“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 

Temptation takes place in the life of a believer by the activation of mechanisms that awake appetites and desires that may lead to an action opposed to the will of God. Temptation is the way by which man is induced to commit sin. This does not come from God; He does not tempt anyone. God does not place a banana peel at the feet of the unwary believer to make him fall.

“Temptation is not sin; the sin lies in yielding [to temptation]. To the soul that trusts in Jesus, temptation means victory and greater strength.” –The Signs of the Times, December 10, 1902

“Satan is the god of this world. . . . In his hands, temptation has become a science. Under his control men sin by rule.” –The Review and Herald, February 11, 1902

Satan has perfected the science of temptation because this is the means that allows him to attract his victim to make him fall. Satan does use the banana peel to make the unwary fall. Temptation is the bait that entices the unwary to the trap of sin. Although born with a sinful human nature (Psalms 51:5), no man is born a sinner. Man has to be seduced, dragged into sin. The development of the science of temptation is because Satan cannot force anyone to sin.

“No man can be forced to transgress. His own consent must be first gained; the soul must purpose the sinful act, before passion can dominate over reason, or iniquity triumph over conscience. Temptation, however strong, is never an excuse for sin.” –Messages to Young People, p. 67

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” James 1:14

“A man is tempted to sin when some attractive object or indulgence is presented to him, and he is drawn to overstep principle, and to violate his conscience in doing that which he knows to be wrong.” –The Signs of the Times, December 18, 1893

Temptation usually follows two steps: attraction and seduction. The attraction takes place when we stop by to consider the bait, that is, the object or thought that awakens our interest. Through the senses or thoughts, the mind perceives the bait as appetizing, desirable or pleasant. The carnal appetite is then activated. This is what is called concupiscence or lust by the Bible.

Seduction is the course of approaching to the trap. As we stop by to consider the bait, the interest in it increases, and we begin to crave for it with a growing desire proportional to the nearness to the object. The reason becomes cloudy, and the passion gets more intense, however, during the course of temptation, the will of God stands out above the trap as a fence of danger — a warning.

If there is no possibility of giving in, temptation is not temptation. Temptation is resisted when man is powerfully persuaded to commit the wrong action; and, knowing that he can commit it, resists by faith, clinging firmly to divine power. This was the test through which Christ passed (Selected Messages, bk. 3, p. 132).

Temptation is not real except when there is a concrete possibility of doing what it invites us to do. For Jesus, the invitation to demonstrate His divinity by turning a stone into bread was a real temptation because it was perfectly possible for Him to do so. For any of us, such a proposal does not go beyond an absurd request because we know very well that we do not have the power to do so. In our case, the request to transform a stone into bread is not a temptation.

Temptation necessarily includes the reaction or emotional response to the stimulus of the bait. This is what it means to feel “powerfully persuaded to commit the wrong action.” If there is no emotional response, it is because we are indifferent to the object, or the idea. The indifference or insensitivity to the bait inhibits the process of attraction and seduction. In that case there is no temptation.

During the course of temptation a mental conflict is suffered by confronting the attraction with the will of God. The appetites or impulses that have been activated in response to the stimulus demand satisfaction, but at the same time the knowledge of the will of God takes us to the terrain of decision; it is the critical point where we determine to subject ourselves to the will of God or to do our own will.

Temptation can be resisted by faith, that is, depending on God we can overcome and resist any temptation. The victory of Christ guarantees our triumph, if we truly desire it. When we decide, like Joseph in Egypt, to do God’s will above any personal interest, heaven has the victory and we score a triumph.

Temptation, as has already been said, brings us to a point of decision. We can choose to yield to our impulses and place our will above God’s. In that case the principle of selfishness has the victory. We fall into sin.

Christ went through that test. He knows by His own experience the anguish, and the magnitude of the conflict that the soul suffers when it is assaulted by temptation.

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:15 

The crucial moment in temptation is the decision. When we choose to do our will instead of God’s will, at that moment sin is conceived. Before the physical act, sin is conceived in the mind and heart. It is simply the decision of yielding to temptation. From that moment on sin already exists in our mind as an embryo. Once the decision is made the person becomes a culprit, and is as guilty as if he had already done the action of sin.

The materialization of the act of sin is subject to the circumstances, and they may prevent its consummation, but this does not exempt from guilt. The decision taken, even when it cannot be carried out brings guilt, as much as if the action had been carried out. This is exactly what Jesus meant when He said: “But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”  Matthew 5:28

Jesus speaks of the idea that arises after stopping by to consider with voluptuous eyes the woman. The enticing view drags us to the point where we are at the critical moment of decision. The image of the sensual body clings to the thought, and the scene of carnal pleasure becomes a controlling obsession. When the will surrenders to this idea, when we embrace it, and give it free course in our minds, then sin has been conceived. A decision was made, the step of acceptance to the erotic impulse was taken. By disrespecting the divine commandment sin has been admitted in the heart. Sin is then conceived as the embryo of the evil action.

The birth of sin can be immediate or may take some time. In any case, the birth of sin consists on the materialization of the physical act of sin. Once the action of sin is consummated, the sentence of death is passed.

“It is Satan’s act to tempt you, but your own act to yield. It is not in the power of all the host of Satan to force the tempted to transgress. There is no excuse for sin.” –Maranatha, p. 82

Neptali Acevedo