"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1: 2-4)
For the believer, filled with the Holy Spirit, the only temptation is to fall from grace, to rely on our own strength and wits instead of trusting Christ in us to live His life through us:
"I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
Yet what frustrates the faith of the Son of God in us, that He cannot work? When we fall from grace in trying to keep the law through our own efforts:
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4)
In Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness to face the temptations of the devil, the Adversary attempted to stir up doubt in the Son of Man, provoking Him to prove His Sonship — His deity. Instead of falling from grace and relying on his own power to magnify Himself, Jesus countered with scripture, maintaining His full dependence on the Father through the Word (which Jesus is, cf John 1:1). Throughout the three temptations, the devil provoked Jesus while leaving out one important word: Beloved.
God declared that Jesus was His beloved Son:
"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
Yet the devil's temptations would begin thus:
"If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." (Matthew 4: 3)
Just as Jesus was tempted to rely on His own efforts instead of trusting in the Word of His Father for the truth of Himself and His identity, and His mission, so too believers today are tempted not to sin overtly, but rather to ignore the infinite power and presence of God in their lives and thus rely on their own efforts to overcome hardships and endure difficulties. Like Jesus, we must rely on the Word of God as proof His truth and power in our lives:
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
"And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5: 1-5)
The love of God which makes us accepted in His Beloved Son (cf Ephesians 1:6) is brought forth through us (cf Philippians 2:12-13 )as we in patience (cf James 1:4) wait up on the Lord, allowing His word to renew our minds (cf Romans 12:2) to the truth of His power and presence in our lives and in our circumstances, which for a time may seem overwhelming, but as believers grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord (cf 2 Peter 3:18). In Christ, we are already more than conquerors (cf Romans 8:37), a truth which the devil will attempt to deceive us from receiving by faith.
As we stand on His Word and His Promises, signed in certainty for us through the Finished Work of the Cross, every believer will experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit changing us from glory to glory to be more like Jesus Christ.