By doing things that belong to the devils domain, you are not simply 'submitting to mere temptation', but you are actually giving the devil the RIGHT to participate in your affairs. The devil has taken a spot, a location, a position in your life because you have created a condition which has given him opportunity and the legal license to be operating on you.

Many Christians believe that temptation is God testing or trying our faith. However, scripture clearly tells us that temptation is not of God, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:13-14)

What exactly is temptation?
and How are we enticed?

Temptation is applying pressure against your flesh to get you out of God's will. Temptation is performed through suggestion, the most powerful weapon of the devil.

The devil makes suggestions to entice (lure) you to create a thought to influence your thinking and to change your understanding of what you know is the Word of God. After you have accepted that suggestion and created the thought, he nourishes those thoughts until they construct a stronghold in your mind.

A stronghold is a mental structure that you have built in your mind that is the PLACE you have given to the devil. Strongholds can be as complex as a theological doctrine or philosophy, or as simple as a tradition, attitude or a mindset.

That's exactly what happened in the first temptation in the garden of Eden: (Genesis 3:1-6)

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast in the field which the Lord God made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, has God said, You 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 has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die."

"And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die: For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you 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."

Adam and Eve were ignorant of the devils tricks as Eve said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." (Genesis 3:13) Beguiled is the Hebrew 'nasha' , (Strongs 5377) meaning to mentally delude, seduce, deceive.

As New Testament believers we are taught to be aware of the enemy's continual effort to gain strongholds over us and lead us away from God's Word.

"Lest satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11)

Not having the knowledge of the tricks of the devil is the way that he can set us up and get us to give him place.

The temptation that didn't work:

"Then Jesus, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led [by] the [Holy] Spirit. For forty days in the wilderness, where He was tempted (tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry."

"Then the devil said to Him, If you are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf [of bread]."

"And Jesus replied to him, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by bread alone but by every Word and expression of God." (Luke 4:1-4 Amplified)

Knowing the Word, understanding the Word and believing the Word is how Jesus ended this pressure against His flesh that would have removed Him from God's will.

"Then the devil takes Him (Jesus) up into the holy city, and sets Him on a pinnacle of the temple. And said unto Him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone."

"Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God." (Matthew 4:5-7)

"And the devil, taking Him up into a high mountain, showed 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 you, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me: and to whomsoever I will, I give it. If you therefore will worship me, all shall be yours."

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve." (Luke 4:5-8)

KNOW THINE ENEMY!

Jesus knew His enemy and by His temptation and triumph, He shows us exactly how to defeat the enemy. Jesus said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on [have absolute mastery over] serpents and scorpions, and over all the power [ability] of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)

If the devil can keep you ignorant to Luke 10:19 you'll actually develop fear of the devil.

Therefore, the most important aspects of warfare are to know your enemy, his goals, his tactics, and his weapons.

• Our enemy is satan and his minions, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)

• Satan's goal is to keep the unbelievers under condemnation (John 3:18) and entice believers to fall out of the will of God. (1 Peter 5:8)

• Satan's tactics are temptation through suggestion (Genesis 3, Matthew 4, Luke 4).

• Satan's best weapon is the lie (John 8:44) and through fear he keeps you in bondage (Romans 8:15).

If you don't know the Word of God then you can't distinguish the difference between the Word and satan's devices. So if you are ignorant of the Word and you don't, "study to show yourself approved," (2 Timothy 2:15) then the devil can throw all kinds of suggestions at you. In your ignorance you are unable to tell the difference between the devil and God and you'll be building more and more strongholds in your mind therefore giving more and more place to the devil in your life.

In the history of human existence many things are true in human knowledge. However, there is only one truth that will make people free from sin, demons, fear and the destruction which comes from being under the dominion of satan: the truth of Jesus Christ found in God's Word.

Jesus said, "If you continue in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:31-32,34)

When you were born again and stepped out of the world and into the will of God, you stepped out of the pressures of the world and it's ways, and into God's way of doing things. Using suggestion, lust, temptation, etc., satan's tactics are designed to bring pressure to again get you to do the things you've been delivered from. To get you back into the world again!

The tempter begins his work to snatch away the Word from those who have no understanding, just as he did with Eve (Mark 4:15). He tries to get you to fear that what you know of God's Word is not true, or that the Word will not work for you, this time. (Mark 4:19). And if you are weak, then he will "take away the Word which was sown." (Mark 4:15)

The tempter CANNOT take the Word away from those who do understand the Word and know how to use it (Mark 4:20). It has taken root and grown depth in their lives and cannot easily be snatched way.

Many Christians believe that satans primary temptations are:

• fornication and adultery
  
• drugs and alcohol
  
• stealing

The Word tells us not to be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God to them that believe (Romans 1:16), Yet we give place to the devil when he shames us by exposing our lack of Word knowledge, lack of faith and lack of fellowship with God, robbing us of the power of the Word in our lives.

The Word tells us to forgive, yet we give place to the devil each time that forgiveness is challenged (2 Corinthians 2:10-11).

The Word tells us not to covet (Ephesians 4:28), yet we give place to the devil each time we rationalize ownership or payment by taking a paperclip home from the office.

The Word tells us control our tongue, yet we give place to the devil every time we gossip, curse, or demean (James 3:5-10).

The Word tells us not to fear (1 John 4:18), yet we give place to the devil by celebrating a holiday which glorifies fear.

The Word tells us that satan is a liar (John 8:44), yet we give place to the devil by perpetuating the great lie to our children.

This is just a sampling of the devils tactics. In each case the tempter has given us suggestions that the world has long accepted. This causes believers to weigh what God has said against what the world believes, often accepting the lies of popular opinion over the truth of God's Word.

By doing things that belong to the devils domain, believers are not simply 'submitting to mere temptation', but are giving the devil the RIGHT to participate in their affairs. The devil has taken a spot, a location, a position in their life because they have created a condition which has given him opportunity and the legal license to be operating on them.

The biggest deception that satan has ever perpetrated is getting believers not to take him seriously or nullifying his very existence. Since the beginning satan has suggested that all the ills of this world are God's fault. This pressure is applied to believers causing many to doubt their faith, especially when ills befall them: they then blame their misfortunes on God, not realizing that there is an enemy at work (Mark 4:17).

IN SUMMARY:

In order to expose the enemy's lies, you must know the truth. Do not search out the lie (which can entrap you in another of the devils snares), just study the truth. "Study [God's Word] to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

Have faith in God's Word that shows that satan's power can be resisted. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11)

Jesus said, "I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)

Not submitting to temptation is a decision that you have to make each day. Realize that you have powerful spiritual weapons which God has given for the destruction of satan's strongholds in your mind. "For the weapons of OUR warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity EVERY THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

And do not fear but challenge satan and his power directly by believing in Jesus' name (Acts 16:16-18) and by using the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

Jesus said, "Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)

The gates of hell cannot prevail against the expansion of your understanding. Become a Word powerhouse and when satan makes a suggestion, shout, "Get thee behind me satan for I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and you have no place in my mind or my life! (1 Corinthians 1:30)

And finally, don't take our word for it or anyone else's word, take God's Word only! Always discern teachings with an open Book test!

"Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)