In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul has confronted them about their spiritual pride and immaturity. At the end of chapter 9, Paul begins a warning about the danger that comes from a lack of self-control. A lack of self-control, combined with pride, puts us in a precarious position when temptation comes. But the Lord does not want us to be overtaken by temptation, so he warns us of judgment, then equips us with the resources we need to fight temptation. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we see the means God has given us to endure temptation, without giving in to sin.
1. The Common Nature of Temptation
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man”
With every temptation comes the thought that we are the only people who have been tempted this way. This temptation comes from the devil, and he desires to use this thought to keep us isolated. All temptation and suffering cause us to feel isolated, but when we realize that others are tempted in the same way we are, we find hope that we too can endure these temptations.
And while every temptation has unique circumstances for each person, the nature of the temptation is the same. Therefore, there will always be people in your life and in your church who have faced the same temptation; what is more, Jesus Christ faced the same temptations. In his human nature, he was tempted in every way. The writer of Hebrews makes very clear that Jesus endured every form of temptation, just as we do. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Because Jesus has been tempted as we have, we have one to whom we can turn in our temptations. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16)
I will never forget a conversation I had with a man who was in a drug rehab program. He had started attending church and was reading his Bible. One day, he explained how he had come to understand this basic truth that Jesus was tempted in every point as we are. This man’s particular temptation to sin was drug usage. He was reading the account of the crucifixion and took note of Jesus’ refusal of the sour wine. A footnote in his Bible noted that this wine was often mixed with a narcotic to numb the pain. Upon reading that, this man concluded, “If Jesus can say no to drugs, so can I!” No temptation has overtaken us that is not common to man and that Jesus has not already endured.
2. The Faithfulness of God
“God is faithful”
What does God’s faithfulness mean in the midst of temptation? If God is not faithful, then there is no reason to resist temptation. If God is not faithful, then Hebrews 4:16 is a lie, and I cannot run to Jesus for grace in the time of need. Just like every temptation can cause us to feel isolated and alone, so every temptation can cause us to doubt God’s faithfulness. We see this clearly in Satan’s temptation of Eve in the garden. “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (Gen. 3:4–5). This statement is meant to put doubt in Eve’s mind about the faithfulness and goodness of God. If God is good and loves you, then he would not be holding back this thing that will make you wise! All temptation carries with it the temptation to question God’s faithfulness.. Likewise, nothing will strengthen you to fight temptation like knowing God’s faithfulness. How do we do this? We must grow to know the character of God.
Many of the Psalms show us how God’s faithfulness sustains us in the midst of temptation. Take Psalm 40 for example. David was in a place of suffering that would have provided many opportunities to give in to temptation. He describes his state as a “pit of destruction…the miry bog” (v. 2). Yet, from this place, the Lord delivered him. The Lord’s faithfulness has put a “new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.” Clearly, the reality of the Lord’s faithfulness sustained David when temptation arose. The rest of the Psalm shows David’s reliance upon God’s faithfulness.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
11 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
ever preserve me!
Psalm 40:10–11
3. Your Ability
“He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability”
No doubt, you have faced temptations that felt beyond your ability. In reality, it would not be much of a temptation if it did not feel beyond our ability. Sometimes, the difficulty of the temptation causes us to question what God has allowed. We cry out, “I thought God would not let me be tempted beyond my ability—and this is beyond my ability!” The promise that God will not let us be tempted beyond our ability is a reminder that with his help, we can endure any suffering and say no to the passions of our flesh.
Too often, we think we can endure the temptation in our own strength and by our own willpower. When we fail, we think God has let us down. However, what temptation should do is reveal our own weakness. In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul describes this very process. In verses 8-9, he describes a kind of affliction he faced that was so intense that “we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death” (v. 9). Suffering like this provides an opportunity for temptation to sin, but instead, Paul’s response was, “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Co 1:9). Paul is clearly expressing what we all have felt in temptation, the sense that it is more than we can bear. However, what Paul shows is that those feelings are meant to drive us to the Lord. Our ability in temptation is because the Lord sustains us through every temptation as we turn to him in faith.
4. Strength to Endure
“but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Paul uses two terms that seem opposed to one another: escape and endurance. When we think of an escape being provided, we think of something happening quickly. For many years, I thought of this verse as God providing a spiritual trap door that would open underneath me in the midst of temptation. But right next to the promise of escape is the call to endure. Endurance is the ability to sustain under pressure for a long time. What Paul is encouraging us with is the reality that sometimes escape looks like endurance. Some temptations come on very quickly, and you must flee them just as quickly, like Joseph fleeing the advances of Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39). Other temptations persist, even for years, and we must learn to endure, as Paul did with his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12). No matter the temptation, the Lord provides a way of escape, but the escape is always through the temptation.
To endure through the temptation, we must remember the common nature of all temptation and seek help from other Christians. We must grow in our knowledge of God, specifically his faithfulness. This requires hearing from God in his Word. Give yourself to the study of the Bible, reading, and listening to books, sermons, music, and podcasts that teach you about who God is. In our temptations, we must turn to God in faith. We trust that he has allowed this in our lives for our good and his glory, and we trust that he is not allowing anything in our lives that is beyond our ability. We must also learn to pray in the midst of temptation. Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matt. 26:41). This is one way our faith is strengthened in the midst of temptation. In prayer, we recognize our weakness and need for help. We confess where we have sinned by giving in to sinful temptation. Finally, we must always look to Jesus in the midst of our temptations. “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb, 2:17–18).