THE DEVIL COMES TO TEMPT GOD'S PEOPLE AND TO DESTROY THEM, BUT JESUS PROTECTS AND DEFENDS THEM

The apostle James declared: 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
Temptations come in many different ways and it is the devil who brings them to us. But how can the enemy come and be successful in tempting the children of God?
The reality has to do with our human nature, as James continues to explain: But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:14-15
The enemy attacks us in our natural drives, our senses, our intellect, our emotions, our ego and these respond to the stimulus that the devil brings. enemy attacks us in our emotions and ego, A typical example of this situation is the attack that the serpent/satan brought against Eve in the Garden and she was not ready for the confrontation: [Genesis 3:1-7]

• Satan brought doubt regarding God’s intentions for the commandment and she believed the enemy’s lies.
• He attacked her in her intellect and ego making her think that she could be like God knowing good and evil.
• He seduced her in her senses, as she desired to eat the fruit and saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise — She wanted to be like God and have His wisdom. [Genesis 3:6]
• Then in disobedience, be like God knowing good and evil.
• Then in disobedience, Eva took the forbidden fruit and ate it; and she gave it to her husband who also ate it.
• Subsequently, like in all of Satan’s temptations, once he has seduced and defeated his victim, he permits them to suffer in the consequences of the sin — Adam and Eve were separated from God because of sin and they died spiritually.

The apostle James continues: 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 1:15

BUT HOW CAN WE ENDURE THE TEMPTATION AND HAVE VICTORY? JESUS SHOWS US THE WAY:

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. Luke 4:1

God permitted Jesus to be also tempted by the devil and Jesus used the weapon that always defeats the enemy — the Word of God! Every time the devil brought a deceptive lie to tempt the Lord, He answered with: “It is written.” The Word of God is called the Sword of the Spirit and it is the weapon that can defeat the enemy in all his lies and temptations. And as we follow Jesus’ example, we can also have victory against the enemy when he comes to tempt us.

* All scriptures are from New King James Version