I remember as a little kid watching the old Looney Tunes cartoons that showed a little devil on one side of the characters shoulder and a little angel on the other side. The little devil would always be leading the character into trouble while the little angel warned against following what the little devil said. Most of the time the character would follow the advice of the little devil and get into trouble.
Real life can seem a lot like that to many of us. We try and do good in our life but there are times when faced with temptation that we listen to that little voice that is leading us into temptation. That little voice tells us it’s okay, no one will ever know, or you deserve to be happy, go ahead and do it. Often, we don’t even hear that little voice warning us against the temptations we face.
As a pastor, I often talk with people who have given into temptation and regret the consequences of their actions. We tend to only think of the momentary enjoyment we are about to have when faced with temptation without thinking of the consequences. Many times, those consequences are pain we cause to those we love the most. It’s only after the fact when we face those consequences that we realize the hurt we have caused our family and friends. It’s in those moments that the shame and guilt overwhelm us. We regret our actions and wish we could go back in time and make a different decision when faced with that temptation.
How do we hear that little voice that is warning against temptation? The Bible addresses how we can resist temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
That verse has given me much comfort in my life and has kept me from acting on the temptations I face.
First, we must remember that it is not a sin to face temptation. It is a sin to give into that temptation. Next, we need to understand that the Bible is the truth of God. We find the answer to life’s problems in the Word of God.
1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us the temptation we face is nothing that is uncommon to others. That God will not allow the devil to tempt us beyond what we can take. And to me, the most important part of that verse is – when we do face temptation – there is always a way out. When we face temptation, we need to remember that God will always provide a way out of it. We need to look for that way out; when you do, that is when you hear the good little voice that is leading you to safety.
Tim Hammond is the pastor at Oak Street Baptist Church in Kingman, AZ.
