Does A Man Tempt Himself?

[regibassman57]

Is it possible for a man to tempt himself with evil? Or is a man tempted by the devil drawing him, spiritually, through what he feels (emotionally).

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

On the surface , "James 1:14," seems to answer the question, but there is more to it.

 

[Bendito]

Is it possible for a man to tempt himself with evil? Or is a man tempted by the devil drawing him, spiritually, through what he feels (emotionally).

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

On the surface , "James 1:14," seems to answer the question, but there is more to it.

James 1:14-15 (CJB)
14 Rather, each person is being tempted whenever he is being dragged off and enticed by the bait of his own desire. 15 Then, having conceived, the desire gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
That's how temptation works....Satan uses our likes and dislikes to tempt us...we give in, bow our knee and sin....

And believe it or not....You cannot sin without you are tempted by Satan...

 

[regibassman57]

@Bendito,

James 1:14-15 (CJB)
14 Rather, each person is being tempted whenever he is being dragged off and enticed by the bait of his own desire. 15 Then, having conceived, the desire gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
That's how temptation works....Satan uses our likes and dislikes to tempt us...we give in, bow our knee and sin....

And believe it or not....You cannot sin without you are tempted by Satan...

What was Jesus' likes and dislikes causing Him to be tempted?

 

[Bendito]

@Bendito,


What was Jesus' likes and dislikes causing Him to be tempted?

Jesus was tired, hungry, and thirsty.... So what would be a good base for temptation? Right...The desire for sleep, food, and water

 

[regibassman57]

@Bendito,

Jesus was tired, hungry, and thirsty.... So what would be a good base for temptation? Right...The desire for sleep, food, and water

That's a start but it's a little bit more than that... The devil tempts us through the spirit of lust, fear, anger, grief and every other emotion that comes from the foundations of these emotional temptations.

Hebrews 4:15
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.

Jesus was tempted in all areas of life as fallen man is. Temptation is based on "feelings" (emotion), and Jesus felt every bit of the pressure of temptation as we; but much more pressure.

Hebrews 12:4
You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

 

[Bendito]

That's a start but it's a little bit more than that... The devil tempts us through the spirit of lust, fear, anger, grief and every other emotion that comes from the foundations of these emotional temptations.

Yes...That's what the verse said. But you asked if man tempts himself. I gave you the blueprint on how temptation works. What place for argument, or discussion. The blueprint is true. It leaves no room for argument.

 

[regibassman57]

@Bendito,

Yes...That's what the verse said. But you asked if man tempts himself. I gave you the blueprint on how temptation works. What place for argument, or discussion. The blueprint is true. It leaves no room for argument.

The "blueprint" is what James said... Everyman is tempted when they are drawn away of their own lust. A man cannot tempt himself because a man does not introduce emotional lust, anger, fear or grief to his life at birth. Only the devil (Satan) is the tempter of man as scriptures teach. Man accepts the offering from the devil or they resist it when they learn to understand themselves and what is acceptable in life and/or what is common in life.

 

[Bendito]

@Bendito,


The "blueprint" is what James said... Everyman is tempted when they are drawn away of their own lust. A man cannot tempt himself because a man does not introduce emotional lust, anger, fear or grief to his life at birth. Only the devil (Satan) is the tempter of man as scriptures teach. Man accepts the offering from the devil or they resist it when they learn to understand themselves and what is acceptable in life and/or what is common in life.

Ah! At last!! Then we agree....And that is another reason that there is no salvation for Satan and his minions....They sinned by choice...Nobody tempted them....Salvation is for man....man needs help to sin.

 

[regibassman57]

@Bendito,

Ah! At last!! Then we agree....And that is another reason that there is no salvation for Satan and his minions....They sinned by choice...Nobody tempted them....Salvation is for man....man needs help to sin.

Great!!! It's been a while... Man truly did need help. I personally believe through my study of Lucifer and the angels they were created in the nature of good and evil. Once Lucifer began to favor God's position in Heaven because of the excellence of his beauty and perfection as well as his position, he allowed himself to be overcome of himself because he took his eyes of of his creator and looked at his position and power. I just presented that, but not to open a discussion on this post.

 

[regibassman57]

@Bendito,
Do you believe Adam and Eve were tempted? If so what scriptures would you use to convince someone of your believed facts?

 

[Wired 4 Fishen]

@Bendito,
Do you believe Adam and Eve were tempted? If so what scriptures would you use to convince someone of your believed facts?

There was one forbidden item on the table between Adam and God. Do NOT eat of the tree of good and evil.

