11 Mar Resources | An Honest Conversation About Temptation

Our gut instinct has always been to pin the blame of our sin on forces outside of us, things outside of our control. But the reality is that our greatest challenges are internal, not external-caused by the enemy of indwelling sin within us. Temptation appeals to the desires within us, enticing us to live in a way that is not in line with God’s will. James says when we sin (literally meaning “miss the mark” of what God desires) it can always be traced back to our own sinful desires.

We will always have the opportunity to pin the blame on our circumstances-whether it be on our work environment, the stress we’re facing, or pressures from our spouse and home life. But we must resist the temptation to blame our own failures on anyone or anything other than us-especially God himself, for he can neither be tempted nor tempts anyone else to sin. We must be willing to face the hard work of soul cultivation that has been placed before us, to identify that enemy within and begin to more fully understand how to live in light of the reality of temptation.

In C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, a demon named Screwtape writes several letters to his novice nephew Wormwood. The demon instructs his nephew on how to best tempt his “patient” (human). The book reads like you are hearing the thoughts of a demon and how Satan plays into our own sinful desires and uses temptation in so many unique ways to cause us to fall, or even just to keep us distracted and apathetic.

Last year in Forge, we encouraged our students to write their own letter about themselves and how Satan tempts them to help them think through temptation and sin. This exercise showed our students (and leaders) how distracted they could be in basic, everyday ways.  It also produced a vulnerability and accountability deeper than they had experienced before. They saw how their lives look from a different perspective and when they were most tempted, and it enabled them to repent well and turn to Christ more fully.

As a church, we encourage each of you to do the same. Write your own one page letter about yourself and how Satan tempts you this week.  Afterward, share it with those in your community group, friends or family. This is a chance to be vulnerable with those around you and build community by making yourself known. It’s also a chance for others to learn how to best help, support, and encourage you with your struggles.

Here’s an example:

Great job with how you are working on Brutus.  Its amazing how such simple things can distract him and cause him to rely on himself.  You’ve convinced him that busyness is a really important thing, and he is doing a lot of things without being influential anywhere.  He thinks that he needs to stay up late because sleep is for wimps, and all that does is cause him to be more and more tired and ineffective.  Not only that, but do you notice how staying up late causes him to compromise on so many levels?  The longer he stays up and watches tv and wastes time, the better it is for him thinking impure thoughts.  

He was trying to put those thoughts to death for a while, but you’ve helped him gradually slip back into just entertaining those thoughts.  He’s not looking at things that he doesn’t need to, but the best part is that that doesn’t matter.  Even though he’s not looking at those things, his thoughts can still keep him sidetracked as he entertains them.  

And best of all, I love how you’ve helped create such an idol in his heart with his children. We don’t have to worry about him loving and serving his wife because his thoughts are completely consumed with his children and their success. All he thinks about is their future. There is nothing but selfishness and pride in his future, and the best part is that you don’t even have to try hard to keep him there. Keeping his children as an idol will keep him away from Christ. Keep him distracted and selfish, and the rest will take care of itself.