Our mind is the battleground where temptations are fought through, and
our thoughts are what are exchanged in the battle. The attack comes in
the form of thoughts that are propelled by the desires in our flesh
(Jas.1:14). These thoughts may come from our own mind as a result of
associations with similar situations in the past. They may be ideas
that are whispered into our minds by Satan or his evil spirits in the
same way as he did with Jesus (Mt.4:3), or they may come from other
people. When this attack comes, the temptation begins.
At this point it is still only a temptation and not sin. Just because
we have been tempted, we have not become defiled. Jesus was also
tempted in all points and that did not make Him a sinner (He.4:15). It
becomes sin only when we yield our heart to it, by doing what the
temptation sugggests or by enjoying the sinful pleasures we get by
letting imaginations run in the direction of the temptation (Jas.
1:15). But if we stop the temptation right there, and refuse to yield
to it, we become victors in the battle.
Most temptations are simple in nature, enticing us to do something
that we know to be wrong. To sin is to do it, and to overcome is to
resist doing it. But there are also temptations that are not so
straightforward, where we are not sure what we should do. In such
cases we may need to spend a long time waiting on the Lord, seeking to
know what He would have us to do. When Jesus prayed three times in
Gethsemane asking the Father whether He really wanted Him to go to the
cross or there was another way to achieve the Father's goal without
having to go through the suffering, it was this kind of temptation.
The agony of this temptation was so great that Jesus sweated drops of
blood during the process. It is comforting for us to know that even
though Jesus took so long to decide or prayed the same prayer three
times it did not amount to sin.
Another kind of temptation is where we know in our heart what is right
and wrong, but we are too weak to reject the sinful suggestion
straightaway. The attractions are so great that we waver in making a
decision. We keep hoping that perhaps it would be all right if we give
in, trying to justify ourselves or imagining that God may agree to it
just this time. We know deep in our heart that it would be wrong to
give in, but we are not spiritually strong enough to quit on the spot.
Of course this is not the best way to deal with temptations, but this
is a part of growing up. I suggest that God would consider it 'not
sin' as long as we are fighting against the temptation, and that it
would become sin only if we give in. He knows that we are weak, and
that we are struggling with the temptation. It is this struggle that
marks the strength of temptation.
Our ultimate goal is to overcome in temptation. Even if the battle
takes long and we are tossed to and fro, our final victory will be
sweet. Even if we lose some battles, we should aim at winning the war.
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