[Yellow Balloons Series] The Recipe for Victory Sýnishorn

Trial vs. Temptation

As we journey toward understanding what it takes to win at life, it is important to see what James says about the difference between a trial and a temptation. The clear difference is intent. 

A trial is something you are meant to overcome, to succeed against. Temptation is something you are expected to fail in. The difference is in the intention of the source. A temptation is a lie to rebuke. A trial is a truth to navigate.

God allows trials. They give us an opportunity to choose faith and love over fear. Our acceptance in God’s eyes is unconditional. But there is more for us! We are promised a “crown of life,” the fruit of our love for him. 

It is precisely for this reason that God allows trials. He wants us to succeed. He longs for us to succeed. We love to blame God, and call him out for “tempting” us. But only Satan tempts us, because Satan is the one who wants us to fail. We are dragged away by our own desires toward sin and temptation. It is not God’s fault. Our own lust tempts us, dragging us away and enticing us with things other than God. 

Satan has his part to play, but sin is conceived when we choose our lust over God’s love. When lust is conceived, our unchecked sin can give birth to death. The Bible is very clear with regard to our thought life; it says that as a man “thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). The battle takes place in our hearts and in our minds. We get to choose life or death; we choose whether we want to be carnally minded and reap death, or spiritually minded and reap life and peace. 

The great Welsh preacher Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones said: “There is no grosser or greater misrepresentation of the Christian message than that which depicts it as offering a life of ease with no battle and struggle at all; sooner or later every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground.”

If winning at life is overcoming our trials, it is important to distinguish between trials and temptations. God is the Author of life. He is rooting for our success. Faithfulness through stewarding trials and rebuking temptations develops the image of God within us.

Are you facing a trial? Ask your Father to give you the strength to hold on to his promises in faith through the wisdom of God. Are you being tempted by Satan? Rebuke his lies, and he will flee from you! That is the recipe for victory!