior. Why? Because we are, at this stage, a collection of appetites and emotion. There is no character development as yet, only human functions and uncoordinated motor facility.

        The first area of development is physical. Then, we begin to grow mentally. Like punching information into a computer, our little minds begin to absorb knowledge and experience like a sponge. The last way most people grow up is emotionally; some never do. The rarest maturation of all is to grow up spiritually, through repentance, and receiving God's Spirit.

        Everything we know; about history, philosophy, science, theology, was "programmed" into our mental computer by our teachers, parents, friends; by influential people around us and through experience. Many of us have never taken the time to study and think through our religious concepts; many merely inherited them through parents and friends. We tend to trust the "professionals" when we look for help in real estate, tax returns, or purchasing a car. It is the same in religion. Somehow, we have acquired a false concept about God; about just what it is He is supposed to be doing here below. That's why we cry out "O God, where are You when I need You?" We tend to feel our troubles are somehow God's responsibility, that He could do something about them if only He would.

        As carnal humans, we do not really single out God in heaven above for our anger. At least, most of us don't. But indirectly, in our self-pitying, self-conscious, egocentric plunge through life, we tend to lash out at God. "Why me?" "Why does everything bad happen to me?" In our petulance, it is as if the very elements have contrived to thwart us. All "Sunday hackers" in the golf world know this is so. They do not doubt for a moment that the weather, the ball manufacturer, the club-maker, the lie of the land, the root beneath their ball, or the fellow on the adjacent green who said something during their backswing all conspired to ruin their shot. They can be heard fervently cursing these and other factors, or making extremely harsh and repeated reference to divinity as they hook, slice, shank and skull the ball around the course. Few recognize the real problem—the loose nut on the end of the shaft!

        Psychologists know most—that's right, most human beings are afflicted with a vast inferiority complex. It is virtually axiomatic that some of the greatest achievers in society were those with the largest inferiority complexes; those who sought to prove to themselves and the world at large they were not as inferior as they believed themselves to be. Inferiority can be a driving force which produces boundless energy in some people, forcing them to struggle continually for success.

        God's Word shows this is not God's society; this present world with all its evils is not of God's making. He is not generally intervening in human lives today. It is only when we come to realize God is not a God of convenience; He is not a part-time "helpful Genie" to bail us out of trouble, but otherwise remain somnolent and avoid restraining us from our own self-willed choices; only when we understand that mankind has invited God out of its social structures that we finally see this present evil world in its true perspective. We are just "out here, " taking our chances like anyone else, unless and until we repent of our sins, and come to God the Father through Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Then we can use the outline of the "Lord's Prayer" in a daily sense, and we can expect dramatic results! Want to overcome temptations in your life? God will help you, as long as you are willing to do your part.

        What are the temptations Christ says we should pray to avoid? We know the most obvious ones, surely; stealing, cheating, robbing, lying, plotting revenge or murder. But most of us are rarely "tempted" to commit a crime. The temptations most common are those of appetites Our human appetites involve the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and feel. As Solomon said, "All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled" (Ecclesiastes 6:7). When are we truly "filled" with sated senses? Solomon wrote, "All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing" (Ecclesiastes 1:8).

        The lust to see can become an obnoxious human passion in some cases. We're all familiar with "rubber necking" motorists who cause horrible traffic snarls on the freeways when they go ever so slowly past an accident to see the jangled metal, bleeding bodies, and general chaos. The desire to see this or that distant place, beautiful scene, or smoking disaster, has led millions of humans like thundering herds of stampeding wildebeasts to rush here and there in order to fulfill the desire of the eye, to see! "I want to see, Daddy!" we yelled as children, when standing in the third rank as the circus parade went by. Satisfying the desire to see is not a sin in itself, of course, any more than eating is a sin, or an inordinate temptation, so long as we eat those things which are healthful, and which do not harm us. God says He is the heavenly Father "...Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things" (Psalms 103:5). It is only when the desire to see becomes lust, when appetite leads to careless disregard for others, that the exercise of our physical senses becomes sinful.

        The "desire of the eyes" becomes a sin when lust enters; when lust has conceived. It is this lust which supports a multi-billion dollar porno industry. The basest of all examples is the kind of under-the-counter home video or film which actually portrays a real murder which is committed during some orgiastic sex scene.

