The difference between a trial and a temptation is the difference between a test and a trap. A teacher (God) gives a test to allow you to demonstrate your excellence, whereas an enemy (Satan) sets a trap to harm you. God gives you an opportunity to do what is right. Satan gives you an opportunity to do what is wrong.

Only he who flings himself upward when the pull comes to drag him down, can hope to break the force of temptation. Temptation may be an invitation to hell, but much more is it an opportunity to reach heaven. At the moment of temptation, sin and righteousness are both very near the Christian; but, of the two, the latter is the nearer.

On a recent trip to Haiti, I heard a Haitian pastor illustrate to his congregation the need for total commitment to Christ. His parable: A certain man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but because he was poor, he couldn't afford the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house for half the original price with just one stipulation: He would retain ownership of one small nail protruding from just over the door. After several years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So the first owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable, and the family was forced to sell the house to the owner of the nail. The Haitian pastor's conclusion: "If we leave the Devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it, making it unfit for Christ's habitation."

Temptations and occasions put nothing into a man, but only draw out what was in him before.

At a catholic gathering, Mother superior stacked a pile of apples on one end of a table with a sign saying, "Take only one apple please - God is watching." On the other end of the table was a pile of cookies which a student had placed a sign on saying, "Take all the cookies you want - God is watching the apples."

CHASING AFTER HAPPINESS In New York City, there are eight million cats and eleven million dogs. New York City is basically just concrete and steel, so when you have a pet in New York City and it dies, you can't just go out in the back yard and bury it. The city authorities decided that for $50 they would dispose of your deceased pet for you. One lady was enterprising. She thought, I can render a service to people in the city and save them money. She placed an ad in the newspaper that said, "When your pet dies, I will come and take care of the carcass for you for $25." This lady would go to the local Salvation Army and buy an old suitcase for two dollars. Then when someone would call about his or her pet, she would go to the home and put the deceased pet in the suitcase. She would then take a ride on the subway, where there are thieves. She would set the suitcase down, and she would act like she wasn't watching. A thief would come by and steal her suitcase. She'd look up and say, "Wait. Stop. Thief." My guess is the people who stole those suitcases got a real surprise when they got home. A lot of us are like those New York thieves. We're chasing after happiness, and we grab what we think will give us happiness; however, when we get it, it doesn't quite deliver.

Dick Bong was the greatest fighter pilot of all time. He was America’s “Ace of Aces,” having achieved an incredible 40 kills in air-to-air combat. After his 40th kill his superiors decided he deserved to return to a hero’s welcome, so he was ordered home for his safety. Ironically, he died six months after returning home from the war due to a mechanical failure in the plane he was flying. We act like we're invulnerable, but we're not.

The Kaiser Family Foundation released the results of a survey of 503, 15-17 year old teens. 72% of respondents said that sexual content on television influences other teen’s sexual behavior “A Lot” or “Somewhat”, while 78% said it had little or no impact on their own behavior.

A little boy was standing near a display of all kinds of candy at a corner store. "Now then, my lad," said the grocer as he approached the lad. "What are you up to?" "Nothing," replied the boy. "Nothing? Well it looks to me as if you were trying to take some of that candy." "You’re wrong, mister. I’m trying not to."

When I was in seventh grade, the school tried to scare us to death about using alcohol. We saw a film about a party where students danced and listened to music. One guy invited his friends to the back room for drinks, and another guy passed out. They couldn't revive him, so they called the ambulance. The paramedics rushed to the hospital where someone called the parents. Mom was crying. Dad was crying. The doctors stuck needles in his veins and tubes up his nose. The moral of the movie was "Don't drink alcohol or they'll stick needles in your veins, tubes up your nose, and your parents will cry." We were convinced that none of us would ever drink alcohol if that's what they were going to do to us. We even stayed clear of the water fountain, I think, the rest of that day. Then they brought in another film, whose plot was basically the same, but the moral this time was "Don't take drugs." Another time, we got to look at and touch the lung of some poor soul who had smoked all his life. The object was, "If you smoke, your lung will look like this, and kids will touch it." We were convinced there in the seventh grade that we would never ever smoke cigarettes. Another movie is still shown today in driver-education courses. It makes slasher films look like they are PG or G. Photographers have filmed the scenes of car wrecks before the paramedics get there. From accident after accident, there are shots of crushed cars and mangled bodies. I thought the moral of that movie was, "Don't ever get in a car." We seventh graders were convinced that under no circumstances would we ever drink, smoke, take drugs, or drive recklessly, if at all. Yet, soon after we entered high school, most of my friends were smoking. Just about everybody was drinking, and I lost several of my friends to drug overdoses. How could we be convinced that something was deadly, unhealthy, and unwise, yet not act on our beliefs? Today many of you are involved in things that a year or two ago you never dreamed you would do.... What happened to my friends in the seventh grade also happens to us. We have preferences. Yet we have very few convictions.

