With her persistent pleading she entices him, with smooth talk she seduces him. Suddenly he follows her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a stag bounding toward a trap, till an arrow pierces its liver. Like a bird darting into a snare, he never considered his own soul! Proverbs 7:21-23, TLV
Do You Consider Your Soul? “…he never considered his own soul!” That phrase “provokes” some emotion in me. How about you?
It provokes a healthy sense of fear and reminds me that temptation is real. It’s a powerful weapon the enemy of our soul uses against us. And it can mess with our mind to the point of ignoring all that God is and has done for us.
Did you know the Tanakh [Old Testament] doesn’t use temptation. The word used is testing—מַסָּה [maccha]. Testing, proving, trials. I thought that was interesting.
Trickster
Temptation tricks us into thinking a thing, person, or lifestyle is the answer to our need. It tricks us into offense, self-righteousness, pride, unforgiveness, fear, and hopelessness.
Like a toxic fog, temptation rolls in trying to snuff out the light and warmth of God’s truth.
Like any fog, it is important to remember that above the gray is
the sun. Eventually the sun’s warmth will dissipate the murkiness, and we will see clearly again. But as we wait in the haze, we can battle. We can do more than battle—we can learn about ourselves and grow.
Tools to Fight
We fight with the tools our Heavenly Father has given us. We fight with truth. We find that truth in His word.
When Jesus had the face-to-face battle with the tempter himself (Matthew 4 and Luke 4), He fought back with the most basic of truths — thousands of years old. He used passages from Deuteronomy. Even when the enemy tried using other passages in Psalms, Yeshua fought back with the foundational truths in the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy).
The battle was real for Him and the battle is real for us, every hour of every day. But, like our Savior, we can be victorious.
“No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind. But God is faithful—He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle. But with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13, TLV (Emphasis mine)
Those temptations can give us insights into weaknesses. Areas we need to address and seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom to overcome. Someone once said, “You can’t tempt a dead person.” If we are dead to that sin, we most likely won’t be tempted. That’s something to think about.
Think More About It
How do you view temptation?
Until tomorrow, may we fight the temptations that seek to destroy our souls, my friends.
How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness,
and grieved Him in the desert!
Again and again they tested God,
and pained the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember His hand—
the day He redeemed them from the foe … Psalm 78:40-42, TLV
Testing God? Not always a good thing—unless He invites us to (Malachi 3:10). What stands out to me in this passage is, “They did not remember His hand—” Let’s agree together that Israel and the Jewish people remember God’s Hand—throughout history. That they would not rebel but seek Him in all they do. Probably wouldn’t hurt for us to consider our own souls and pray the same for us, and our loved ones. Amen? God bless you!
