Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word.
This week's question:

Oh, those worldly temptations! They have taken down some great men in the past such as David as he looked upon Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:2) and his son, Solomon, the wisest man in the world, who still gave in to his many wives desire to serve other gods and he built idols that they could worship them and his heart was not wholly with God (1 Kings 3:1-15). Temptations can be set into play by the things of this earth, the people and living things of this earth, or greater powers of the "tempter" himself. They will lure or entice and try to persuade us to do something wrong. And when we are faced with those temptations God reminds us:

James 1:13-15 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be

tempted by evil, and he Himself will not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away

and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is

accomplished, it brings forth death.

So, although God will test us (Hebrews 11:17), He will not tempt us. Jesus Himself was tempted in His weakened state of fasting for forty days by the great tempter and yet without sin (Matthew 4:1-11). The Lord encourages us to watch our pathway:

Proverbs 4:10-15 Hear my son, and accept my sayings and the years of life will be many. I have

directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not

be impeded; and if you run, you will not stumble. Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for

she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked. And do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid

in and do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on.

So, if we know a pathway may lead to temptation as the young man lacking sense goes down the way that leads to the married woman whose man is gone and awaits him, dressed seductively, and with her words she entices him and he follows her like an "ox led to slaughter" (Proverbs 7:6-27). And so that brings us back to our question of how we overcome these temptations? For our answer we turn to:

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you as is common to man; and God is faithful, who

will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way

of escape also, so that you are able to endure it.

And there we have the answer to our question as God will provide the way of escape! The problem is, as we have seen, that God gives us the free will to make our decision and we may set our mind on the earthly things (Philippians 3:19) where lust may take us over and then it will give birth to sin as the young man that is led like an ox to slaughter. Or we can stand against the great tempter :

Ephesians 6:10-13 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor

of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not

against flesh and blood, but against flesh and blood , but against the rulers, against the powers, against

the world forces of the darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having

done everything, to stand firm.

As we put on the full armor of God it will keep us from having lusts and desires develop from within and we will look for the way of escape that is provided by the "Guardian of your souls" (1 Peter 2:25), and strive to be "imitators" of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1) who knew no sin though tempted in all things. Let us remember that when we do stumble in sin, that we have an "advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (2 Peter 2:9).