        The desire to fulfill our appetites leads to an enormous host of sins, spiritual and physical. Drinking, smoking, overeating; these can cause lung cancer, heart disease, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, gout, kidney stones, a number of other diseases, and are directly linked to substances we ingest in order to satisfy sensual cravings.

        And what is more tempting, to those possessing a "sweet tooth," than a big, three-scoop banana split laced with syrupy sauces? What is more tempting to a voyeur than an X-rated book store or nude peep show? What is more tempting to an alcoholic than a bottle of Glen Livet Scotch? Physical temptations of the appetites are as commonplace as breathing. They come to us in a daily barrage of advertising, human contacts, and our own physical senses. As Freud understood, one of the most powerful appetites in the human creature is that of sexual fulfillment.

        Two of the Ten Commandments deal directly with sex. One says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," and the other says, "Thou shalt not covet. " The breaking of God's laws governing sexual behavior has led directly to the gradual destruction of our homes and families. Our nation is only as strong as our homes. When this essential institution is in chaotic disarray, our society itself is in deadly peril. As we learned earlier, only approximately fifteen percent of our homes in the United States are traditional, with father and mother in Godgiven roles. Much of entertainment, much of literature, seems aimed at satisfaction of the sensual pleasures of sex. The effect of all this is divorce, abandonment of children, desertion of mates, child stealing, millions of single parents, and soaring statistics concerning murders within the family. Homicide is increasingly "home-icide, " for police statistics tell us the most common murders are among family members.

        If you sincerely desire to be in control of your own life; to make your own decisions, cooly, calmly, and rationally, then you need to sit down and make out a private list of your most acute temptations. Those you recognize, at least.

        Are you overweight? What are your favorite foods? What substitutes are there? Have you read any of the many books available on eating right, altering your diet, starting an exercise program? Have you had a complete physical exam in the last year to determine your level of blood cholesterol? Millions of Americans seem to ignore the many warnings, and the body count of the dead from heart attacks continues to climb. Even young athletes, who outwardly appear to be in supreme physical condition, can drop dead of stroke or heart attack, because of our high fat diet. Anciently, God said, "You shall eat no manner of fat" (Leviticus 7:23). He knew what He was talking about.

        Do you smoke? There are many Schick centers; help is only as far away as the yellow pages. There are many books and magazine articles on the subject. Do you sincerely want to break the habit? You can, with God's intervention, plenty of will power, and some human help, as well.

        Singling out one temptation at a time and overcoming it is an exhilarating experience. God loves an overcomer! Christ said, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne" (Revelation 3:21).

        One of the most frightening and ominous of all temptations common to Americans today is that of drugs. Does any of us need to be told about the enormity of the problem; of the new, purer form of cocaine called "crack" which has killed top young athletes, and which is powerfully addictive, probably from its very first use? Millions of Americans are hooked on drugs.

        Are drugs part of your own problem? If so, the first step to overcoming it is to admit it. Many lie to themselves, play clever little games about how they are able to "handle it. " Reformed alcoholics and drug addicts can tell you about the clever little lies they uttered to their innermost psyche: "I can handle it." Most go through protracted periods of denial. They deny they have a drinking problem. They deny they have a problem with drugs, telling themselves they are in complete control, that they can handle it.

        Recognizing the lies, admitting you're in trouble, can be the first major step toward overcoming such a powerful addiction. Of course, at the addiction state, we are far beyond what James talked about concerning temptations. He said a man is enticed of his lust, remember, and that when lust has become action, then sin ensues. And sin, says your Bible, "brings forth death! " Do you have certain temptations you hope with all your heart you can overcome?

        It is important that we pray specifically about temptations. Single them out. Talk to God about them. Tell Him how badly you are "hooked" on this or that temptation in your life. You see, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was tempted too! Surprised? But why should you be? Christ was human; He was all man. Every common temptation of the appetites and senses was experienced by Christ. But with a difference! He overcame the temptations. They never became lust, and lust never conceived into sin. Yet, He experienced the tug and pull of appetite, of the temptations common to every one of us. Notice, "For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:16-18).

        Jesus Christ had all the normal, robust appetites of any other 30-year-old Jewish man of His day. He could look on the beauty of young girls and experience powerful attraction—yes, temptation! He could see the hatred directed toward Him and be tempted to answer back in kind; He could see and smell foods He knew He should not eat; He could desire to sleep until late into the morning, when, instead, He would rise up early, go to a private place, and pray.

