“God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone”. James 1:13, NKJV
Does God Really Do That?
God is holy and full of love. He does not tempt us; we tempt ourselves (James 1:14, 15). When Jesus taught us to pray, “Do not lead us into temptation,” He did not mean that God encourages us to sin. The Greek word for “lead” (eisphero) can also mean “do not abandon us” or “do not allow us to go.” Similarly, “temptation” (peirasmon) can mean “trial or test.” Therefore, this part of the prayer can be seen as asking for God's help during our challenges, so we do not fall into sin alone.
God puts us in situations to show us our spiritual condition and our need for Him. Realizing our sinfulness pushes us to seek Jesus, who is our only hope (Rev. 3:17). The Bible says that God tests our hearts (Proverbs 17:3), and through these tests, we can grow stronger and gain understanding.
Our enemy wants us to stay away from God because separation can lead to sin. Jesus teaches that our strength comes from Him: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). We cannot change our hearts on our own, but in Christ, we become new (2 Cor. 5:17).
To evaluate our spiritual growth, we can look at the fruits we bear (Matt. 7:16) by staying connected to Christ (John 15:1–5) and being filled with His Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23). Staying close to Him shapes our character and actions (The Desire of Ages, p. 676).
God asks us to pray often and depend on Him. He promises that if we draw near to Him, He will come near to us (James 4:8, NKJV). The presence of Christ in our hearts is our best defense against evil (The Desire of Ages, p. 324).
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