Temptation

Luke 4:13 (NIV)

Then the devil left him until an opportune time.

The temptations of Christ did not end in the wilderness. Satan continually harassed and tempted Christ all His earthly life. Jesus was tempted when Peter rebuked him to avoid the cross (Matthew 16:23). He faced a similar temptation when He was seduced to become King of the Jews (John 6:15) and when He was tempted to perform miracles (Matthew 16:4), among others. Temptation is not something that a saint can avoid in this life. We have to understand that temptation in itself is not sin but can lead to sin unless we defeat it.

A man's nature determines what he can be tempted by. For some, it's power. To others, it may be sex or money. Each of us has our soft spots, which may differ from others. A lonely man may be seduced to meet a woman he knows is a prostitute. A married man in an unhappy marriage may try to find solace in the woman next door. A college student struggling with grades may be tempted to cheat. The complexity of temptation may start from something as trivial as telling a white lie to exalt oneself above God.

When the Lord cautioned us that the flesh was weak, He knew what He was talking about. Our only shelter from sin is to abide in the power of the Holy Spirit continually.