Day 3 - What is Temptation?
A temptation...in general is anything that, for any reason, exerts a force or influence to seduce or draw the mind and heart of man from the obedience which God requires of him to any kind of sin.
John Owen, Temptation Resisted and Repulsed
Temptation Defined
Today we want to understand what temptation is and its sources.
Owen notes that there are so many variations on the source of temptation that it would feel volumes trying to define them all. Therefore, it is more helpful for us to have a fundamental standing of what temptation is in general. Owen defines temptation as "anything that, for any reason, exerts a force or influence to seduce or draw the mind and heart of man from the obedience which God requires of him to any kind of sin.."
Simply put: temptation is anything that draws us away from obedience of God to sin.
Owen notes that there are so many variations on the source of temptation that it would feel volumes trying to define them all. Therefore, it is more helpful for us to have a fundamental standing of what temptation is in general. Owen defines temptation as "anything that, for any reason, exerts a force or influence to seduce or draw the mind and heart of man from the obedience which God requires of him to any kind of sin.."
Simply put: temptation is anything that draws us away from obedience of God to sin.
The Four Major Sources of Temptation
When considering temptation in our own lives, there are four major sources we need to be aware of.
1. Satan
2. The World
3. Other Men in the World
4. Ourselves
Any of these four sources can act alone or can be worked to act together to tempt us.
We see these four sources shown in Eph 2:1-3:
1. Satan
2. The World
3. Other Men in the World
4. Ourselves
Any of these four sources can act alone or can be worked to act together to tempt us.
We see these four sources shown in Eph 2:1-3:
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked [source: ourselves], following the course of this world [source: the world], following the prince of the power of the air [source: Satan], the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience [source: other men in the world]— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh [source: ourselves], carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Temptation Described
Owen helps us to understand what temptation looks like in our lives:
"In particular, it is a temptation if it causes a man to sin, gives him opportunity to do so, or causes him to neglect his duty. Temptation may suggest evil to the heart, or draw out the evil that is already there. It is also a temptation to a man if something is by any means able to distract him from his communion with God, or the consistent universal obedience that is required of him."
Our Challenge
What in your life is causing you to sin? What is drawing you to neglect your duty to universal obedience of God? What is suggesting to your heart or drawing from your heart evil? What is distracting your from your communion with God?
Any of those things are temptation. And those things need to be resisted and repulsed.
Any of those things are temptation. And those things need to be resisted and repulsed.