No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
It is important for Christians to develop some Biblical realism about temptation. In this brief passage, Paul reveals four eternal truths about trials and temptations that should help frame the way in which you experience them.
First, temptations are common to all. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” You might wish otherwise, but the truth is that temptations are a normal part of human experience. You will never be exempt from experiencing them, so long as you live. And you aren’t special. While you might think your temptations are greater and more alluring than what others experience, the truth is they are no more powerful than those experienced by many other believers.
Second, God is faithful in all. “And God is faithful.” God does not tempt anyone (cf. James 1:13-14). Temptation is the Enemy’s doing. However, God does not abandon you in the temptation. Not at all. He is with you, faithfully ministering to you as you experience it.
Third, God limits them all. While God does not tempt you Himself, he does put limits on what the Enemy can do, and “he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” Every temptation is limited by God to what He knows you can bear. You may think your temptation is unbearable, but God does not. If it were unbearable, He would not have allowed it. There is an expectation, then, that no temptation will ever overwhelm you, as though you had no choice or power to resist it. On the contrary, you can know that every temptation you meet is resistible by you.
Fourth, God provides an escape from them all. “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Not only does God limit the temptations that come your way so that you can bear them, but He also provides a way out of each of them. You never have an excuse to give in and sin.
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