Therefore there was only one area they could be tempted in.

 

[Bendito]

@Bendito,
Do you believe Adam and Eve were tempted? If so what scriptures would you use to convince someone of your believed facts?

Huh? Really? Of course they were tempted!
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?


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


3 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.


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


5 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.

First he made her feel inferior, then he made her feel held back by God
She then wanted to be 'worthwhile and of value, then she wanted to be what she thought she should be....There is your temptation. And that's how Satan tempts everybody.

 

[regibassman57]

@Wired 4 Fishen, @Bendito,

There was one forbidden item on the table between Adam and God. Do NOT eat of the tree of good and evil.

Therefore there was only one area they could be tempted in.

Scripture doesn't speak about it as a temptation but a deception. Jesus could be tempted, but He could not be deceived. Adam and Eve could be deceived but they could not be tempted. scripture does not teach Eve or Adam was tempted.

1 Timothy 2:13
For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
1 Timothy 2:14
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Adam and Eve were created by the Word of God. A pure word in it's perfection in not emotional. Temptation is based on feeling according to James 1:14. Lust has to do with feeling. Jesus was tempted as man with lust (feelings) in everyone of His temptations.

Eve was deceived and Adam simply followed and obeyed his wife. Not tempted. Temptation is within.

Huh? Really? Of course they were tempted!
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?


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


3 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.


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


5 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.

First he made her feel inferior, then he made her feel held back by God
She then wanted to be 'worthwhile and of value, then she wanted to be what she thought she should be....There is your temptation. And that's how Satan tempts everybody.

This is intellectual exchange which one was deceived by the other in words. There was no feeling involved here only deceit. Adam didn't experience fear until he sinned, this is when Satan had right and purchased their soul. Satan could at that point become their god spiritually and lead them in two ways; mentally in thought and emotionally in feelings.

 

[Bendito]

@Wired 4 Fishen, @Bendito,


Scripture doesn't speak about it as a temptation but a deception. Jesus could be tempted, but He could not be deceived. Adam and Eve could be deceived but they could not be tempted. scripture does not teach Eve or Adam was tempted.

1 Timothy 2:13
For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
1 Timothy 2:14
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Adam and Eve were created by the Word of God. A pure word in it's perfection in not emotional. Temptation is based on feeling according to James 1:14. Lust has to do with feeling. Jesus was tempted as man with lust (feelings) in everyone of His temptations.

Eve was deceived and Adam simply followed and obeyed his wife. Not tempted. Temptation is within.



This is intellectual exchange which one was deceived by the other in words. There was no feeling involved here only deceit. Adam didn't experience fear until he sinned, this is when Satan had right and purchased their soul. Satan could at that point become their god spiritually and lead them in two ways; mentally in thought and emotionally in feelings.

Well here we go again...regibassman57 wants to argue semantics again. I'm not interested

 

[B-A-C]

This is an oddly worded question, but the Bible makes in clear the flesh is perfectly capable of sinning even without any help from Satan.

Rom 7:14; For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
Rom 7:25; Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
1 Pet 3:18; For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

In fact there a several verses about putting the flesh to death. (Not our physical bodies, but rather our non-spiritual desires).

 

[Dave M]

This is an oddly worded question, but the Bible makes in clear the flesh is perfectly capable of sinning even without any help from Satan.

Rom 7:14; For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
Rom 7:25; Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
1 Pet 3:18; For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

In fact there a several verses about putting the flesh to death. (Not our physical bodies, but rather our non-spiritual desires).

Yeap in the 1000 year rule of Christ, Satan wont be around, but it looks like still there will be some unsaved people no one to blame but there flesh I would think

 

[regibassman57]

@Bendito,

Well here we go again...regibassman57 wants to argue semantics again. I'm not interested

You look at it as semantics; but I'm not trying to be logical with interpretations that is not scriptural. God said let us reason together. The thought of arguing is from the devil, but the art of reasoning comes from knowing what God says about something and allowing it to speak for you. All scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. If a person speaks according to their interpretation, and the other person is speaking through scripture, there will be arguments taking place but within the person interpreting a subject logically. The argument starts in the mind of the person that that becomes frustrated. Frustration can only come through intellectualism and not God's word. So... when I said, according to scripture in the post, you gave me your opinion and not pertinent scripture that answered the question I asked.