The three sources of temptation: the world, the flesh, and the enemy can word as society, self, and Satan

When character and circumstance collide, which will prevail?

World-acclaimed illusionist Roy Horn went to work on Friday evening, October 3, 2003, amid a celebrative atmosphere. For one thing it was his 59th birthday, and more than a thousand friends had thrown him a party hours before. For another, an audience of fifteen hundred people waited excitedly inside the Mirage Hotel for a show Horn and his fellow illusionist were about to put on. Since the late sixties Siegfried Fischbach and Roy Horn's high energy performances with wild animals had earned them such an international reputation they were known simply by their first names—Siegfried and Roy. About halfway into the performance, Horn appeared in the spotlight with a six-year-old white male tiger. It was a routine he had done hundreds of times. But for some unexplained reason, Horn slipped on stage. His loss of footing startled the 600 pound animal, who proceeded to lunge at Horn. In self-defense, the illusionist attempted to beat the animal off with his hand-held microphone. The audience gasped as the tiger grabbed Horn by the neck, and dragged him offstage like a limp rag doll. At that point, stage-crew members used fire extinguishers to distract the animal and free Roy. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to save his life. In thousands of performances over 35 years, Horn had successfully evaded the dangers of his trade. But in an unexpected loss of balance, a career (and nearly a life) was lost. A few nights after the tragic accident, Larry King interviewed Horn's partner. As Siegfried Fischbach attempted to explain what went wrong, two little words stood out as the primary cause. "Roy slipped." The apostle Paul warns those of us who think we can't be taken down by the "tigers" in our lives, "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall."

