What To Do When Your Flesh Is Tempted ... And It Will Be Tempted

My Utmost For His Highest

Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples…."Stay here and watch with Me." —Matthew 26:36, 38

{CHAMBERS}  “We can never fully comprehend Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, but at least we don’t have to misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and man in one Person, coming face to face with sin. We cannot learn about Gethsemane through personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary represent something totally unique— they are the gateway into life for us. It was not death on the cross that Jesus agonized over in Gethsemane. In fact, He stated very emphatically that He came with the purpose of dying. His concern here was that He might not get through this struggle as the Son of Man. He was confident of getting through it as the Son of God— Satan could not touch Him there. But Satan’s assault was that our Lord would come through for us on His own solely as the Son of Man.”

{ELGIN}  (James 1:12-14) “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”  Just as Jesus the Son of God was not tempted, so you, the sons of God (the spiritual part of each of us) cannot be tempted. No the temptation comes to our flesh, the son of man part.  That is why it is so important to strengthen the spiritual part and not yield to the temptations of our flesh.

(1 Corinthians 10:13) “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”  God did not say “most” but “no – none – not any”.  So what is the way to escape? Your faith.  Your trust in God.  The fact that even though you may be tempted in the physical, it is an attack against the spiritual.  Our flesh is our weakness.  The enemy attacks the weakest part not the strongest.  Our spiritual part is impervious to Satan’s schemes.  When Jesus was tempted in the desert He did not try to “will” His way out of it.  Instead He responded with “It is written ….”  And so should we.  (Psalm 119:11) “Your Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin (give in to temptation) against You.”  We have the Spirit, we have the Word, and we have faith.  An unbeatable combination.