A favorite verse of mine is 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Every phrase in this verse is important, but I want us to think for a moment about the last phrase.

It is true that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure, and equally true that He will provide a way for us to escape, but we shouldn’t think that God will automatically make the struggle of the temptation disappear. We must still endure it.

The word “bear” is from the Greek term hupophero which literally means to bear up under. It expresses the idea of enduring a hardship. The promise of Scripture is not that temptations will be removed, but that God’s help will always be present for us to carry the weight and remain faithful. “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).

Christians struggle with various temptations. The weight of these temptations can become a real burden in our lives, but we are blessed when we bear this burden and remain faithful to the Lord. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

With God’s help, we can bear anything.