The Mysteries and Seeds of Peirasmos

Should I commit sexual immorality? Asked Kofi as Ama kept seducing him in his room. But the Holy Bible commands me not fornicate. I have desires! After all, I can ask God for forgiveness. What if God does not forgive me?

I don’t care, it’s my body, and I can choose to do with what I like! These thoughts were circulating in Kofi’s mind. Kofi is a talented young man. He reads in his leisure time. Ama, his mate from University, paid him a surprise visit.

The cloth of Ama looked seductive because Kofi could see her thighs and other sensitive parts. At last, this is my chance to express myself, said Kofi. It is time to experiment with the romantic videos I have been watching.

After all, nobody will see us. As Kofi contemplated what to do, Ama pretended to be sick to trap Kofi. At that moment, Kofi decided to give in. It is my body, and I can use it anyhow I want it.

Oh, Lord! Please help me! Kofi said these words in his heart. Immediately, Kofi felt fear in his heart. His heartbeat started to beat faster. He remembered the words of the Lord recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

“Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?” With courage, Kofi told Ama to get up because he wanted to meet someone urgently. Surprised, Ama felt betrayed in the room.

Kofi gathered courage and moved out of the room. When Kofi came out of the room, Ama came out with an angry face. Ama looked down on Kofi and went her way. Kofi realizing what had happened, lifted his hands and thanked the Lord for delivering him from Ama (the strange woman).

This is a short imaginative story I wrote to help you understand the seed of peirasmos (temptation). I have been tempted several times to fornicate, but God always makes a way of escape.

Temptations are part of life. What you call temptation may be an opportunity for someone because some people enjoy the pleasures of sin. Temptation is an invitation to violate the laws of God.

Any thoughts or deed that breaks the laws of God is a seed of “temptation.” Temptations can appear in different forms. The devil and his minions can tempt us. Human beings can tempt us. Our lustful desires can lead us to temptation, and finally, God can tempt (test) us.

I have realized that one of the temptations most people face is the temptation of sexual immorality. If you are not rooted in God’s Word or do not have reverence for God, the temptation will always reign over you.

In this article, I will briefly explain temptations (tests) that come from God. Temptations that emanate from the evil spirits. Temptations that emanate from human beings, temptations that emanate from our lustful desires, why people fall into temptation, and how to overcome evil in the season of temptation. Do you know that our Saviour and Lord Christ Jesus went through temptation when he walked on earth as a man?

 

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Hebrews 2:18 KJV

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15 KJV

Christ Jesus went through temptations, so he understands us in that season. He knows how to assist us in the season of temptation. If you call on him in the season of temptation, he will help you. If you depend on your strength and wisdom, you can fail because the flesh is weak. Now, let’s look at the temptation (test) that comes from God

 

The Temptation (test) of God

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

James 1:13 KJV

In the book James, Apostle James writes that let no man declare that God tempts with evil. God does not tempt us to do evil; instead, he tests us to grow our faith. In the case of Abraham (see Genesis 22:1-13), God was testing his faith.

Although killing a human being is evil, Abraham knew that God does not condone evil. God wanted to see the condition of Abraham’s heart. He wanted Abraham to depend on him rather than on his son (Isaac). In the epistles of Apostle Peter, he made us understand the purpose of God’s trial.

 

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:6-7 KJV

Some people may call the trial of God punishment because they are not mature in the Lord. As we can see in the Holy Scriptures that Christian believers pass through adversity and painful seasons.

In that season, God builds our faith. In the season of temptation (adversity, provocation, and trials), the seeds of the Holy Spirit grow into maturity (see Galatians 5:22-23).

 

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1 Peter 4:12-13 KJV

Before a seed germinates, it passes through various seasons. The seed dies in the soil; it receives water, sunlight, and protection from harmful animals. In the same way, the Holy Spirit builds us in the season of trial.

It is said that experience is the best teacher. The experience becomes the best teacher if you learn from them and use it profitably in the future. Like Joseph, he went through numerous temptations.

His siblings hated him, rejected him, and sold him to the Midianites (Ishmaelites) as an enslaved person. In Egypt, he worked as a servant in Potiphar’s palace for over one year. Joseph was tempted several times to fornicate, but he did not give in.

Joseph was accused as a rapist by Potiphar’s wife and sent to prison with hard labor for over ten years. In all, Joseph did not give up on God. Some people might have called Joseph a criminal and a cursed man because of the injustice and pain he went through.

Joseph kept his faith, and God turned his shame into fame. Joseph became the second in command in Egypt at the appointed time. Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den because of his faith in God.

God delivered him from his enemies because he passed the test. Job lost his family and business because of his faith in the Lord, and God kept him. He received a double all that he lost because he passed the test.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the burning furnace for their faith, but God delivered them. One thing about God is that He knows how to deliver us in the season of temptation. Christ Jesus went through temptation, so he understands our weakness, feelings, and desires. He knows our spiritual, emotional, and physical strength.

 

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV

You get the point here. God is faithful and holy. He will not allow us to go through temptation above our strength. He knows the weight of temptation we can endure. I have shared some of my temptations and dangerous encounters in most of my books and articles. Some ladies almost lured me into fornication but God made way for me. We serve a living God who is ready to assist us.

 

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

2 Peter 2:9 KJV

The trial of God is to prune us. Like gold, it has to pass through the fire. The authenticity of gold is seen when it passes through fire. Although there are several ways of testing the authenticity and karat of gold, the best way is to use fire.

 

For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

Psalms 66:10 KJV

Like silver, gold, diamond, and other precious stones are tested, so does God try us to see the pureness of our hearts and faith. If you read the trial of Abraham, you will realize that God spoke through the angel's voice. I think you should read the account for yourself.

