Does God Test Us?

Life tests all of us.

Whether through tough decisions or major difficulties, each of us is tested by life’s events. The question is, How will we respond? Some emerge with stronger character, while others struggle and succumb to the pressure.

During these times, we may even ask ourselves a more complex question: Could God be testing us?

The question doesn’t always have a simple answer. While the Bible shows that God does test people, we shouldn’t assume that every hardship comes directly from Him.

What do the Scriptures say about God testing His people? Does He do it purposefully and, if so, for what purpose? And does God ever try to tempt us?

God doesn’t tempt, but He does test

The answer to the last question is simple: God has never and will never try to entice or lure anyone into sin. A God of goodness and righteousness will not tempt anyone to commit sin. 

James 1:13 provides a categorical rejection of such a notion: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

However, Scripture is clear that God does sometimes test His people. It’s essential to understand the difference. 

God’s tests

Genesis 22 includes the well-known account in which God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham proceeded to follow through on this request. However, at the last moment, God stopped him. God never wanted Isaac to be sacrificed, but He did this to test Abraham’s faith and obedience—to see if he would trust God and obey this difficult directive (see verses 1 and 12).

Likewise, God referred to Israel’s wandering through the wilderness as a time of testing for His people. In Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses told Israel, “And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

Unlike Abraham, the Israelites largely failed in this wilderness test, proving time and time again that they would not obey God’s commandments when given the option. This was a trend that continued throughout the nation’s history. God continued to test them by putting them in a land filled with pagan peoples (Judges 2:22; 3:1). 

Over and over again, Israel succumbed to the influences around them.

Later, Jesus tested His disciples at times in the Gospels. In John 6:5, Jesus asked Philip how they would feed the multitudes who had come to hear Him. Interestingly, the passage reveals that Jesus asked this “to test him [Philip], for He Himself knew what He would do” (verse 6). He was testing Philip’s faith.

Many other verses refer to God testing His people to see what is really in their hearts (1 Chronicles 29:17; Jeremiah 17:10; 20:12; Psalm 11:4). These tests, as the above examples show, may be intense and grueling. They may involve periods of hardship, discomfort and even great personal sacrifice. 

Or, like Jesus’ question to Philip, some tests may be simple and carry lower stakes than others. Regardless, Christians must recognize that following God does not exempt us from the tests of life but rather invites them.

Though He tests us, God also promises to give us the strength we need to overcome whatever trial we may face, shielding us from anything that we cannot handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).

What is the difference between tempting and testing?

It would be easy to disregard the differences between testing and tempting as minimal, but the contrast is profound.

When Satan tempts people, he does it with the express purpose of causing them to fail. Instead of focusing on their strengths and potential to succeed, he strategically targets and exploits their weaknesses in an effort to bring them down. 

He even tried this tactic with Jesus Christ in Matthew 4. 

Satan attempted to entice Jesus to sin, knowing that He was physically weak from a 40-day fast in the wilderness. He specifically targeted Jesus’ hunger as a weakness to exploit. However, Jesus was far stronger spiritually and resisted Satan’s ploys.

The Bible warns about Satan’s tactics, reminding us that his main goal is to destroy human beings, particularly the people of God. He wants to ensure we never reach our potential, which is to be elevated above him in power and authority. 

In 1 Peter 5:8, the devil is compared to a predatory lion, “seeking whom he may devour.”

When God tests us, His purpose is not to tear us down, instill fear or expose our weaknesses. Instead, He tests us to reveal and improve our character, helping us grow spiritually. God’s testing is a sharp contrast to Satan’s temptations, which aim to destroy. When God tests His people, His purpose is not to tear them down, but to build them up.

When God tested Abraham, He did so with the purpose of proving and strengthening the faith Abraham already possessed. Abraham passed the test and was blessed for it. Furthermore, his faith was no doubt far stronger after this life-altering experience.

The Israelites’ 40 years in the wilderness should have made them a stronger and more faithful nation. They should have grown in national character by continuously trusting and relying on God, who had proven His care for them by the miracles He performed in Egypt. Unfortunately, their stubbornness and pride stunted their spiritual growth in this way, and they suffered as a result.

Jesus’ question to Philip in John 6 opened a growth opportunity for the disciple, who would see the Messiah provide food for the masses seemingly out of nowhere. When Philip later thought back to this day, he undoubtedly remembered Jesus’ question and learned the lesson of trusting in the spiritual rather than the physical.

When God tests us, His purpose is not to tear us down, instill fear or expose our weaknesses. Instead, He tests us to reveal and improve our character, helping us grow spiritually. Unlike Satan, who focuses on exploiting our weak points, God aims to help us overcome them. He’s aware of our weaknesses but tests us to guide us toward growth. While Satan’s temptations are always designed to destroy and devour, God’s tests are always designed “to do you good in the end” (Deuteronomy 8:16). 

Sometimes, the test will be simple, helping us learn something about ourselves we didn’t realize. Other times, the test will be more uncomfortable and complex but will provide an opportunity to grow and strengthen our character.

In Zechariah 13:9, God promises to test His people like silver in the refining fire. The image is profound—picture a purification process that is painful, but locates and skims out our impurities.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that at some point we will all be tested to see whether the character we’ve built over time is strong or weak. Enduring hardships and trials in this life helps make us stronger, so that we will be able to stand tall in that day of testing.

How to approach tests that we face

When times of testing occur in our lives, we should recognize that God may be providing us a test, even if we don’t fully understand its purpose yet. By considering this, we develop the mindset of focusing on the positive results that can come out of even difficult situations. 

For instance, if an employer pressures us to compromise a point of God’s law, we can view it as a test to strengthen our resolve to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). We can either emerge from the test stronger in fulfilling that directive or realize we have room for growth in that area.  

God promises to never, ever lead us into sin. Therefore, anything that tempts or entices us to stray from His way is not from Him but from someone else. 

For example, if we’re married and find ourselves in situations with a colleague that are growing increasingly romantic, we can know with certainty that God is not orchestrating these circumstances to tempt us to commit adultery. 

If we’re weak in this area, it could very well be Satan trying to entice us toward infidelity.

Or it could be the result of our making poor decisions and placing ourselves in tempting situations. We should recognize that not all temptations are necessarily from Satan and sometimes can be a result of our own decisions. 

If we willingly and knowingly place ourselves in a tempting situation or environment, we are to blame for that and must make changes promptly. (Learn more about fighting these temptations in the article “Is Micro-Cheating Cheating?”)

God wants us to succeed

We must always remember that God allows us to face tests in order to strengthen and refine us. He doesn’t want us to fail—His purpose is for us to succeed! God sometimes allows us to be tested to strengthen us, but never in a way that takes us past the limit of what we are able to bear.  

This understanding should help us face each new challenge with a renewed perspective. Know that tests can help you grow stronger and emerge with stronger character than you had initially. 

When you’re tempted, remember that you aren’t doomed to give in and fail. Like Jesus in the wilderness, you can resist and emerge victorious.

Date Posted: June 16, 2025