“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 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.”

Believers find great help in this passage, which is usually found in memorization packets for new believers. Foundational to Christian living is that we must beware of overconfidence in ourselves. The Corinthians had just been schooled in the failures of OT Israel, and Paul anticipated their objection: “Not us—we’d never fall to actual idol worship!” Think again of those in 1 Corinthians 8 who in good conscience felt free to eat food offered to idols. While they certainly were free of legal constraint against eating temple food (because idols don’t actually exist), there is a real danger that they could in fact find themselves falling into idol worship and its associated immoralities. One must be careful (“take heed”) of his exercise of freedom and self-confidence!

This is not to put a straitjacket on all so-called debatable activities, but the warning stands as a sober reminder that freedom must be moderated by humble self-awareness of our tendencies toward sin. How many today have succumbed to addictions while saying in good conscience, “I can handle it”? The enemy of our souls knows that falling begins with a small indulgence! Paul’s message is, “Be careful of thinking too much of yourself” (see Rom. 13:3).

He writes that none of us is immune to enticements to sin; our struggles are not unique. The first step in dealing with temptations, then, is removing the isolating thought that “I and only I have this struggle.”

Second, we must remember that God is trustworthy, even though we are often faithless. He faithfully limits the level of temptation the enemy is permitted to bring on us (see Job 1–2, which shows Satan’s activities are limited by God’s sovereignty). Since our temptation is limited by God, we know there is an end to the struggle—the temptation is not eternal!

Third, while our temptations may indeed be beyond our human ability to handle, God can enable us supernaturally with His ability. He will provide a solution, an escape. His endgame in allowing temptation is endurance. That is the key to understanding this promise of God. He will enable us to endure, and that endurance defeats temptation, which always wants us to give in. Does our temptation seem overwhelming, never ending? God’s message is this: “Don’t give up; I will enable you to endure. That is the escape, your spiritual growth!”

Lord, thank You for the faithful promise of endurance in the face of temptation.