These are some of the questions that do come to our minds often. Temptation, by its very nature, feels wrong. God’s moral law is written in the heart of every human being (Romans 1:20), and when a sinful temptation is introduced, our consciences immediately sense danger. However, the temptation itself is not the sin. Jesus was tempted (Mark 1:13; Luke 4:1-13), but He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). Sin occurs when we mishandle temptation.

There are two avenues by which we are tempted: Satan and our own sinful flesh. Acts 5 gives an example of someone tempted by Satan. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, wanting to appear more spiritual than they really were, lied to the apostles and pretended they were giving as an offering the full price of some property they had sold. Peter confronted them: “How is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?”(verse 3). In this instance, Peter knew that the temptation to lie had come from Satan. Ananias and his wife both gave in to that temptation (verses 7-10). The betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot is also attributed to Satan’s influence (Luke 22:3; John 13:2).

Ultimately, since Satan is the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the father of lies (John 8:44), all evil originates with him. However, our own selfish nature is an ally of Satan. We need no prompting from Satan to entertain sinful ideas. James 1:13-14 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.”

Even though we may desire to do good, we are all tempted. No one is above it, even someone like the apostle Paul. He shared his own struggle of flesh against spirit when he wrote in Roman 7:22-23, “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.”

Temptation is not in itself sinful. It becomes sin when we allow the temptation to become action, even in our minds. Lust, for example, is sin even though it may never be acted upon (Matthew 5:28). Covetousness, pride, greed, and envy are all sins of the heart; even though they may not be apparent to anyone else, they are still sin (Romans 1:29; Mark 7:21-22). When we give in to the temptation to entertain such thoughts, they take root in our hearts and defile us (Matthew 17:19). When we yield to temptation, we replace the fruit of the Spirit with the fruit of the flesh (Ephesians 5:9; Galatians 5:19-23). And, many times, what was first entertained as a thought becomes action (see James 1:15).

The best defense against giving in to temptation is to flee at the first suggestion. Joseph is a great example of someone who did not allow temptation to become sin (Genesis 39:6-11). Although tempted to sin sexually, he did not give the temptation time to take root. He used the legs God gave him and physically fled. Rather than stay in a potentially dangerous situation and try to talk, reason, justify, explain, or otherwise weaken his resolve, Joseph took off. The temptation was not sin for him because he dealt with it in a God-honoring way. It could easily have become sin if Joseph had stayed around to try to match his wits and self-control against the power of the flesh.

Romans 13:13-14 (ESV) gives us a guideline for avoiding situations that can lead to temptation. “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” If we determine to “make no provision for the flesh,” we will keep ourselves out of situations that may prove too tempting. When we put ourselves in situations where we know we will be tempted, we are asking for trouble. God promises to provide a “way of escape” when we are tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13), but often that way is to avoid the situation altogether. “Flee the evil desires of youth” (2 Timothy 2:22). Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:4), but we have a responsibility to pay attention to the direction God is leading us and avoid temptation whenever we can.

Conclusion

God is able to keep believers from falling into temptation if we do nor err. It is hard to gain promotion without examination, hence, temptation is a test we must pass for divine elevation.

Remain Blessed,

Deacon Mike Ben

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD”- Provb. 21:31.

The present heightened insecurity situation, foisted on the Country by the different terrorist groups, makes these reminders most appropriate. 

Moreover, we are all well aware that this period of the year appears to be the time when we need to exercise the greatest of care when carrying out our duties, be it official or otherwise.

Once more the ember months, are usually associated with high crime rate for the obvious reasons of inordinate desires to participate, at all cost, in the end of the year festivities.

Consequently, we are all advised to consider these suggested precautionary security measures, to increase the chances of our remaining safe and secure during this period.

The Tips

• Be extra careful when carrying out your official duties because of the increased activities of fraudsters at this time of the year.
• We should obey known procedures in the performance of our duties as failure to do so could lead into somewhat serious investigation activities.
• Security personnel deployed to various beats within your premises have been reminded not to leave anything to chance in the discharge of their duties. They will be more closely supervised to increase alertness and efficiency.
• Our homes should be securely locked at all times, all entry and exit points should not be left unlocked even for a minute, this will prevent unsolicited visitors from gaining access.
• Don’t leave keys “hidden” outside the home. Leave an extra key with a trusted neighbour or colleague.
• A family dog can be a deterrent to criminals. But remember, even the best watch-dog can be controlled by food or poison. Do not install separate “doggy doors” or entrances. They also can admit small intruders.
• Choose a location that offers the most security. The less remote, the safer your home will be, particularly in a neighbourhood close to police and fire protection.
• Know your neighbours. Develop a rapport with them and offer to keep an eye on each other’s homes, especially during trips
• While at home, you and your family should rehearse safety drills and be aware of procedures to escape danger and get help
• Educate family members and domestic help in the proper way to answer the telephone at home
• Colleagues who frequent relaxation spots should do a lot of looking and a lot of hearing but a lot less of talking especially in the presence of unfamiliar faces.
• Use frequently your rear view mirror when driving to forestall stalking to which some of us may have been victims.
• It is hereby suggested that brethren who commute with their private cars change their routes periodically even when alternative routes are longer or inconveniencing. This may be necessary for security reasons.
• It is further suggested that we should exercise extra care when going through popularly identified “black spots” such as Dolphin Estate, Eko Bridge towards Costain, Iyana-Iba/LASU junction, Oshodi, Fadeyi/ Onipanu, Alapere e.t.c. Where possible alternative routes are available, you may contemplate them.
• For our security and safety, we may consider the possibility of commuting with two or more colleagues since there is strength in number.
• Police record in Lagos seems to indicate that it is not too safe to use the extreme lanes in traffic; we will like therefore to use this opportunity to further suggest that we should avoid them when driving, if possible make use of the middle ones more often.
• It is suggested that brethren should carry dummy GSM phones at all times while driving to mitigate loss of expensive mobile phones and sensitive information therein.
• Always have available monies on your person or car that could be parted with (ransom) to secure your other valuables in case of un-foreseen attacks by hoodlums.
• Remove all tools that could facilitate the commission of crime within your premises, such tools include ladders, empty drums in an upright position
• Take adequate care of your children because of the possibility of kidnapping which has recently become a menace in our society and is rampant at this time of the year. (Be more careful with them at prayer places and avoid leaving them entirely in the hands of house helps and other unreliable individuals.)
• Avoid confrontations with security personnel bearing arms (Security personnel at road blocks.)
• Keep away from scenes of shooting or riots.
• Restrict information about money in your possession and your travel plans especially when answering phones (others, around you, might be listening)
• Please, feel free to share genuine information of security interest with the top Management and the Head of Administration Services, if for security reasons, it might be necessary to pass such information anonymously as long as it is not misleading.
• All are enjoined to be security conscious and comply with all security measures put in place especially on the use of our ID cards while moving around.
• Other safety measure put in place includes, advice to switch off all electrical appliances when not in use and at the close of the day’s work to prevent possible fire hazards. Let us all endeavour to comply with safety arrangement such as the one just mentioned.
• Dress decently and always try to look responsible.
• Avoid making unnecessary calls while driving.
• If you have car make sure your boot is empty except basic tools.
• Avoid giving lift to unknown persons.
• Be patient while you are in check point or traffic jam.
• If you notice any terrorist around you or activities secretly going on around you, kindly leave the area and report immediately to any soldier on duty.

 Conclusion
It is hoped that these tips/ reminders will be found useful in contributing to our wellbeing and determination to remain safe during this critical period.

Jesus is your Security, Trust in Him Because Safety is of the LORD

Thank you.

Deacon, Mike Ben