How do you know if it’s the devil who is tempting you to do something, or if God is just testing you to see if you’ll do what’s right? I try to make the right choices, but I’m not sure I always know what to do.
The most important thing for you to remember is that God never tempts us to do anything wrong. The devil tempts us to do wrong, and so does our own sinful human nature — but not God. The Bible says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” (James 1:13).
But it is true that God tests us — that is, He allows us to get into situations where we must make a choice between right and wrong. Remember: At the beginning of His ministry Jesus was tempted by the devil to abandon the mission God had given Him — and God allowed that test to happen. (You can read about it in Matthew 4:1-11.) But Jesus passed the test by confronting the devil’s lies with the truth of God’s Word. So must we. Sometimes Satan’s temptations are obvious and the choice is very clear. For example, he may tempt you to lie, or be greedy, or commit immorality, or any of the other sins God has clearly forbidden in the Ten Commandments or elsewhere in His Word. When that happens, seek God’s help at once and turn your back on it, definitely and without hesitation. But sometimes the devil’s temptations are more subtle, and at first it may not be clear which way is right. The key is to pray, and to seek God’s will above all else. And when we choose the right way, we will be spiritually stronger as a result.
It is never too late to turn to Christ — never. One of the Bible’s greatest truths is that God will forgive anyone who turns to Christ for forgiveness and trusts Him alone for their salvation, no matter what their past has been. How is this possible? It is possible solely because God loves us and yearns for us to be His friends forever. He doesn’t want for us to be alienated from Him! Even if we ignore Him almost our whole lives, He still is ready to receive us — if we will receive Him. The Bible says, “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you” (Psalm 86:5). This is why I urge you not to let another day go by without Christ.
Don’t misunderstand me, however; it would have been far better if you had heeded the Holy Spirit’s prompting and given your life to Christ as a young person. Think how different your life would have been — walking with God every day and finding strength to meet life’s challenges. You also ran the risk of dying without Christ and His salvation. By a simple prayer of faith do now what you should have done years ago, and give your life to Christ. It won’t change the past — but it will change the future. The Bible says, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
