“Count it all joy when ye fall into…temptations.”
– James 1:2

Satan knows that when you recognize him as the source of your temptation, he loses his advantage. He knows that when you understand he initiated the temptation, you’ll recoil from it faster than if you think you yourself are the source of it. If Satan approached you and said, “I’ve come to make you sin and feel condemned,” your vulnerability to his temptations would evaporate! He won’t tell you that—but if you remember it you’ll have the advantage over him. As Paul puts it, “We are not ignorant about Satan’s scheming” (2Co 2:11 GWT). Another misperception is that temptation is time lost and effort wasted. In long periods of temptation we feel like we’ve lost ground rather than gained it. No, withstanding temptation is “[fighting] the good fight of faith” (1Ti 6:12), and that’s when God develops your character. “When all kinds of…temptations crowd into your lives…Realize that they come to…produce in you the quality of endurance,” and when that happens, “you will find you have become men [and women] of mature character” (Jas 1:2-4 PHPS). Indeed, your compensation goes far beyond your present development to the reaping of eternal rewards. “Though now for a season…ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith…might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1Pe 1:6-7). Add to this God’s glorious guarantee: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation…he shall receive the crown of life” (Jas 1:12).

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation.”
– James 1:12

The second misperception is: Temptation is sin. The Devil wants you to blame yourself for the temptations you experience. Why? Because when you believe that you are the source of it, you feel condemned and discouraged. As you indulge in feelings of discouragement, you become an easy prey and Satan convinces you to go ahead and yield to the temptation. Ironically, you yield to sin through the fear of having already fallen. No, the temptation itself isn’t sin, the sin only occurs when you yield to it! Many of us feel like we’re spiritually deficient, distant from God, even phonies because we think we initiated the temptation ourselves. Imagine a burglar in your house, and when you detect him he accuses you of being the burglar! Would you believe him? Of course not! Yet that’s Satan’s approach with us. After he tempts us, he accuses with thoughts like “A real Christian would never have such thoughts!” Knowing our own weakness, his accusations sound plausible and we believe him. Then we feel condemned, spiral into discouragement, and yield to the temptation. Understand this: Condemnation comes from Satan (See 1Ti 3:6). The Bible says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Ro 8:1 NIV). When Satan sends temptation, the Holy Spirit goes to work in us helping us to reject his suggestions and reminding us of Jesus’ availability to help us triumph. “Because Jesus was tempted as we are…He understands us and He is able to help us when we are tempted” (See Heb 2:18). So when you’re tempted, reject Satan’s condemnation and reach for Christ’s overcoming assistance.

“Don’t let us yield to temptation.”
– Matthew 6:13

Many of us suffer unnecessarily because of our misperceptions about temptation. The first one is: expecting your temptations to cease—or at least decrease. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land they had the same expectation. They were surprised that the Canaanites were still in the land. So they got discouraged, thinking they must have gone the wrong way. “Surely this couldn’t be the land of promise.” God’s Word makes it clear that the Christian life, from start to finish, is warfare. Paul says we are called to “wrestle…against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:12). And your level of temptation increases as you draw closer to God. Notice: When Israel first left Egypt God didn’t lead them through Philistine territory “though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt’” (Ex 13:17 NIV). God understood their fledgling faith and protected them from their enemies. But later, when their faith had grown, He permitted them to face seven powerful nations. And just like the Promised Land, the promised life of victory requires you to deal with temptation and wrestle your way through to victory, believing that “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1Jn 4:4). Indeed, their enemy’s attack proved that Israel was in the Promised Land. So experiencing temptations is proof you are truly abiding in Christ.