Temptation is a powerful force leveraged by the enemy to deceive us.
A young Christian man wants to sleep with his fiancée. After all, they are getting married in a few weeks, and what does a piece of paper have to do with it? Everything! It makes it an official covenant in the eyes of God.
Why can’t I look at porn—after all, God has given us strong sexual desires? What is wrong with a little lie if it keeps me from getting fired?
And so it goes, with endless excuses and justifications. This is why temptation ultimately makes liars out of us.
The account of David and Bathsheba is filled with lies and deception. Abraham lied about Sarah being his sister and not his wife. So what was the temptation is that story? He was told he would have a son and nothing could happen to him until that promise was fulfilled. The temptation was to believe that God would not fulfill what He promised. That is one of the greatest temptations of all. “For without faith it is impossible to please God, for we must be live that he is and that he is a reward of those who diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).
Pause and ask yourself your greatest temptation and the lies you have told yourself as to why its no big deal.
It’s not fun, but it’s worth the effort.