“Do you see now why God allows His children to meet with temptation? He is in control! He holds the reins on Satan and will not let him trample you.
Faith before temptation has much extraneous stuff that clings to it and passes for faith; but when temptation comes, the dross is discovered and consumed by the fiery trial. The quality of faith that emerges is like Gideon's handful of men-- stronger when all these worthless accessories to faith are sent away than when they were present. And here is all the devil gets: Instead of destroying the saint's faith, he is the means of refining it, thereby making it stronger and more precious.
The love of tempted saints is enkindled to Christ by the fires of temptation. Did you edge too close to the flames and singe your soul? Where will you go for cleansing, if not to Christ? And will His kindly aid not rekindle your love for Him above all others? Christ's love is fuel to ours; the more He puts forth His love, the more heat our love gets. And next to Christ's dying love, none is greater than His rescuing love in temptation. The greatest opportunity a mother has to show her child how much she loves him is when he is in distress-- sick, poor, or imprisoned. Christ is both mother and nurse to our love. When His children lie in Satan's prison, bleeding from the wounds of their consciences, He hurries to reveal His tender heart in pitying, His faithfulness in praying, His mindfulness in sending help to them, and His dear love in visiting them by His comforting Spirit. No child is more dutiful in all the family than the one who has repented of his rebellion. Jesus Christ, whom Satan thought to shut out of the soul's favor, comes in the end to sit higher and surer than ever in the saint's affections.
Do you see now why God allows His children to meet with temptation? He is in control! He holds the reins on Satan and will not let him trample you. If you never experienced the mighty power of Satan arrayed against you, you could not know the almighty power of God displayed for you.”
Today we often promise people easy faith. No suffering or temptation, we do not speak of the justice and holiness of God that go along with His mercy and grace. God certainly is love and His goal is to redeem our fallen nature. His grace is of no value to us unless we realize how desperately we are in need of it.
Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617
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