Endure temptation

Jas 1:12 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.

Enduring temptation. Enduring trails.

Some might say that life itself is a trial and they wouldn't be far wrong would they, not considering all that people have to endure day by day. Is it any wonder that if we endure- if we hold fast through all of the temptations and trials we face that we will receive a crown of life?

When we love the Lord, when we put ourselves on the side of God we are placing ourselves on the front lines of a spiritual war. We are accepting the fact that every single trial that comes our way will be led by Satan and he wants our destruction. Remember when we talked about counting it joy when we face temptation?

Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations

We do that because we are trusting in our Savior to see us through every trial, every temptation and NOT relying upon ourselves. If we were to trust in ourselves we would fail miserably.

There is joy in belonging to God, a joy you can find no where else. Giving God our lives- every single problem, every trial, every temptation must be given to God and it is only then that we can begin to call temptations and trials - joy, it is only then we can endure temptations, truly endured them. We endure out of love for God. We live our lives, our lives that are filled with one trial after another, daily trails, daily temptations.

We can't forget this-

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

We should pray not to be lead into temptation, why? Because our natural inclination is to veer towards temptations, it is. The flesh desires things of the flesh and wars against the spiritual things of God. We are asking God to lead us not into temptation, to take away that natural inclination we possess towards temptations. Temptations come not from God, not ever from God but from Satan.

Jas 1:13 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

Trials will come, temptations will come and they must be endured, and we must get to the place where we can truly count them joy knowing they are all temporary to eternity.

More tomorrow by the grace of God!


Amen