We are speaking about God's Word, there is no emotion jumping out at you through God's word. As long as you don't recognize Satan's choice of weaponry, you will always be first deceived mentally and then become emotional affected and believe you are having an argument. You call my reaching out to you in discussion an argument. If we are using God's Word to reason over the Internet, how can we argue by peacefully typing word on the computer (if we are peaceful). This is God's wisdom you must understand if you desire to take the victory over the devil while doing peaceful and pleasurable interactions with other believers. When Satan attacks you use it to your benefit and develop fruit in place of the emotional feelings you engage in with others in biblical conversation. The battle in you comes from the devil when you believe you're arguing with another person. Remember, believers do not fight against flesh and blood. This means when you are angry, no human made you angry because they cannot be within you. No human can take your peace from you and cause you to be frustrated within; especially at a person you don't know.

Bendito, I just like to think and deal with many Christian topics that cause a person to deal with their feelings. When they see how they feel over the Internet, it should in time quicken them to realize they need to stop becoming emotional over the Internet and learn to discuss scripture by only using scripture and leaving self out of it. Emotion is about self; how "I" feel or how someone else made "ME" feel.

Much love...

 

[Dovegiven]

Let's consider another angle. Eve replied to the serpent in
Genesis 3:3 (KJV) 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.

God didn't tell that condition to Adam, but sometime later Eve got that wrong enough to open herself up to deception, or maybe Adam taught her wrong. So error entered in early on. That gave the serpent an open door to add more error. If she could get the one commandment a little wrong, why not help her dig herself deeper? So then came the challenge, putting a question in that maybe God had it wrong.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 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.

He let her keep her error, then followed it up with a statement that sounded reasonable, that maybe God was jealous, didn't want her to be as all knowing as God. Some truth was mixed with his twist.

While she ponders that thought, she looks at the fruit of the tree, letting lust of her eyes come alive.
6a 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,

it looks good enough to eat and enjoy. Why would God deny me something like that? She had no idea what the fruit tasted like. Suddenly it looked good enough to eat. Taking a bite of it was added to the error of desiring what God prohibited. That desire wasn't in her when the serpent first approached, and no doubt she had seen it before without those thoughts.

6b and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Partners in sin. That's how sin propagates, sharing errors and lust of the eyes. Mankind is still capable of doing what Adam and Eve did. What they couldn't invent, Satan's puppet, the snake that beguiled Eve, helped with. Adam didn't go through her process of self deception mingled with lies from the serpent. He just ate of the fruit. Simple as that, directly disobeying God while putting responsibility on his wife. The she passed the buck.

The Devil is not a god, can't be everywhere all the time. He has associates, but they too are limited. Jesus found a legion of them in one man, which ended up in the swine, which drowned in the sea. The demons didn't want to go to a dry place. It isn't necessary to deal with everyone, because people already do his work, self deceiving, deceiving, lusting, enacting their lusts. Most just plunge in with no idea what God has said or might desire of them.

When men began to multiply, God saw they were full of sin.
Genesis 6:5-6 (KJV)
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

He flooded the earth, killing the world of air breathing creatures. But notice Satan survived. Notice no blame for the people was put on Satan.

When Satan comes on scene there will be little or no contest for a man not prepared to resist. Christ in us is our hope of glory, so be full of the word and able to use it if and when he shows up. What a shame to go through life thinking one is spared while never learning, remaining ignorant, and whatever is believed includes error. If we do our part, God will not let our weakness be an automatic win for the Devil, will not let us be tempted above our ability to withstand.

James 1:12-15 (KJV)
12 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.
13 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:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Notice Satan is nowhere mentioned in that chapter. The subject is people and their own lusts.

James 1:26-27 (KJV)
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Put down every wicked imagination. Being busy with righteous works avails much.

 

[regibassman57]

B-A-C,

This is an oddly worded question, but the Bible makes in clear the flesh is perfectly capable of sinning even without any help from Satan.

The reason man "after Adam" sins is because they were sold over to sin in the flesh, sin became their nature and Satan became their god.

Ephesians 2:2
Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the "spirit that now works" in the children of disobedience:

Christians can also allow themselves to be blinded if they refuse to do what God word says. Revelation knowledge comes through doing God's word because only God gives understanding and exalts the believer that walks upright in Him believing His word.

2 Corinthians 4:3
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2 Corinthians 4:4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

We can see on this forum that one believer thinks another is blinded to God's word all the time. This makes the believer thinking another is blinded, blinded himself according to God's word by the judgment made by his statement. This is deception of the devil when a person is blinded. A believer can only sin when they are tempted. Temptation (according to scripture) comes from the tempter.

