Temptation- Where does it come from?

Have you ever been minding your own business, when boom, you are hit with a heavy-duty temptation? It might be an evil thought, a lustful one, doubt, or the plethora of self-control issues. When this happens you wonder, where in the world did that come from? The answer is: the devil.

Yes, we can play a part in our own temptation, but there is clearly an enemy who comes at us with his enticements. He knows how to "package his wares" and make bad things look good. That's because things forbidden have a secret charm. In the end, it's always bad. Sometimes, it can even get ugly.

It is important to know that temptation and attack often come after times of great blessing. We let our guards down. We begin to relax in the times of ease. We quit praying and calling on the Lord. We stop asking for his protection and guidance because...well...we feel really protected and guided at that point. Then boom, out of nowhere, the devil (who prowls like a roaring lion seeking whom he will devour the Bible says, 1 Peter 5:8) throws some temptation our way.

It was after a time of great blessing in the life of Jesus that He was tempted by Satan. Jesus had just been baptized by His cousin John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit had descended on Him in the form of a dove, and the Heavenly Father proudly said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Good times and times of ease, joy, happiness, contentment, and fulfillment.

But Luke's Gospel tells us, "Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil" (Luke 4:1–2). It was after the dove that the devil came. After the blessing comes the trial. Times of attack often come after "mountaintop" experiences.

We read of when Jesus was on the mountaintop with Moses and Elijah. Once again, God spoke, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" As they descended from the mountain, a man with a demon-possessed child was waiting. Whenever God speaks, the devil will be there to oppose.

So what is the solution? It is to be aware of this truth, and always keep your guard up. Then the next time those "flaming arrows" of temptation come your way, you will know to put up your shield (read Ephesians 6:10-20)!