TOP TEN COLLEGE TEMPTATIONS AND THE STRATEGIES YOU NEED TO BEAT THEM BY TAMIE VERVOORN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE, college, might be the best yet: learning new things, making new friends, finding new freedom. But college—whether you go to a Christian or secular school—also guarantees something else: new temptations. When Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days of fasting, He knew He would encounter temptation from the Enemy there. That’s why He went armed with the Word of God firmly fixed in His heart. You can read about the battle in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. * College isn’t exactly a wilderness, but you’ll need to arm yourself in the same way if you’re going to be ready to defeat the Enemy’s attempts to derail your walk with God. Following are ten temptations that might try to trip you up at college and strategies you can use to fight them. If you meditate on and memorize Scripture now, you’ll have the ammunition you need to resist the devil (and your own flesh) a couple months and years down the road. TEMPTATiON #1 Letting Your Relationship with God Slide During your first months at college, you might feel overwhelmed with your classes (this ain’t high school, baby!) and all the activities going on around you. You’ll have sporting events to attend, roommates to get to know, midnight coffee (or ice cream or taco) runs. It will be easy for God to get squeezed out of your schedule. Strategy: Make an Appointment College is definitely not the time to drift away from Jesus. The key is to set aside time each day to talk to God and dig into His Word. Stick to that appointment! Think of it as your most important class of the day—and pay attention to what your Teacher has to say. The Word: Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.’ ” TEMPTATiON #2 Doubting Your Faith Too many Christian teens ride into college on their parents’ faith. When challenged by intelligent and reasonable sounding but unbelieving professors and students, they’re more likely to shrug off their faith because they don’t own it, or to harbor doubts without really looking for the answers. Strategy: Ask the Right People thE Hard Questions There are answers to the tough questions about what we believe. Dig in for yourself. Get to know the specifics of your faith. Ask wise and trusted Christians about your doubts and questions before you go to college, if possible. With their help, you will be able to boldly defend your faith when others challenge you. When you get to college, be sure to hook up with a solid local church where you can find community, biblical teaching, wise counsel and accountability. The Word: 1 Peter 3:14-15 “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ ” TEMPTATiON #3 Buying Into the “No Moral Absolutes” Lie If you go to a secular university you will be told, in one way or another, that most worldviews, philosophies and religions are equally good. Nothing can be known for sure. “If it works for you, go for it!” Your profs and peers might try to make you feel silly about believing that Jesus is the only way to God. You might want to fudge your beliefs just a little to be accepted. Strategy: Commit to Representing Christ to Your Campus Don’t be surprised that non-Christians don’t agree with you. Turn it around, and make your campus your mission field! You’ll be amazed at how your own faith grows when you’re loving and reaching out to others. The Word: John 14:6 (check out Acts 4:12 and the rest of Acts, too) “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ” TEMPTATiON #4 Giving In to Promiscuity Dorm life, even on a Christian college campus, can mean three things: freedom, loneliness and a lot more time with the opposite sex. That’s not all bad, but it opens the door to sexual temptations. Add to that pressure from friends and the media to “get a boy/girl friend” or “get more physical,” and this is a serious danger zone. Strategy: Make a Plan Now Decide before you get to college how you will handle sexual temptation. What are your limits? How committed are you to sexual purity? Remember that it’s God’s will for you not only to remain physically pure, but to guard your heart as well. Learn how to develop godly friendships with both guys and girls and have fun hanging out in groups. Limit the amount of time you’re alone in one-on-one situations—even if you feel strongly about the other person. The Word: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” TEMPTATiON #5 Par-tay! It’s Friday night, and a little voice says, “College is your last chance (or maybe your first) to really party before entering the ‘real world.’ And besides, who’s gonna get hurt if you drink a few beers, do a few drugs, look at pornography, or sleep with someone here and there? Just have fun!” Strategy: Plan Faithful Fun Find friends who want to have fun, but who want to honor God. Commit to accountability with them. Be an initiator! Plan a party of your own that involves good food, good music, good movies, etc., but leaves out the drugs, alcohol and sexual immorality. The Word: 1 Corinthians 15:33 (see also Genesis 39) “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ ” TEMPTATiON #6 Fit In! Tolerance gets talked about a lot on college campuses these days, but it’s amazing how out of it you can still feel if you stand out from everyone else. You might think about doing wrong or worthless things you’re not even interested in just to feel like part of a group. Strategy: Don’t Fit In! By the power of the Holy Spirit, you can choose to be your own person. Find your sense of significance and self-worth in Christ. Again, surrounding yourself with solid Chris-tian friends is a good way to fight the desire to fit in with the wrong crowd. The Word: Proverbs 29:25 “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trust in the Lord is kept safe.” TEMPTATiON #7 Body and Food Obsessions It’s a huge issue for many women and some men. It’s natural to compare yourself with others and feel like you don’t measure up—or to let stress mess with your eating habits. Some turn to the school cafeteria for comfort, while others turn away from it completely in an attempt to control something in their lives. These patterns are unhealthy and can lead to more serious eating disorders and to dangerous weight gain or loss. Strategy: Capture Your Thoughts Identify the lie that’s making you think your body or the food you eat defines you. Think of that thought as a criminal running around in your mind. Arrest it, put the handcuffs on it, and “take it downtown” to God—and to another person. Your school or church should have counselors you can talk to for help with this serious problem. The Word: Psalm 139:14 (see also 2 Corinthians 10:5) “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” TEMPTATiON #8 Money Madness Your first year of college will include lots of financial freedom—even if you don’t have a lot of cash. You might open a bank account or get a credit card for the first time. It’s way too easy to forget your limitations and lose control. All it takes is ignoring the bottom line in your checkbook for a few days or hitting the limit on your card. Strategy: Make a Money Plan Before leaving for college, sit down with a trusted adult and make a realistic budget. It’s also a great idea to decide before each year of school whether you’re going to get any credit cards and how much you’re willing to charge on them or if they’ll only be used in an emergency. Giving to God through a church is another important habit to start (or maintain). God cares about your money, too. The Word: Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven … For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” TEMPTATiON #9 Making College Idols Many things at college can become idols—from intellectual pride and perfectionism to finding your identity in athletics and extra-curricular activities. It’s tempting to devote all your time to your studies or a sport, but the Lord desires your whole heart to be devoted to Him, even while you’re committed to other pursuits. Strategy: Daily Worship Stay consistent with an activity that has eternal value: your time alone with God. If you play the guitar, have a solo worship session, or turn on some music and sing your heart out. God loves to hear a joyful noise directed towards Him! The Word: Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other Gods before me.” TEMPTATiON #10 Cheating and Giving Up Let’s be honest: college is tough! The fear that you’re not going to make it might tempt you to cheat or quit (both bad options). Each leads to further misery and, ultimately, to failure. The Enemy wants you to believe that you can’t succeed or that you can scrape by with only minimal effort. Strategy: Commit Everything to God and Don’t Commit to Everything If you have a problem with cheating or a fear of failure that tempts you to quit, find help! If you had issues like these in high school and you didn’t resolve them, they will only intensify in college. Ask God to help you rely on His strength and for the wisdom and self-control to turn down new opportunities when your plate is already full. The Word: Proverbs 16:3 (see also James 4:7) “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

Garden of Eden: the old game of two truths and a lie "your eyes will be opened, you will become like God, you will know good from evil"

A boy was told by his father not to go swimming. The father caught him swimming. “I didn’t mean to go swimming,” pleaded the boy. ‘Why did you bring your bathing suit?” “Oh,” replied the boy, “I brought it along just in case I was tempted.”

