Living on this earth our spiritual enemy comes at us with temptations and tests and trials just as He did our Lord and he uses what is “common to man”.
1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation (Greek: temptation, test or trial) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (tested or tried) above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. KJV
This scripture tells us our spiritual enemy uses what is common to man to steal from us, to kill, to destroy, to defeat us and that means he has to use the facts, the circumstantial evidence in this natural, physical realm. The devil can never tempt you with the supernatural but only with what is natural.
Lucifer, who is now called Satan, and a third of the angels were kicked out of Heaven and they are held down here to the earth’s realm to tempt you and so in this natural realm they use physical senses, facts, natural evidence, circumstantial evidence and natural perception of things to trick you and to deceive you into thinking you can only expect what you naturally can expect, that nothing can be changed so you are just going to have to live with it and do the best that you can.
You can readily see that if your spiritual enemy uses natural evidence or facts to tempt you then you are in dangerous territory when you lean towards the facts, the natural evidence, the circumstantial evidence and natural perception of things.
Facts certainly have clear evidence that appears to be real and sometimes they seem more real than the Word of God if we are prone to live by natural perception of things.
The facts, natural circumstances, circumstantial evidence are the only things the devil can use to tempt you, to test your faith and nullify your faith. Maybe some of the facts and evidence the devil uses against you comes from wrong decisions you have made in your past with your finances, your relationships and he tries to use his criminating evidence to make you believe nothing is ever going to change or get better in your life. The bible tells us he is the accuser of the brethren day and night. But let me assure you right now that true repentance will yield God’s forgiveness and God’s grace to turn those bad choices and bad decisions you have made around for your good.
Now here’s the good news in all of this bad news of tests and trails of your faith and that is, the way of escape has already been provided before the trial and test.
1 Cor 10:13 But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. TEV
So we need to remember the Lord Jesus has already made a way of escape.
Now here’s a scripture you need to become acquainted with real quickly in this area of escaping temptations, tests and trials:
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. KJV
Pay close attention to the word “observe”. To observe something means to look at it, to focus on something, to pay close attention.
“Lying vanities” are facts, circumstantial evidence in your life that are against the Word of God that lies to you that you are this or that instead of what the Word declares you are, you can have, and you can do.
The danger we are warned about in this scripture is; observing lying vanities we will forsake the mercy of God when we need it the most, even in the most dire of circumstances. Observing, focusing on lying vanities or lies of the enemy about you and your circumstances gives the devil a foothold in your situations where he can steal, kill and destroy and you haven’t a clue what happened.
We need to pay close attention to what we focus on in these tests and trials if we want to come out victorious. Lying vanities, facts that look contrary to the Word of God, will steal our focus of the truth of God’s Word, of God’s deliverance in every test and trial and thus steal the victory the Word of God has already given us in any situation. We need the mercy of God and it will come to us as we stay focused on the deliverance from the test and trial God promised in His Word.