The average believer would never consider the word joy to be an appropriate descriptive term for temptations. There is a great explanation for this as the average believer experiences little to no victory when tempted. Temptations put a man’s faith on trial. When his faith stands the test, he learns patience. Therefore, he sees temptation as a means by which he can grow in the Lord and add virtues such as patience. It is not that he finds joy in the temptation itself, but that God can and will use that temptation to make him "perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:4). Believers who fight through and obtain victory find joy in knowing that their faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).
Man never sins without willingly doing so. Unfortunately, man’s vocabulary infers that sin is simply an uncontrollable accident or unfortunate mistake. Yet, in reality, we choose to sin. This is extremely obvious when one considers that the Lord promises “a way to escape” during every temptation. It is not that the Lord offers a way to avoid temptation altogether, but He offers help that man “may be able to bear it [the temptation].” Man can never point his finger toward God in an attempt to assign some level of guilt for man’s sins. God always makes a way for man to righteously endure and conquer every type of temptation known to man. The failure to escape from any temptation is not for lack of opportunity to do so.
An epistle (Colossians 4:16) is a letter from one person, or a group of people, to another. The epistle of Second Timothy was from Paul to a preacher named Timothy. Timothy was a young man (1 Timothy 4:12) but possessed a strong love for the Lord. Paul testified of this truth repeatedly and today’s passage shows Paul commenting on Timothy’s “unfeigned faith.” There was something refreshingly genuine about Timothy’s walk with the Lord. Though Paul was speaking specifically about Timothy’s faith, he made mention that this faith did not start with Timothy. This faith had been passed from his grandmother Lois to his mother Eunice, and then on to Timothy. In fact, he was being taught scripture from the time he was a child (2 Timothy 3:15). This type of upbringing yielded a young man of “unfeigned faith” who further matured into adulthood with spiritual fortitude worthy of emulation.
Christians in every age have faced varied battles ranging from small skirmishes to life-ending combat. God’s word tells the believer to equip himself as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3) by putting on “the whole armour of God.” This armour enables those engulfed in the battle to “stand against the wiles of the devil.” The apostle Paul identifies this armour and the importance of every element. Interestingly, as he refers to “the shield of faith,” he suggests taking it “above all.” Faith, though often overlooked, remains a crucial element within the saint’s spiritual arsenal. The Bible drives home this truth by pointing out that the shield of faith can “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Without faith, the believer stands exposed and vulnerable. It is utterly impossible to “be strong in the Lord” apart from a steadfast faith in God and His word. While the sword (the Bible) works on the offense, faith protects and shields.