During the time of the twelve Caesars, the Roman army would conduct morning inspections. As the inspecting Centurion would come in front of each legionnaire, the soldier would strike with his right fist the armor breastplate that covered his heart. The armor had to be strongest there in order to protect the heart from the sword thrusts and from arrow strikes. As the soldier struck his armor, he would shout "integritas" [in-teg-ri-tas], which in Latin means material wholeness, completeness, and entirety. The inspecting Centurion would listen closely for this affirmation and also for the ring that well kept armor would give off. Satisfied that the armor was sound and that the soldier beneath it was protected, he would then move on to the next man. At about the same time, the Praetorians or imperial bodyguard were ascending into power and influence; drawn from the best "politically correct" soldiers of the legions, they received the finest equipment and armor. They no longer had to shout "integritas" to signify that their armor was sound. Instead, as they struck their breastplate, they would shout "Hail Caesar," to signify that their heart belonged to the imperial personage—not to their unit—not to an institution—not to a code of ideals. They armored themselves to serve the cause of a single man. A century passed and the rift between the legion and the imperial bodyguard and its excesses grew larger. To signify the difference between the two organizations, the legionnaire, upon striking his armor would no longer shout "integritas," but instead would shout "integer" [in-te-ger]. Integer means undiminished—complete—perfect. It not only indicated that the armor was sound, it also indicated that the soldier wearing the armor was sound of character. He was complete in his integrity…his heart was in the right place…his standards and morals were high. He was not associated with the immoral conduct that was rapidly becoming the signature of the Praetorian Guards. The armor of integrity continued to serve the legion well. For over four centuries they held the line against the marauding Goths and Vandals, but by 383 A.D., the social decline that infected the republic and the Praetorian Guard had its effects upon the legion. As a 4th century Roman general wrote, "When because of negligence and laziness, parade ground drills were abandoned, the customary armor began to feel heavy since the soldiers rarely, if ever, wore it. Therefore, they first asked the emperor to set aside the breastplates and mail and then the helmets. So our soldiers fought the Goths without any protection for the heart and head and were often beaten by archers. Although there were many disasters, which led to the loss of great cities, no one tried to restore the armor to the infantry. They took their armor off and when the armor came off—so too came their integrity." It was only a matter of a few years until the legion rotted from within and was unable to hold the frontiers. The barbarians were at the gates.

Brian Warner once said: Initially I was drawn into the darker side of life. But it's really just human nature. I started to learn that everything that's considered a sin is what makes you a human being. All the seven deadly sins are man's true nature—to be greedy, to be hateful, to have lust. Of course you have to control them; but if you're made to feel guilty for being human, then you're going to be trapped in a never-ending sin-and-repent cycle that you can't escape from, and you're going to be miserable. Ultimately you'll be living in your own hell. So there's no need to worry about going to hell, because hell will be on earth. Now, I don't agree with everything Brian Warner says—you might know him as Marilyn Manson—but he says a couple of interesting things. He says there's a certain naturalness to sin. He says feeling guilty for being human can lead to misery. He talks about a cycle of sin and shame many of us know something about. He's right when he says you have to learn to control sin even though it feels so natural. I think he's wrong in what he says about having hell on earth, because there are a lot of ways to experience a hell on earth. One is to be plagued by guilt and shame for sin, to live in what he called a never-ending cycle of sin and shame, but the other is to fail to control sin, to let sin take over your life or take over our culture and our world.

A little boy named Bobby desperately wanted a new bicycle. His plan was to save his nickels, dimes and quarters until he finally had enough to buy a new 10-speed. Each night he asked God to help him save his money. Kneeling beside his bed, he prayed, "Dear Lord, please help me save my money for a new bike, and please, Lord, don't let the ice cream man come down the street again tomorrow."

Satan now is wiser than of yore. And tempts by making rich, not by making poor. --

Man was not created to be safe. If there is no risk or danger in his life he will create it somehow.

A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. By: C.S. Lewis Source: Mere Christianity, pg 124-12

Most people would like to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch. -- Robert Orben

There are several good precautions against temptation, but the surest is cowardice. -- Mark Twain

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Prevailing Sins A 1992 survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them: 1. Materialism 2. Pride 3. Self-centeredness 4. Laziness 5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness 5. (Tie) Sexual lust. 7. Envy 8. Gluttony 9. Lying Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected their time with God (81 percent) and when they were physically tired (57 percent). Resisting temptation was accomplished by prayer (84 percent), avoiding compromising situations (76 percent), Bible study (66 percent), and being accountable to someone (52 percent).

When proclivities have resources then possibilities become actualities.

Satan attacks the saints in two main ways. The Beast attacks with power and persecution, endeavoring to destroy the witness of the saints and force them to worship the Beast. Babylon attacks with seduction, endeavoring to destroy the purity of the saints.