After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 3:16-4:1
Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41
No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9
How do you deal with temptation? Do you immediately recognize it as temptation? Can you discern it when it is crouching waiting to devour you? What emotions and desires of ours are triggers for temptation to step up and present itself to us? Have you identified what has led up to your past sin history events? What leads us to falling into the trap? Jesus says to “keep watching and praying” as the instructions to not walk into it blindly.
Γρηγορεῖτε καὶ προσεύχεσθε / grégoreó kai proseuchomai / gray-gor-yoo’-o kahee pros-yoo’-khom-ahee – the Greek for ‘watching and praying’.
Let’s take the words one by one…
* alert, keep watch, wake, awake, keep, keep watching, keeping alert – expresses an alert, wakeful attentiveness to unfolding events, whether physical or spiritual. In Scripture it consistently calls God’s people to stay awake, remain spiritually alive, and be on guard against danger or surprise.
* also, even, then, both, too, so, indeed – This word is the most common connective, weaving every canonical theme into a seamless tapestry. It coordinates words, phrases, clauses, and whole pericopes, displaying Scripture’s organic unity.
* pray, praying, prayed, offer prayers, make prayers, prayer, prays – this word appears eighty-six times, spanning the Gospels, Acts, the Pauline and General Epistles. The verb always denotes direct address to God, whether petition, thanksgiving, confession, or intercession. Its distribution displays three major spheres: the incarnate life of Jesus Christ, the formative experience of the early church, and the ongoing instruction to believers.
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Unfortunately, we will ALL face temptation. Why do some of us deal with it more than others? I think Paul speaks to Timothy about this ‘situation’ when he says, “and many foolish and harmful desires” will send many people over the edge into the trap. Foolish and harmful? Can you ask the Holy Spirit what some of these could currently be in your life … right now? How can you ‘watch’ for them if you can’t identify them? Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to reveal your weaknesses in this area of temptation? What desires are dangerous for you?
One desire that is blatantly mentioned … is the desire to get ‘rich’ / ie. have lots of money. Do you see money as your ‘security’ or means to power and control? That desire is a very common one to us humans.
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Luke 16:13
What other desires of your ‘flesh’ do you allow to ‘master’ you? If you can’t name any … you won’t ever see the temptation right in front of you.
The second instruction is to … pray. This isn’t a monologue – but an ongoing conversation with the Spirit of God who dwells within you. Paul says to “pray without ceasing” / 1 Thessalonians 5:17. This isn’t a ritualistic recital, but an ongoing conversation with Him just like your breathing is constant.
Watch and pray. Spiritually… what is needed is impossible without the Spirit of God. We might be able to physically recite … but we need His revelation and Presence to guide us, show us, and instruct us … what to do in the moment. Our ‘escape’ from temptation is provided THROUGH the instructions and revelation by the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit show us our weaknesses and desires that lead us into temptation. Please Holy Spirit also teach us the ‘way of escape’ in each moment we are faced with a temptation / trap. Help us Lord with spiritual eyesight – to see the trap for what it is. Help us crawl out of the pit of denial we have dug for ourselves and see the Light of Truth about our souls and flesh.
Jesus …we need YOU! Holy Spirit speak clearly to us!