        Whatever passions, emotions, sensory desires are common to us all—Jesus experienced. But He never sinned! Temptation never got the better of Him. It never became lust! Study the 4th chapter of Matthew, and the account of His temptations from Satan. himself, during a time when Christ was at His very weakest physical condition, having fasted for forty days and forty nights! This is an account of a titanic battle being fought, a struggle of will, for the dominance of this earth. Christ met every villainous temptation and challenge of Satan; conquered Satan, by the power of God's Holy Spirit, and Christ's own Spirit of obedience to His Father in heaven.

        Many fail to understand that God is not intervening in this world except in special cases; that He hears and answers prayers for those who obey Him; that answered prayer is not for everyone.

        Have you ever known people who were bitter toward God? I have. I knew of a deeply religious young woman who lost a child at birth. She could not reconcile the loss of her child with the loving, kind, merciful God of whom she had heard. She felt betrayed; as if God had singled her out for especially harsh treatment. Beside herself with grief and agonizing loss, she screamed out against God. I heard later that she became so severely mentally disturbed she had to be institutionalized. A rare case? Perhaps. Yet, there are many of us who have difficulty reconciling personal tragedy with the concept of a God who is loving, kind and good.

        Soldiers involved in the stinking carnage of warfare, shockingly and brutally brought face to face with the fact that war is not the way the movies portray it; it is not glamorous or heroic; that it is only gnawing, mindless fear, the shrieks of wounded and dying buddies, the stench of death; many such men have completely lost all faith in God; many have denied His existence. Others have experienced the exact opposite effect. Many have found God on the battlefield. Many have been unable to account for their survival except through God's help.

        Why is it so difficult for some of us to see that God is not the Author of man's sins? That God is allowing us free choice; He is not actively intervening in this world in any general sense; He is not preventing the wretched effects of the evil causes man sets in motion? Is it because we have somehow believed God is desperately trying to save this world, now? Many envision a spiritual "tug o' war" between God and Satan; they believe God is desperately trying to save as many souls as possible; that the Devil is trying to keep them "lost." Impassioned evangelists paint vivid pictures of the pangs of hell, cry out for people to be saved as if the very next day would be too late. Perhaps all this religious hype has contributed to the very common assumption that this is God's world, that He is actively involved in it, that He is trying very hard to save this world.

        But the Bible says otherwise. Satan is described as having deceived all nations (Revelation 12:9). Christ said humanity is spiritually blinded of its own choice, and that God has allowed man to go his own way, apart from God. Humanity has invited God out of its societies, and God has cooperated.

        Christ did not try to save all those He could during His human life span! When His disciples were puzzled because Christ spoke to the crowds in riddles, they asked, "Why speakest Thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, 'Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given ... therefore I speak unto them in parables, because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaias, which saith by hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing, LEST at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.' " (Matthew 13:10-15).

        Christ also said, "None can come unto the Son, except the Spirit of the Father draw Him. " Although many have assumed Christ came to save everyone He could, He specifically stated He clouded and concealed the meaning of His words; "lest they be converted! " God has a time schedule; He is working out a master plan here below. It was not God's intention that Christ attempt to save the world during His physical life; nor is it His intent to save this world now. The concept of a spiritual "tug o'war" between God and the devil is untrue. It pictures God as weak, ineffectual. If God wanted to save the world now, He would be doing it.

        It is only when we understand God's great master plan for salvation that many of the myths and superstitions melt away. The tendency for many to feel resentment toward God for seeming aloofness stems directly from their erroneous concept that God is actively intervening in this world now; that He is desperately trying to save it. But no, He is now inviting a few, here and there, who will hear His voice, and who will repent of their sins, receive baptism, and His Holy Spirit He is not trying to save Japan, China, Russia, India, all of Africa and Southeast Asia—nor any other nation, per se. The billions are deceived; believing in false religions, false gods. The Creator of heaven and earth is not trying to change that just yet. He will change it, in the not too distant future, probably in the lifetime of most of us living now.

        God is not intervening to punish sinners, any more than He is intervening to save them. He is presently following man's own choice, which is a "hands off'" policy. It is only those who invite God into their lives who experience divine intervention. He seldom interferes, otherwise, except in major world events as He must, from time to time, to see to it His purpose is fulfilled.

        Somehow, churchmen have instilled in us the concept that God "punishes" us for the slightest infraction; that, when some terrible thing happens, it is God, punishing us for our wrongdoing, sitting in His heavenly armchair zapping us with His lightning bolts of divine wrath.

