What if you were tempted in a way that you could not resist? What if the temptation was so strong that it pulled you into its grasp? What if you tried your hardest to resist Satan’s attacks, the pull of the world, and the desires of your flesh, but the combination of all three was too much for you to handle? Will God charge you with a sin that overpowered you? Paul answered that question for us in today’s passage.
1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
This verse contains three important truths regarding temptation.
The first thing we learn from this passage is that temptation is not something new. The Greek word translated “common to man” means “what belongs to men, human.” So don’t flatter yourself into thinking you are experiencing a unique enticement. Even Jesus experienced all of humanity’s temptations and never gave in (Hebrews 4:15).
Second, God is faithful (Deuteronomy 7:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Hebrews 10:23; Revelation 1:5). You can trust that he will never allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to resist. This promise is based on the character of God. As one writer notes, “Our hope is in His gracious character, sure promises, and redemptive acts.”[1] And remember, the Mighty Warrior is fighting right there with you!
Third, with every temptation, God will allow a way for you to move away from the attraction. The phrase “way to escape” means “an egress” or “a way out.” In classical Greek, the word referred to a way out of the sea or “a landing-place.”[2]
Temptation has been around since Genesis 3. In fact, in Genesis 4, God personified temptation in his conversation with Cain. God likened temptation to an animal crouching and desiring to pounce. But God told Cain, like he tells us, “You must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). God is faithful to give us all the strength we need to rule over temptation.
Father,
Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you that you will never allow temptation to overwhelm us. Thank you for always providing a way out, a way for us to rule over our sin. We know it is only through your strength that we will stay strong. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] Robert James Utley, Paul’s Letters to a Troubled Church: I and II Corinthians, vol. Volume 6, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International, 2002), 117.
[2] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 3 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 241–242.
EXCELLENT series and so needed for todays culture. Thanks for your light and guidance in this dark, lost world.