Genesis 4:6-7 “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it’”.
Yielding to temptations over and over again will morph the character of a person and make them angry, bitter, ashamed and rebellious. Demons that drag people into sinful behaviours are compelling, rowdy and rattling. While we are tempted, there will be a forceful push from the demons to drag us into a snare. A God permitted trial on the other hand is an opportunity to draw closer to the power and presence of the Lord. In the midst of a trial we could be incited to question our faith but the clear difference between a temptation and a trial are the push and the pull factor.
“Push factors encourage people to leave their points of origin and settle elsewhere, while pull factors attract migrants to new areas”. A temptation will ‘push’ us to choose and move in the wrong direction but the purpose of the trial is to ‘pull/draw’ us to higher grounds of spiritual maturity. In the midst of the trial if we start questioning the authenticity of the Word of God, His power and His plan we will wail, weep and worry. Trial is a temporary phase for us to taste the goodness, greatness and graciousness of our God.
Temptations are satan’s snare to stumble us into sin while trials are God permitted setups for success.
The Lord God warned Cain, not to react in rage. Sin was stalking at the door to enrage him with fury and incite him to murder his own brother. But Cain ignored the warning and entangled himself in envy and enmity.
Trials vs Temptations:
1. Push: When provoked to retort, retaliate or rummage, resist the temptation to give into rage. Demons stalk to pounce on us and push us into sinful reactions. Prodding, goading and provoking are the schemes of the devil. A sense of urgency to react is a warning that we are yielding to temptation.
2. Pull: The pull of the Holy Spirit is gentle and delicate. He will keep us ‘calm in the storm’ of the trial. He will draw us closer to His peace, presence and power.
3. Progress: Yielding to temptation will leave us ransacked but surrendering our anxiety in a trial will help us to progress in purity and power. Temptation will leave us broken and bound but a trial will make us bold and benevolent.
Do not succumb to the push of the devil but submit to the pull of the Holy Spirit into the shelter of the Most High God.
Ephesians 4:24-26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
Prayer: Father God, when the lurking demons wait to pounce on me to tempt me to rebel against you, give me the self-control to shun the provoking demons and overcome temptation. Amen.
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