Trials, Tests, and Temptations

By Alexandra Copeland

When someone is going through a very rough period in their lives, some Christians might comfort them by saying, “Be strong. The Lord will not put more on you than you can bear.” I grew up hearing this in church many years. Folks have been encouraged by this statement, but the underlying implication is that Heavenly Father will place trials, tests, and temptations in the lives of His people. Some believe that He does this to test a person’s faith, to see if they have the strength and commitment to stand firm. The truth of the matter is that God is all-knowing. There isn’t any detail about our lives or about our make-up that He doesn’t know. He knows what we need before we even recognize the need, and He knows what we’re going to do before we do it. Heavenly Father knows our level of commitment to the faith, so we have to ask ourselves why He would need to test something that He already knows. 

God’s Word is right knowledge! It is the foundation of truth and a crucial component to success of any kind. Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) tells us, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Our current state of affairs has taught us that people will try to distort the truth, and some are so masterful at it that individuals are fooled and bamboozled. They can’t tell the difference between what is true and what is a lie. The Word of God is a scalpel. It is so sharp that it clearly discerns. It will slice and dice a lie so that the truth shines through.

When we are sketchy on the truth, we might see something that the devil does and think it is from God, or vice versa. In the arena of trials, tests, and temptation, many Christians have falsely accused God of putting them through horrible situations and circumstances, when nothing could be further from the truth. It is very pious, and self-aggrandizing as well, to believe that you are so singled-out that God is placing you under a special dose of duress for Kingdom purposes. It is a sincere assumption, but sincerity is no guarantee for truth. 

God will never overstep a person’s free-will choice. There are things that He allows, but does not cause, and we need to know the difference. 2Timothy 2:15 (NLT) encourages us to “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” Confusion and chaos are orchestrated by the devil. Mayhem comes from him, and God makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 14:33, where He tells us that He’s not the author of confusion but of peace. 

James 1:13 (NLT) tells us, “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.” God doesn’t tempt us to do wrong. He doesn’t test our faith to see if it will hold up. He doesn’t examine it to see if our commitment is real and true. This is something He has told us to do. He tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT), “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.” 

In Genesis we see the very first record of satan as the tester and tempter, and we know in Matthew 4, Jesus Christ was led in the wilderness to fast 40 days and nights; there he was tempted by the devil. He was not swayed by the enemy because Jesus Christ knew the Word of God. He stood upon it with faith, and resisted every temptation. Christ was tempted by the devil, and he never sinned. God doesn’t want us to be ignorant of the enemy’s devices. We will be tempted. We will be tested, and trials and tribulations are a part of life, but God does not orchestrate any of these. Psalm 144:2 declares that God is our Rescuer. He’s our shield, our tower of safety! We can take refuge in Him!■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.