a strong wind for a flickering flame

I mentioned previously that the whole temptation in the wilderness event was not to see if Jesus could cut it as the Son of God—like if He failed here they needed to find someone else for the job—but this is exactly where we join the conversation. Look at Satan’s challenge, “If you are the Son of God . . .” The second challenge is like unto the first.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The deceit, the lie of the devil consists of this, that he wishes to make man believe he can live without God’s Word. Thus he dangles before man’s fantasy a kingdom of faith, of power, of peace, into which only he can enter who consents to temptation; and he conceals from men that he, as the devil, is the most unfortunate and unhappy of beings, since he is finally and eternally rejected by God.”

One writer called temptation, “a strong wind for a flickering flame.”

Thomas A’Kempis from the 1300’s approaches temptation from another direction: “temptations are often very profitable to us, though they be troublesome and grevious; for in them a man is humbled, purified and instructed.”

Should we want temptation?
No.
Should we expect temptation?
Definitely.
Will they go away?
Eventually, but not on this side of death.
Can one run away from temptation?
Only as far as God has provided the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13)

If Thomas was right to say that “the beginning of all evil temptations is inconstancy of mind and small confidence in God,” we should expect a stronger mind and larger confidence in God. But Jesus suffered no inconstancy and no small confidence. Thomas may have simply made the same mistake we most often do; that is, to equate temptation with sin. Being tempted is not sin. Acting on temptation is. Jesus was tempted and did not sin. Jesus had the leading and the power of the Holy Spirit, and He gives the same to us. That way we may enter temptation one of two ways: in the flesh or in the Spirit.

If we walk according to way and in the power of the Spirit, we enter victorious to be victorious. If, on the other hand, we enter temptation by the flesh and so think to win, we wonder how we succumb to temptation and are puzzled and dismayed in our defeat.

Jesus did not enter temptation in the flesh and come out of the ordeal spiritual. He entered spiritual and came out spiritual! Look at it this way:

Enter temptation defeated, Exit temptation defeated.
Enter temptation an average Christian, Exit temptation defeated.
Enter temptation a normal (victorious, spiritual) Christian, Exit temptation (victorious, spiritual) a normal Christian.
Enter temptation fleshly, Exit temptation fleshly.