The Christian deals with two different kinds of temptation. When talking about “temptation,” we're talking about inclinations / enticements that lead to sin...which ultimately leads to destruction. That, of course, is Satan's purpose. The first kind of “temptation” is the kind which affects the person and leads to personal destruction. For example, Solomon describes it this way: “Can a man take fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned? 28 Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched? (Proverbs 6:27-28) Unbelievers understand this principle. Our penal system is based upon “do the crime, do the time.)

But the Christian has yet another kind of temptation the unbeliever knows nothing of...namely, the temptation to disregard the indwelling Holy Spirit. “19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophecies” (1 Thess 5:19-20) and “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2)” are both directed at believers.

The point is...believers are constantly being tempted by Satan to disregard the conviction and teaching of God, the Holy Spirit to distrust, disregard, or rationalize away what the Spirit says. This results in spiritual defeat, heartache and even loss of privilege for the believer. For example: “...husbands, show your wife honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7)

Today's My Utmost for His Highest reminds us of this second kind of temptation:

“Until we are born again, the only temptation we understand is the kind mentioned in the book of James: “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed” (1:14). Once the Son of God was formed inside us through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit began to detect certain of Satan's temptations—temptations which we, on our own, could never recognize. Satan doesn't tempt believers to sin; he tries to lure us away from what has been put into us by our spiritual rebirth, in the hopes that we'll no longer be of value to God. He tempts us to change our point of view, so that we'll no longer see things from Christ's perspective. Only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil.

What happens in temptation is that an outside power comes to test the things we hold dear within us, the things that define our personality. This explains the way in which our Lord was tempted. Within his person, he held the fact that he was to be the king of humankind and the savior of the world, and these are precisely what Satan came to test him on. Jesus went through the temptation and “did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15), emerging from the battle with his personality intact. If we will commit ourselves to him, his Spirit will take us through every temptation in the same way, and we will emerge from the battle victorious.”

This second kind of temptation is where we believers spend most of our battles...that is, “.being tempted by Satan to disregard the conviction and teaching of God, the Holy Spirit to distrust, disregard, or rationalize away what the Spirit says.” This is how Satan demoralizes, weakens, and incapacitates believers. Our marching orders are these: “if you are living according to the flesh (the enticements of temptation) you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the practices of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:13-14)

My prayer for you and me this day is this: Lord, external temptations abound for us, but the more important temptations are those which cause us to distrust or deny You. Keep us aware of not disciplining out minds and hearts to be obedient and seeking after You. Satan is clever and savage, but “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Amen.

Walk with the King today and be a blessing.