Until we are born again, the only kind of temptation we understand is that mentioned by St. James - "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." But by regeneration we are lifted into another realm where there are other temptations to face, viz., the kind of temptations Our Lord faced.

The temptations of Jesus do not appeal to us, they have no home at all in our human nature. Our Lord's temptations and ours move in different spheres until we are born again and become His brethren.

The temptations of Jesus are not those of a man, but the temptations of God as Man. By regeneration the Son of God is formed in us, and in our physical life He has the same setting that He had on earth.

Satan does not tempt us to do wrong things; he tempts us in order to make us lose what God has put into us by regeneration, viz., the possibility of being of value to God.

He does not come on the line of tempting us to sin, but on the line of shifting the point of view, and only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil.

Temptation means the test by an alien power of the possessions held by a personality. This makes the temptation of Our Lord explainable.

After Jesus in His baptism had accepted the vocation of bearing away the sin of the world, He was immediately put by God's Spirit into the testing machine of the devil, but He did not tire, He went through the temptation "without sin," and He retained the possessions of His personality intact.

Return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

Take with you words, and turn to the Lord : say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously.

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

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: but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin.

They lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

He himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.—Simon, Simon, . . . Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.

He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

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: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, . . . even as the garden of the Lord. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

[The Lord] delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations.

Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.