 

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

Genesis 22:1-13 KJV

• One reason God has not answered your prayer is that you have not passed his test.
• One reason the Holy Spirit has not released the anointing on you is that you have not passed the test of God.
• One reason you are not progressing in life is that you have not passed the test of God.
• One reason things are not growing as you expect is that you have not passed the test of God.
• Things seem not to work in the church, workplace, home, business, and neighborhood because you have not passed the test of God.

God wants to examine and prove you because he doesn’t want you to mishandle the blessings. Before God promotes you, he allows you to pass through the test. Have you ever thought about why Christ Jesus went through suffering, beatings, rejection, false accusation, and crucifixion before getting the crown of life?

It is a spiritual law. In the kingdom of God, we pass through various tests. Like a university, you must pass the exams before graduation. Christ Jesus had to fast for forty days to pass the test of Spirit living. Are you ready to pass the test of God? Meditate on this holy scripture.

 

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

James 1:12 KJV

The temptation of the devil

Do you know that the devil and his minions can also tempt us? Like the figurative story I gave at the beginning of the article. The devil used Ama to tempt Kofi. One thing about the devil’s temptation is that it leads to sin and separates us from the Holy Spirit (meditate on Isaiah 59:1-3).

 

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:1-7 KJV

If you read the account carefully, you will realize that the serpent (symbol of the devil) tempted Eve to break the law of God. Any temptation that makes you disobey God's Word (Holy Bible) is from the devil.

It doesn’t matter who is commanding you to follow the order. As far as that command challenges the Word of God, it is from the devil. When Adam and Eve submitted to the temptation and lies of the devil, they became independent of God. This means temptations from the devil separate us from the Holy Spirit and make us self-conscious (pride and ego).

 

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Luke 4:1-13 KJV

From the account of the gentile evangelist and physician (Luke), he records that the devil tempted our Saviour and Lord Christ Jesus in three ways. The first temptation was to make Christ Jesus concentrate on the things of the flesh.

Second, Satan wanted Christ Jesus to concentrate on worldly things, power, and fame. Thirdly, Satan wanted Christ Jesus to use the divine power unwisely. Satan tempts us to fully concentrate on earthly things that bring destruction and no profit to God and humanity. Know these truths.

• Some people succumb to the devil's temptation and become slaves to money.
• Some people submit to the devil's temptation by engaging in prostitution mainly for money and pleasure.
• Some people submit to the devil's temptation through human sacrifice (exchange for money, fame, and power).
• Some people sell their souls to the devil to become famous, powerful, and rich.

Satan wants us to ignore the worship of God. Satan wants us to ignore the church and focus only on ourselves, family, career, and business. Anytime the devil tempts you, use the Holy Scriptures to counter him because that is the best weapon.

Christ Jesus used the Word (Holy Bible) to overcome the devil's temptation. As Christian believers, we must follow the example of Christ. It is time to feed more on God’s Word because it has power over Satan’s temptation (meditate on Jeremiah 23:29, Hebrews 4:12, 1 Peter 2:2, Romans 12:1-2).

 

Self-Temptation

Some temptation comes from our lustful desires. As Apostle James writes,

 

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 1:13-14 KJV

If you read the verse fourteen of the above Holy Scriptures, you will realize that Apostle James recorded that people fall into sin (temptation) because of their lustful desires. For example, if you watch porn and romantic videos, you will be tempted to fornicate or masturbate.

Temptation itself is not a sin because Christ Jesus also faced temptation. Temptation becomes a sin when you become prey. Some temptation does not come from the devil. It is your lustful desires and accumulated evil thoughts that lead to the evil deeds (temptation).

This is one reason we must learn to walk and live in the Spirit. If you walk and live in the Spirit, you will not fulfil the desires of the flesh (meditate on Galatians 5:16 or get my series of books for more profound revelations). One of the best ways to dominate the desires of the flesh and walk in the Spirit is to fast, pray, and feed on the Word of God.

 

Few reasons why people become prey in the season of temptation and how to overcome temptation.

As stated that the lustful desires of the flesh can lead to temptation. If you don’t purge the desires of the soul with inspiring videos, books, and music, you can fall into temptation. Equally yoking with unrepentant sinners can also lead to temptation (meditate on 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

 

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

1 Corinthians 15:33 KJV

The evil words you keep hearing from ungodly people can open a portal for evil spirits to access your life because words have power over your soul (meditate on Proverbs 18:21). Connect with godly friends who speak words of inspiration, and you will not fall into temptation.

 

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 17:17 KJV

The Word of God has the power to purge our soul (desires, feelings, mind). When your soul is full of God’s Word, you will not fall prey to the season of temptation (meditate on 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

 

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27 KJV

Pray more in the Spirit to build your spiritual muscles because tongues edify us (meditate on 1 Corinthians 14:4). Praying in the Spirit makes the Holy Spirit exempt you from the enemy's temptation.

Build a consistent fellowship with the Holy Spirit to break the channel of temptation. Christ Jesus stated that prayerlessness and carelessness could lead to temptation.

 

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41 KJV

This means that failure to pray can lead to temptation. Know these truths.

• Failure to stay alert in the Spirit can open the portal for the evil spirits and ungodly people to tempt us.
• Failure to stay alert in the four watches of the day and night can create a portal for the enemy and ungodly friends to tempt us to sin.
• Failure to fast and pray can make the desires of the flesh strong leading to temptation.

• Do you like fasting and prayer?
• Do you love studying the Word (Holy Bible)?
• Do you love biblical and anointed books, videos, and music?
• Do you have time for the Holy Spirit?
• Do you love praising and worshipping God?

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