(1.) Trial; a being put to the test. Thus God "tempted [Gen. 22: 1; R.V., did prove'] Abraham;" and afflictions are said to tempt, i.e., to try, men (James 1:2, 12; comp. Deut. 8:2), putting their faith and patience to the test. (2.) Ordinarily, however, the word means solicitation to that which is evil, and hence Satan is called "the tempter" (Matt. 4:3). Our Lord was in this way tempted in the wilderness. That temptation was not internal, but by a real, active, subtle being. It was not self-sought. It was submitted to as an act of obedience on his part. "Christ was led, driven. An unseen personal force bore him a certain violence is implied in the words" (Matt. 4:1-11). The scene of the temptation of our Lord is generally supposed to have been the mountain of Quarantania (q.v.), "a high and precipitous wall of rock, 1,200 or 1,500 feet above the plain west of Jordan, near Jericho." Temptation is common to all (Dan. 12:10; Zech. 13:9; Ps. 66:10; Luke 22:31, 40; Heb. 11:17; James 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:7; 4:12). We read of the temptation of Joseph (Gen. 39), of David (2 Sam. 24; 1 Chr. 21), of Hezekiah (2 Chr. 32:31), of Daniel (Dan. 6), etc. So long as we are in this world we are exposed to temptations, and need ever to be on our watch against them. God cannot be the subject of -- Jas 1:13. Does not come from God -- Jas 1:13. Comes from Lusts. -- Jas 1:14. Covetousness. -- Pr 28:20; 1Ti 6:9,10. The devil is the author of -- 1Ch 21:1; Mt 4:1; Joh 13:2; 1Th 3:5. Evil associates, the instruments of -- Pr 1:10; 7:6; 16:29. Often arises through Poverty. -- Pr 30:9; Mt 4:2,3. Prosperity. -- Pr 30:9; Mt 4:8. Worldly glory. -- Nu 22:17; Da 4:30; 5:2; Mt 4:8. To distrust of God's providence -- Mt 4:3. To presumption -- Mt 4:6. To worshipping the god of this world -- Mt 4:9. Often strengthened by the perversion of God's word -- Mt 4:6. Permitted as a trial of Faith. -- 1Pe 1:7; Jas 1:2,3. Disinterestedness. -- Job 1:9-12. Always conformable to the nature of man -- 1Co 10:13. Often ends in sin and perdition -- 1Ti 6:9; Jas 1:15. Christ Endured, from the devil. -- Mr 1:13. Endured, from the wicked. -- Mt 16:1; 22:18; Lu 10:25. Resisted by the word of God. -- Mt 4:4,7,10. Overcame. -- Mt 4:11. Sympathises with those under. -- Heb 4:15. Is able to help those under. -- Heb 2:18. Intercedes for his people under. -- Lu 22:31,32; Joh 17:15. God will not suffer saints to be exposed to, beyond their powers to bear -- 1Co 10:13. God will make a way for saints to escape out of -- 1Co 10:13. God enables the saints to bear -- 1Co 10:13. God knows how to deliver saints out of -- 2Pe 2:9. Christ keeps faithful saints from the hour of -- Re 3:10. Saints may be in heaviness through -- 1Pe 1:6. Saints should Resist, in faith. -- Eph 6:16; 1Pe 5:9. Watch against. -- Mt 26:41; 1Pe 5:8. Pray to be kept from. -- Mt 6:13; 26:41. Not to occasion, to others. -- Ro 14:13. Restore those overcome by. -- Ga 6:1. Avoid the way of. -- Pr 4:14,15. The devil will renew -- Lu 4:13. Has strength through the weakness of the flesh -- Mt 26:41. Mere professors fall away in time of -- Lu 8:13. Blessedness of those who meet and overcome -- Jas 1:2-4,12. Exemplified Eve. -- Ge 3:1,4,5. Joseph. -- Ge 39:7. Balaam. -- Nu 22:17. Achan. -- Jos 7:21. David. -- 2Sa 11:2. Jeroboam. -- 1Ki 15:30. Peter. -- Mr 14:67-71. Paul. -- 2Co 12:7; Ga 4:14.
Temptation