Greetings to all the readers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and I relay my gratitude to be able to provide and share my thoughts on the topic “Temptations enticing youths of Delhi and ways to overcome them”.
First of all, what are temptations and where do they come from? It is written in James 1:13-14 that, ‘When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me”. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.’ When we are carried away by our own evil desires, we fall into sin. That is the very origin of our temptations. So, we must be able to recognize these temptations so as to be able to resist them.
Importantly, we must never take temptations or trials as hardships, but instead as joy. Let us read James 1:12, it says, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” Temptations are to be expected by Christians as our morals don’t align with those of the world. God is continuously teaching us repentance and faith. And as written in James 1:2-3; “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance”, we learn that hard times create stronger beings and we learn to have faith in God and strengthen our faith and willpower. The best part is we are awaiting to receive the crown of life in heaven after overcoming all the trials and temptations in this life.
Particularly, what are the temptations youths face? There are many definitions for the term ‘Youth’, the most common one would be ’the period between childhood and adult age’. This is the period where we leave childhood and enter adulthood, build our career, meet new people and get married. In short, we go through new experiences and we aren’t afraid of the consequences of our actions. That is why this is one of the most important stages in a person’s life as it decides our future ahead. And this is the very reason why the Devil tends to tempt us more hardly in our youth.
What kind of temptations do we face in Delhi? Firstly, we must understand that it is the capital of India, it is a large state and has vast resources. The most common evil we come across here are black money (unethical means of earning money), drugs and alcohol (abuse) and immoral relationships (between men and women).
So, how do not fall into such evils? We must understand that God knows we would face these trials in our lives and he has given us the Holy Bible, for it will provide you with the guidance you will need in your walk-in faith. For it is written in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that “All Scripture is Godbreathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” When we live in the Spirit, how can the world carry us away. Be so in love with the word of God that you have no interest in the world and its affairs. In Ephesians 6:11, it states, “Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” What is this armour of God? If you read Ephesians 6:14-17, it describes the full armour of God. Namely, they are – Belt of Truth,
Breastplate of Righteousness, Sandals of the Gospel of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation and Sword of the Spirit. As believers and ambassadors of Christ, we must take up our full armour and stand against all evils. A common question we receive is – Which is more important, reading the Bible or Praying to God? It’s the same as asking – Which is more important – Breathing in or breathing out? You cannot follow God’s word partially. Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. For the same one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder (James 2:10-20). Moreover, it is given that God does not want lukewarm believers (Rev 3:15-16), it is clear that you cannot put one foot in the world and the other in heaven. A servant cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
God has stated clearly that we cannot expect our journey as believers to be easy, but for sure, it will never be boring. Temptations are meant to happen as we do not belong of this world. We still live in the flesh, and that is exactly why we need to be consistent in taking our daily bread – Reading the Bible and Praying in the Spirit. Do you really think a 10-minute daily devotion is enough to fight against the Devil, who works 24 hours a day, attempting to make you sin? Carry the scriptures in your heart, apply them and live them out every day. And most importantly, pray without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17).
Before Jesus began his ministry, he was taken to the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil. In Matthew 4:1-11, we see how Jesus faced and overcame the temptations, and we see how cunningly the devil utilised his situation in three ways in an attempt to make him sin:
Firstly, Jesus was starving for forty days and forty nights, Satan knew he was hungry and he tried to take advantage of that situation. Secondly, it was for Jesus to create a crisis and then force or manipulate God to rescue Him. Satan was prompting Jesus to do something spectacular to demonstrate that He is indeed the Son of God. Thirdly, Satan was trying to convince Jesus to bow before him and worship him. It was the temptation of power, control and authority. For the third temptation, the devil offered Jesus a shortcut to His Kingdom. Jesus knew that He would suffer and die before He entered into His glory (Luke 24:26). If He bowed down and worshiped Satan just once, he could enjoy all the glory without enduring the suffering. But did Jesus fall into sin? Not even close. Because even through all the trials and hardships, Jesus chose to obey his Father. He knew his identity and chose obedience and humility. He used the very scriptures against Satan and he could do so by knowing and understanding them. And most importantly, he recognized the lies and deception of Satan. As Satan himself is a liar and the father of lies as stated in John 8:44, we must learn how to recognize the deceptions of the devil to be able to flee from them.
There must be a meaning and purpose of Jesus’ temptations. He is one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man. But he did not fall into the temptations he faced. The flesh is weak and as Jesus was human, he was like us in every way. It leaves a practical lesson for us, when we look closely as to how he was being tempted. It was the temptation of lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes, of pride, and ego. This is a common temptation which we all face.
The three lines which the devil used to tempt Jesus were,
1. “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
2. “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
3. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and “On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
Jesus was completely able of performing these tasks, but he recognizes the devil’s lies and temptations. He knew the scriptures and executed them and that was how he could flee from them. But most importantly, he chose obedience above all. That is how a true Christian should live. Obedience and discipline towards the Lord are the correct ways for a believer to remain in their faith.
Let us not lose heart when we go through trials and temptations, instead let us learn to have joy through them all while living in God’s word. When we have completed our walk-in faith, our hardships will not compare to even a second of God’s presence and holiness.