        Believing God is a God of convenience—that He is waiting, watching, to step in at the last possible second and save us from our own tragic mistakes—many turn on this "God" of their imagination, begin to scream out their indignation at the supposed slight. They cry out, "O God, where are You when I need You?" To which God might well reply, "The same place I am when you don't seem to need me.

        Should we have a bit of religion; believe in God--"just in case, Many live their lives in complete ignorance of God and His law they have never read the Bible, let alone studied it; they don't have the slightest concept about the real Jesus Christ of the Bible. Then, when tragedy strikes, they suddenly call out to God, crying in desperation for His divine intervention. I have always wondered if there are any atheists suspended by one leg from a rope in a deep coal mine, or drifting helplessly on a life raft in the middle of the South Pacific Most people, regardless of personal philosophies, seem to turn to God in prayer when terrible tragedy strikes.

        Does God single out some for special punishment? Does God take out His wrath and vengeance on those who are especially wicked?

        Jesus ran head on into such reasoning. He had been told of a couple of cases of mass death; one, a tragic accident, the other, mass murder.

        Luke wrote, "There were present at that season some that told Him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, 'Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish' " (Luke 13:1-3).

        What did He mean? First, it is plain these unfortunate victims of Pilates' soldiers were not "sinners above all the Galileans." Jesus said so. But their deaths were meaningless. They died, not for some great cause; not as martyrs for a special purpose, but ignominiously, anonymously. We know nothing else of this incident except what we can glean from the sparse details. Here was a mass murder; yet Christ said God had nothing directly to do with it; God was not exacting vengeance because these were more evil than anyone else.

        Christ gave another example: "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:4-5). An accident had occurred. Perhaps ancient mortar had crumbled, and a cascade of stones came down; a section of wall from an ancient building buried eighteen men beneath tons of rubble, killing them. It was a well-known tragedy; Jesus speaks of it as a familiar event. Yet, many had been "supposing," searching for answers, pondering the meaning of this mass death. Surely it was more than just bad luck? Surely, there must have been some terrible sinners among them? No doubt, there had been much gossip about supposed causes, suspicions concerning divine wrath.

        But Jesus said God simply had nothing to do with it. These men were the victims of time, and chance, and circumstance. They died meaningless deaths; they were not Christ's disciples, not converted, not yet begotten members of God's own future family. Their deaths were tragedies, like so many thousands of tragedies down through the centuries. Did Jesus mean if we repent, we will not die? No. It is given to all men to die once; the Bible is a book about the deaths of its heroes, a book of martyrs for great causes. All the apostles died; many of them were martyrs. But we have no record whatever of any of them dying through accidents, or in purposeless, mindless slaughter. Paul was martyred. Tradition says Peter was crucified upside down. James was beheaded. Steven was stoned to death. These men stood for a great cause; lived lives of overcoming, hard work, and a powerful witness for Christ. They were allowed to die, yes. But their deaths were not random, happenstance, accidental.

        Without God in our lives, we are just "out there," taking our chances like anyone else. We are like so many faceless, anonymous human beings; a part of the mad rush for material goals; the massive tide of cursing, crying, bawling, complaining human beings struggling toward material goals, living our lives filled with short-range objectives; sometimes betrayed by our machines, or run over by our toys. When those things happen, it is not God "zapping" us because we are especially evil; it is merely time, chance, and circumstance. But Jesus says when we become converted God makes a difference between us and those who do not have God's protection.

        When Jesus says we are to pray "And lead us not into temptation, He means we should ask God for special strength to resist the temptations that come to us every day. God will not lead us into such a situation, even if we do not pray to that effect, for God clearly says He will never tempt us.

        God promises to help us overcome temptations. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [permit] you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10: 13).

        Are you tempted to sin in various ways, against God, against others, against your own mind and body? God understands. Christ sits at the Father's right hand, turns to Him and says, "Father, I understand that temptation, for I experienced it. " In Christ, we have an experienced High Priest and Counselor, an Intercessor who is there to help us. Take your private, personal temptations to God in prayer. Christ said, "Pray that ye enter not into temptation" (Luke 22:40), and Peter wrote, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptations..." (11 Peter 2:9).

        And remember, temptations are only the first step toward sin. After temptation comes lust. When lust has conceived, and some action takes place, it is sin. That's why Christ says pray to avoid and overcome temptation because prevention, after all, really is the best cure.