It Takes Two
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. - James 1:14–15
Where does temptation come from? In a broad sense, it clearly comes from the devil. But we play a key role in our own temptation. The devil needs our cooperation for us to give in, because where there is no desire on our part, there is effectively no temptation.
So the devil sizes us up. He tries to figure out what our vulnerabilities are. And then he brings a temptation that is attractive. It takes two to make a temptation successful, and you are one of the two.
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The temptation itself comes in the form of an evil thought that knocks on the door of your imagination. It may be true that opportunity knocks once, but it is also true that temptation beats on the door every day.
So the temptation comes, and you are checking it out. You are contemplating it. You are trying it on for size, if you will, thinking, I would never do it, but just for the sake of research, I need to know a little bit more. What makes temptation so difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely.
That brings us to the next step. You are almost hooked. It is appealing to you. You are almost there. Even so, there is still a way out, and you know what the way out is: the door. It is as simple as that. It is as simple as clicking the little red button on your remote control. It is as simple as hitting the "off" button on your computer or the "end" button on your telephone. It is as simple as walking though the doorway with the "exit" sign above it. Sometimes what we need to do is take practical, radical steps in the right direction-away from temptation.
