What does the Bible teach about temptation, including its sources and how to overcome it?
The Bible teaches that there are three primary sources of temptation: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world tactic is to conform to its thinking (Romans 12:2), which we must conquer through resisting its influence. The flesh tactic is to consider ourselves dead to sin and flee from its enticement (James 1:14-15). The devil's tactic is to give him no place to work and resist his attacks (Ephesians 4:27; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9). To overcome temptation, we must anticipate it through constant prayer (Matthew 26:41), acknowledging our powerlessness against sin but God's ability to deliver us. We are also instructed to consider the facts and weigh them in light of God's character and purposes when faced with trials (James 1:2-4). The testing of our faith produces endurance, which brings us to spiritual maturity (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7). Ultimately, we must resist temptation by giving it no place to work and exercising our faith in God's sovereignty. As the Bible says, 'God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able' (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Source: The Basics The Basics — Temptation (canonical doctrine) · Read this lesson in the book →
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See also
- What is the nature of sin?Same lesson · The Basics
- What does the Bible teach about freedom?Same lesson · The Basics
- What is the spiritual significance of letting God do great things in our lives?Same lesson · The Basics
- What does the Bible teach about death?Same lesson · The Basics
- What is the spiritual life?Same lesson · The Basics
- What is the role of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life?Same lesson · The Basics
Scripture this answer rests on
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Where this is taught in the book
Lesson 5–2: The Arena—The Souls of Men
Lesson 2–5: The Supply Line—Prayer
Lesson 3–5: The Goal—Spiritual Maturity
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