The context of today’s passage confirms that it involves the temptation to do evil. This shows that the author of the temptation is not God, nor can it ever be Him in this context. The death of the one being tempted is the end result. This is why it is so very important for every believer to achieve a scriptural understanding of the source of his temptation. According to James 1:14, “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” The first step of any temptation is a drawing away. If a man refuses to be drawn away, he simply cannot be tempted to do wrong. If a man allows himself to be drawn away, the Devil’s next step involves enticement. It is often at this point that the Devil captures his prey leading him into sin.
The Bible has much to say concerning the dangers of improper family relationships. “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother” (Proverbs 30:11). “The son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother” (Micah 7:6), “the eye . . . mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother” (Proverbs 30:17). Yet, the first commandment with promise was to “honour thy father and mother” (Ephesians 6:1-2). This honour can be demonstrated by hearkening to (Proverbs 23:22) and obeying one’s parents (Colossians 3:20). As parents seek the Lord’s direction, God will lead them as to how to lead their individual homes (Ezra 8:21). The child’s responsibility is directed toward submitting to and learning of the Lord by obeying the parents.
Loyalty sometimes comes at the steepest of prices! For some, the cost may seem minimal, but for others it has cost them deeply, dearly, and sometimes completely. Throughout history, the people of God have endured mocking, persecution, and even martyrdom. God offers us the record of many who chose to suffer rather than recant their proclaimed faith in the Creator. Many things have changed since ancient times, but those choosing to walk with the Lord today will likewise see an escalation in all forms of persecution. This tribulation from the world will become increasingly worse as man continues to be influenced by ungodliness. Believers should willingly endure whatever cost loyalty may require by keeping in mind the ultimate price paid when Christ gave Himself for mankind. Though the list in Hebrews chapter 11 has been closed, the Lord continues to track the actions of those loyal to Him.
The sorry state of biblical spirituality in the world today clearly reflects the fact that too many people think far too highly of their levels of discernment. In fact, many of the most beloved teachers when compared to the Bible would be considered false teachers. Yet, scriptural ignorance insures that the masses will never realize the extent of the deception. For this reason, multitudes are led away from faith in the words of God. The apostle Paul insured that believers are warned of the impending dangers by pointing out that Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). For this reason, believers should not marvel when his followers are also “transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:15). This should serve as a sober warning to the saints of God that the Devil has his minions doing his bidding. In fact, they tend to be the most expressly and outwardly religious. These people serve Satan within churches all over the world with the sole purpose of leading people astray.
A believer should be controlled only by the Lord. At no point should a man be controlled by the cravings of his body, even that of his appetite. No doubt, Paul’s words above covered a much broader scope than simply a man’s appetite, but he too understood the need to control one’s cravings. The Bible records several instances where Paul was hungry and had nothing to eat (2 Corinthians 11:27). Solomon warned his son about the need for controlling one’s appetite when seated before rulers at a meal. He admonished, “When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite” (Proverbs 23:1-2).
If ever there was a man in the early church that qualified as a watchman, it would have been the apostle Paul. Paul includes “in watchings often” in his testimony about the trials he endured. He also mentioned that these watchings approved him as a minister of God (2 Corinthians 6:4-5). We know from the biblical accounts that when many believers were unaware of danger, the apostle Paul stood upon the tower and sounded the trumpet of alarm. While others were spiritually sleeping, the apostle Paul was sober and alert to the needs of the church. No doubt Paul endured sleepless nights, fasted, and went without even the necessities of life because he was watching for the church.
The believer’s life is loaded with benefits (Psalm 68:19), but one of the greatest of these benefits concerns the area of vengeance. According to scripture, vengeance is reserved for the Lord’s enemies (Deuteronomy 32:41; Judges 11:36), or adversaries (Deuteronomy 32:43; Jeremiah 46:10; Nahum 1:2), or the heathen (Psalm 149:7; Micah 5:15) but specifically upon “them that know not God” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). God does not deal with His people in vengeance, it is reserved for those who reject the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8). When the children of God are disobedient, the Lord chastens, but He never takes vengeance upon His own.
Romans 3:4 says, “let God be true, but every man a liar.” Perhaps this truth serves as the foundational reason why God warned believers not to place their trust in man. Though the primary reason, it is not the only reason. In Psalm 146:3 the Lord warns, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” The real needs of mankind cannot be satisfied by man, even the best of men. Those who put their trust in man do so in disobedience to the Lord which results in their own personal harm. Psalm 118:8-9 twice stresses that “It is better to trust in the LORD.” An improper trust in man is, in many ways, a departure from the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5).
Jacob made an agreement with Laban to serve him in exchange for Rachel’s hand in marriage. His tenure of service was filled with great difficulties. Not only was the service itself hard work, but his service was marked with change and troubles. No doubt Jacob could have bemoaned these difficulties, but instead the Bible says that the seven years of service “seemed unto him but a few days.” How could Jacob give such testimony when we know that those were seven arduous years of labour? The Bible explains that he made it through those difficult days “for the love he had to her.” Our love for the Saviour ought to parallel and even exceed Jacob’s love for Rachel. Similar to Jacob’s determination to serve, we too have a purpose. At times, our service for the Lord may seem filled with great difficulties, but a deep and genuine love for the Saviour will make one’s service seem “but a few days.”
Fasting should play a prominent role in the life of a Christian. Just as believers ought to pray, witness, study, and give, we should also fast. In fact, the Lord's words assumed the Christian would fast when He said, “when ye fast” (Matthew 6:16), not IF ye fast. The question was never to be whether or not we would fast, but how we would do so “when” we fast. Fasting was not prominent among the disciples, but the Lord explained that His departure would signify an elevated need for fasting (Mark 2:20). The life of the apostle Paul confirmed this as he said he was “in fastings often” (2 Corinthians 11:27). It was a common practice of Paul’s devotion to the Lord to deprive his flesh of food, drink, and physical pleasures. The Lord not only desired for the early believers to fast, but His people ought to have times of fasting until He returns.