Rom 7:14; For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
Rom 7:25; Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
1 Pet 3:18; For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

In fact there a several verses about putting the flesh to death. (Not our physical bodies, but rather our non-spiritual desires).

Every believer's body in Christ died with Him. Jesus circumcised the flesh of man by representing and crucifying the flesh. Just as through Adam's sin begot selfishness in the flesh and came alive, the flesh was crucified by Christ's work on the cross and believers benefit if they believe. If not they will be smacked around spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Colossians 2:11
In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the "sins of the flesh" by the circumcision of Christ:

When Romans 7:14 talks about being sold over or into bondage to sin, it's talking about sold over to Satan's Kingdom. Thank Jesus we are no longer in that nature. Sin doesn't have a Kingdom a person can be sold into, Satan does.

Romans 7:25 is also talking about Satan's Kingdom - and the sin he is speaking about serving is Satan through emotions. Paul in mind and understanding is serving God by being led by His word. Satan was using emotional warfare against Paul. That's why Paul said, "it's not me, but Satan/sin dwelling in me." But we know Satan is the tempter that is making Paul do things he doesn't desire to do through the pressure of emotions; which is the pressure of tribulation (Rom. 7:20).

Romans 7:23
But I see another law in my body, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of Satan which is in my body.

We know Satan is not "IN" a believer according to Romans 8:9; but Christ now resides in the hearts of believers. The other law that Paul is experiencing is temptations through emotions (feelings). Paul doesn't have full clarity in this fight, but he thanks Jesus because he knows God is sufficient for him.

 

[regibassman57]

@Dovegiven,

Let's consider another angle. Eve replied to the serpent in
Genesis 3:3 (KJV) 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.

God didn't tell that condition to Adam, but sometime later Eve got that wrong enough to open herself up to deception, or maybe Adam taught her wrong. So error entered in early on. That gave the serpent an open door to add more error. If she could get the one commandment a little wrong, why not help her dig herself deeper? So then came the challenge, putting a question in that maybe God had it wrong.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 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.

He let her keep her error, then followed it up with a statement that sounded reasonable, that maybe God was jealous, didn't want her to be as all knowing as God. Some truth was mixed with his twist.

I was hanging with you until you said Eve may have thought God got it wrong. Satan was not in her mind as he is in our after Adam's transgression. Eve wasn't feeling the pressure that Paul felt in his body causing him to do thing because of the war he felt in his mind. Eve approched the devil in words only but didn't stand on what God said and was decived. Eve couldn't "feel challenged" and "insecure" (shy) or any ways other than peace in her conversation with the servant. They were created in perfect peace until they sinned.

While she ponders that thought, she looks at the fruit of the tree, letting lust of her eyes
come alive.

According to scripture a person lusts from inside. Lust is an attribute of the devil given to man after the fall of Adam; not before. This is why no where in scripture does it say Eve was tempted. To me temptation and deception are two different understandings. If there were no scripture that said Eve was deceived I could accept your reasoning. But because scripture specifically teaches Eve was "deceived" I can't accept your rational she was tempted.

James 4:1
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war "in" your body/members?

This is not just referring to a society, but an individual person also.

6a 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,

Deception... Eve said what God said about the tree. She was not capable of feeling anything towards the tree. This was all intellectual reasoning, though her reasoning was wrong through Satan's deception and her disobedience for not obeying the word in her heart.

it looks good enough to eat and enjoy. Why would God deny me something like that? She had no idea what the fruit tasted like. Suddenly it looked good enough to eat. Taking a bite of it was added to the error of desiring what God prohibited. That desire wasn't in her when the serpent first approached, and no doubt she had seen it before without those thoughts.6b and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Exactly... The desire wasn't there when the serpent first approached her; and she had no desire after she became deceived. However, she did delight in the tree when she saw it. I believe Eve saw the tree as God did - in a pure fashion of beauty and according to certain adjectives . The desire in man didn't happen until Adam sinned. Only then could Satan cause man to feel anything contrary to peace.

Genesis 2:9
And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Partners in sin. That's how sin propagates, sharing errors and lust of the eyes. Mankind is still capable of doing what Adam and Eve did. What they couldn't invent, Satan's puppet, the snake that beguiled Eve, helped with. Adam didn't go through her process of self deception mingled with lies from the serpent. He just ate of the fruit. Simple as that, directly disobeying God while putting responsibility on his wife. The she passed the buck.

Adam naively followed his wife (no excuse), but he was accountable for the sin of mankind.

Everything else you wrote is on a different slant but I agree.