Certain passages in the Bible sometimes seem contradictory. To understand, we must really study the passages, and what we then discover is a real gem.
During one of our discussion groups for Christian singles, a participant said, “God never tempts us beyond our strength.” That is a statement that seems very spiritual because it is a mixture of several verses. In that statement, we have the verse 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV): “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it”. As well as the passage from Matthew 6:13 (NKJV): “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Could God lead us into temptation? Yet another verse seems to say the opposite. “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13 NKJV). To understand, we must study the definition of the word “temptation”. When we search online for images for the word “temptation,” search engines offer us desserts or scantily clad women. That is indeed one definition of the word “temptation”, but the Bible has another.
The word translated “temptation” in several verses of the New Testament comes from the Greek “peirasmos”. This word can actually be translated as “temptation”, an encouragement to commit a sin, to disobey God. But as James 1:13 says, God would never encourage His children to sin because He knows that sin seems good, but is always harmful to us. No father would push his children to do something that could hurt them! “Let’s leave the stove top open to test our child, to see if he will touch the fire or obey us and stay away from it.” No parent in their right mind would think like that, much less our perfect Father. When it comes to tempting a child of God to sin, there is only one possible source: the devil.
However, the word “peirasmos” also has another meaning. It can be used to describe a test of our character, a way of proving our worth. God sometimes removes adversity from before us, but sometimes He prefers to walk with us through adversity, knowing that this trial will strengthen our faith, bring us closer to Him, and teach us an essential lesson. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12 NKJV). That is clearly what Jesus was asking in His prayer when He asked the Father not to lead Him into temptation. Rather, it is to ask the Father to spare us suffering, as much as possible. Which reminds us of the same prayer that Jesus made on the Mount of Olives. “Saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42 NKJV).
It’s a bit like a mother deliberately taking a detour in a supermarket to avoid the candy aisle, knowing that her child will throw a tantrum to get some. The passage “Lead us not into temptation” could be interpreted as “Father, guide me into a path where I will not have a battle with my flesh.” For a single person, the prayer might be “Lord, don’t let me have feelings for this single person who doesn’t believe in you, stop my thoughts from pursuing this relationship.” It is a way of relinquishing control of our lives into the hands of God, trusting that He will guide us on a path that will be safe. It is trusting God that if we have tests of character in our path, they are tests that God knows we will be able to overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13).
It is important to make this distinction and realize that God will never tempt us to sin. Temptation to sin is not a means He uses to form our character. We don’t have to sit there, waiting for the temptation to sin to go away. No, if we are tempted to sin, it is a suggestion of the devil who wants to destroy us, so we must fight with authority. It is not sin that we must bear with patience. These are the tests of our faith, the afflictions and adversity that must be endured. Since God is perfectly holy, He cannot be with us in sin. But in times of trial, when we are tempted to become discouraged, we can lift our heads knowing that God is there in our midst, and He will not let this trial destroy us.