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.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
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 (NIV)
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)
No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB)Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word — He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].
1 Corinthians 10:13 (AMP)Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and endurance, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (AMPC)Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG)Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
New Covenant Meaning
No Temptation You Face Is Unique to You
The verse opens with a grounding statement: no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. This is not a dismissal of the difficulty of what you face. It is a clarification that you are not uniquely broken or uniquely vulnerable. Whatever you are fighting, others have fought it. Whatever pull you feel, it is a human pull, not evidence that you are beyond hope. This matters because the shame that surrounds temptation often isolates. It says you are the only one who struggles with this, and that lie makes the struggle harder. Paul says: it is common to man. You are not alone in this.
God Always Provides a Way Out
The second declaration is about God's faithfulness: He will not allow the temptation to exceed your capacity, and He will always make a way of escape. The Greek word ekbasis means a way out, a passage through, an exit. It was used in military contexts for an escape route through difficult terrain. God does not just stand by while you fight. He engineers the way out. The way of escape is not always obvious in the moment of temptation. But it is there. The promise is not that you will automatically find it without looking. It is that God, who is faithful, has placed it there. Your job is to look for it and take it.
In the New Covenant, the believer has resources against temptation that go beyond willpower. The Holy Spirit lives within the believer and is called the Helper (John 14:16-17). James 4:7 says that when you submit to God and resist the devil, he flees from you. The same Jesus who was tempted in every way yet without sin is now the High Priest who intercedes for the believer (Hebrews 4:15-16). The faithful God of 1 Corinthians 10:13 is not withholding help while watching you struggle. He is the one who has placed the way of escape, sent the Helper to live inside you, and stands ready to give mercy and grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Temptation is real, but you are not fighting it alone.
Application for Your Life
Look for the Way of Escape, Then Take It
The promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13 is that God makes the way of escape. But the way of escape has to be taken. It does not automatically remove the temptation without your participation. This is practical: when you are tempted, look for the exit. It might be a physical exit from the situation. It might be a conversation with another person. It might be returning to a truth from Scripture. It might be a prayer spoken out loud. The way of escape is rarely dramatic. It is usually a simple step that you can take in the moment. The faithful God has placed it there. Your part is to look for it and walk through it.
Let God's Faithfulness Be the Foundation of Your Confidence
The center of 1 Corinthians 10:13 is "God is faithful." The promise about temptation rests on that declaration of character. You can resist temptation not primarily because you are strong or disciplined but because God is faithful. He will not let it exceed what you can bear. He will provide the way out. Your confidence in the fight against temptation is not confidence in yourself. It is confidence in the one who has already committed to be faithful in this. Meditate on God's faithfulness. It builds the kind of trust that holds steady under pressure.
Prayer Based on This Verse
Father, I thank You that what I am facing is not unique to me. Others have faced this and come through it. You are faithful. You will not let this exceed what I am able to bear. I ask You right now to show me the way of escape. I am looking for it. I do not have to white-knuckle my way through this alone. You have already placed the exit. Give me eyes to see it and the will to take it. Holy Spirit, You are my Helper. Help me now. I resist the temptation in Jesus name and I receive the freedom You have made available. In Jesus name. Amen.