The Power of Temptation

"I got this."

Perhaps three of the most impactful words that can come from our lips. When arranged in this format, it creates a sense of control which every man desires. I’ve often found that when those three little words manifest themselves in my life, just around the corner, pride and lust have set up camp. As we begin the genuine battle against the demonic attacks created by the pornography industry, we have to start with examining a common root of evil that has been the downfall of many men - temptation.

When we think about it, temptation has existed since Adam and Eve were in the garden, and yet we often resolve that the areas we struggle with are unique. A helpful reframe is to consider that those desires may be new to our individual experiences, yet they are not unique in their design. Take for instance the temptation of gluttony that food presents us every day. The Oreos in the pantry are not inherently bad (yes, that is quite a controversial statement but with a topic like this a cookie may ease the tension), yet the desire to polish off an entire row without breathing hard is a temptation that can have an elusive grip if not managed.

Looking back we can see firsthand how this impacted humans from when Eve took the initial bite of the forbidden fruit which was too much to resist, to King David watching Bathsheba bathe on a rooftop which led to a series of decisions that would be straight out of a daytime soap opera. Those are glimpses into how specific temptations were introduced and at the same time, we see how relatable they are to our individual journeys. Each scenario is coupled directly with selfish pride which is the trap that can be the most difficult to avoid.

When I talk with guys who are battling pornography, they often begin backpedaling and attempting to rationalize the justification for visiting those sites. It reminds me of a useful wordplay whenever we begin to rationalize things in our lives. Quite often in those instances, what we are indeed trying to do is to make “Rational-Lies”. The reality is that the evil one has taken something which God designed as good and twisted it into an absolute evil that has been one of the greatest stumbling blocks for Christian men to overcome.

We should break down what the temptation of pornography really is - that is, the lust of the flesh. That is in itself a desire to feel something, and the desire to feel something is completely understandable. Human beings are isolated if not physically then often inside our own heads, and the temptation to feel seen or pleasured is genuine. It begs a better question worth considering: is the quest for this pleasure worth the long-term costs of rewiring our brains to seek this false reality of pleasure and not a deeper relationship to those we are truly intimate with or even better with God?

As we conclude our initial consideration of temptation my prayer is that we treat this topic with the toxicity that it deserves. The evil one wants every person who goes through this to feel a couple of emotions. The first is one of defeatism - in other words, you have looked at porn for too long and it’s simply part of who you are. The other emotion is confidence - here perhaps you think that there is no way you would ever fall into a trap such as this. I would simply say this - no one has ever uttered the words “Today is the day I’m going to ruin my life,” and yet each day Christians are falling prey to the temptation from the evil one in a truly significant way.

So whether you are reading this to help yourself, or perhaps you want to be educated on ways to serve others, please recognize that the trap has been laid for us all and only the saving power we have lies when we surrender it all at the foot of the cross.

Questions to Consider

1. What specific situations or triggers lead you into temptation?
2. How do you typically respond when temptation comes?