Stormproof Men IIISample

Temptation Doesn’t Come from God

Bass fishing provides a perfect illustration of the difference between external and internal temptation. I love fishing one particular pond in Texas with my friend Frank. We know that some good-sized bass live in the pond, so when we fish there, I take the tackle that I think will attract and catch a fish. I usually start by casting a plastic worm along the shore hoping to grab the eye of an unsuspecting bass. This is “external” temptation—the worm simply shows up in the bass's world, and the bass has no control over its appearance. Thus far, from the fish’s perspective, no damage is done. The fish may simply ignore the bait, and my “outside” temptation (the plastic worm) has induced no “internal” response (a strike).

I really want the bass to be carried away by his lust and then attack the bait. I want him to think, “That looks good … I’ll eat it!” Once he takes the bait, I set the hook, and the fish is in trouble. He then fights, trying to dislodge the hook. The logical end for this fish is death—on the hook, in the net, into the boat, and eventually into the frying pan. What started out as a mere temptation thinking, “That looks good,” ended in death. “Internal” temptation has the same power over us. When we allow our lusts to be enticed, we’ll take the bait and get "carried away", resulting in sin and its consequences. 

External sources of temptation never come from God. God will not entice His children towards sexual sin. Two of our spiritual enemies—the world and the devil—regularly throw external sexual temptations in our path. But the real power of temptation lies with the third enemy, the flesh. Internal temptation is the response of my lusts to an external temptation.

The difference between the two types of temptation is important. Because of the world we live in, it is impossible to avoid all external temptation. We can reduce how much comes across our path, but some will cross our path. Facing external temptations, however, does not necessarily mean we must succumb to them. When Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, He perfectly models that external temptations can be endured without sinning, even those brought directly from Satan.