Narayan Mitra is the pastor of Merritt Baptist Church.

Editors note:The views expressed in this column dont necessarily reflect those of the Merritt Herald and its staff. The Herald welcomes qualified writers with views on this or other faiths to submit their work to newsroom@merrittherald.com, to be considered for publication.

Even before my next scheduled Faith story appears, the month of Lent will be upon us, reminding the faithful of the purpose of weaning ourselves away from worldly temptations.

Hopefully, the victory aspired would help believers, not just for this season but throughout the year ahead.

As far back as 2,000 years ago, James, the half-brother of Jesus, reminded the persecuted and the scattered Christians of the godly privilege of believers undergoing temptations with these words: Blessed (or, happy) is the man that endures temptation (James 1:12).

Temptation is one of the inescapable facts of life. It was in operation even in the life of the holy Son of God when he was on earth.

It is a fact to be reckoned with in the life of every man or woman who seeks to serve the Lord.

As we read the record of the temptations of Jesus and if we try to explain them away only as allegories, we would do away the inspiration that leads people to victory by using the Word of God.

It was not only during the 40 days in the wilderness that Jesus suffered being tempted of Satan. There was at least one occasion when, discoursing with his disciples, he told them to be aware lest they fall into temptations.

It is not possible for any one of us to go far through life blind to the awful, insidious force of temptation.

There have been times in all of our lives when sometimes we felt that escape from temptations is almost unavoidable.

At Jesus baptism, after the Spirit of God had descended upon him, he was driven into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Again, as he faced Jerusalem for the last time, who could realize the awful agony as he cried out to one of his own beloved disciples who tried to dissuade him from all that the cross meant to him?

Then, at Gethsemane, in that awful paroxysm of the fury of the evil one, there was the awful experience of pain and loneliness of Jesus.

At times we too face our version of Gethsemane. Let us remember then that we shall also have the angels of God standing by to support and strengthen us.

We would not feel alone then.

Sometimes there is a danger that we think of Christian life far too much in terms of some catchy hymns. Whereas it is a contest in which we should feel that we are in a real battle and cannot afford to let our guards fall.

It was not for the purpose of reclining on couches of scented rose petals that we were bidden to take on the whole armour of God.

No matter how fierce, how overwhelming the forces that are arrayed against us, they are not greater than the forces that lead us on to victories.

Right into the very heat of the furnace there stands besides us, One like unto the Son of God and says, I, too, have felt the scorching flames. I know what it means. I, too, have suffered being tempted, yet I did not sin.

Let us blot out forever from our mind the thought that because Jesus was God, therefore in some mysterious way temptations did not have the same power as they have for us.

It means that Jesus, when he was only a boy, was tempted just as we were when we were boys.

Then, as he grew up to be a young man, those temptations that attack us attacked him too.

But, here is the glory of it for us to learn he came through victorious, without sinning.

So, to every child of God we can say: Take these words for strength, consolation, and encouragement the words of power and just hold on to them in the hours of temptation. They are the words of God.

And not only he suffers with us, he is able also to succour them that are tempted. That is the crux of the whole thing for us.

He overcame. His power is available for us if we want to overcome.

What does it all mean?

First of all, it is true that we are being tempted more than ever before these days. The devil would not easily part with his slaves, even though the redemption money has been paid by Jesus.

Also, before we gave our life to Christ, we were drifting. We were going easily down the stream and were not conscious of the terrific force of the current that held us in its grip.

Now we have begun to pull against the stream and are realising how strong the current is.

We cannot drift against the stream.

But, perhaps this is the most encouraging fact of all that God has allowed us to go into the wilderness to be tempted because He knows we are going to win.

Again, listen to the Word of God: When he is tried, he shall receive a crown of life.

That crown is promised to the person who is tried and tested and who triumphs.

Here is then the promise of victory: No temptation has overtaken you but such 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 will be able to endure it.

That means every temptation carries with it its own way of escape. This is the promise of victory.

Narayan Mitra is the pastor of Merritt Baptist Church at 2499 Coutlee Avenue, Merritt. You can reach him via email atmerrittbaptist@gmail.com.

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MITRA: The toxic spirituality of temptation - Merritt Herald