Temptation and the Near Occasion of Faith

Amanda Lawrence shares a spiritual war story about a recent struggle to overcome the flesh. 

Let’s talk about temptation.  

What is it? Where does it begin?  

And how can one prepare for, navigate, and learn from it?  

Temptation is an urge inside originating from the world, flesh, enemy, or some combination. Everyone has them. We’ve all stumbled at some point. That’s just being a person. We don’t always want what’s best.  

Enter temptation. 

Like when a stranger strolled into the library and started eyeing me, my brow furrowed. I squinted at God, skeptical of the situation. Is this from you?  

God stayed quiet.  

The stranger proposes a date. It all becomes clear: this is a test.  

Do I engage?  

Consent?  

Run? 

No reply.  

A bell rang; the exam began.  

What happens next matters, so I said, “I’m discerning joining a monastery in 3 to 5 years.” 

“Then I have five years to change your mind?” 

I rolled my eyes at God. If you sent him to dissuade me from pursuing you, he’d do it in 3 to 5 seconds with a look. 

God laughed. 

The more the stranger talked, the less I wanted to hear.  

When God sent him away, I asked, “How’d I do?” 

“Really good, actually.” 

And that’s how I defeated the demon of unchastity. 

This time.  

I don’t always win.  

Sometimes, I stumble down the steps of temptation, delectation, and consent. I rarely enjoy doing it, though. Failing is hardly a pleasurable experience. It’s a complicated part of spiritual warfare. 

During a recent confession, I told my priest sin feels like an ejection seat from the enemy’s electric chair. When I sit still and endure, my present conflicts intensify like torture, but if I sin, the devil grins and backs off for a minute. 

There’s a brief reprieve from worldly affliction before the battle begins again. 

Even when I’m gratified, I’m not. I’m disappointed and sad to offend God, whom I adore above all else. I don’t want to hurt Him. Unfortunately, wounded people wound others, and God becomes a casualty. 

Through research and prayer, I gained spiritual insight from Saint Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life. Regarding temptation, Saint Francis asks us to imagine a chaste maiden who receives a suitor sent to test her fidelity. The stranger proposes something sinful that the woman discerns and accepts or rejects.  

Those steps aren’t always as transparent, but they’re easily identifiable in sin’s hindsight.  

We consider an illicit proposition and consent to welcome it or refuse to engage in it.  

Preparation is critical when maneuvering through temptations and the near occurrence of sin. The ball rolls when someone suggests something immoral. Either we cultivate it, or we beg God to uproot the undesirable thoughts from our interior lives.  

Sometimes, sin wins, and we learn a lesson. 

We’ve all embraced temptation at one point or another. So, how accountable are we? In the beginning, not much. People propose various things with different intentions all day. We can align with their will or curate a God-centered life.  

“Avoid whatever leads me to sin” is straightforward advice regarding the “proposal” phase. We shouldn’t frequent sources of irresistible temptations that encourage us to be disproportionately delightful. It’s our job to discipline ourselves enough to say no and be gentle when we fail. 

External forces alone are not sinful, but internal ones lead to sin. Sin is anything contrary to God’s law that we choose for ourselves. In doing so, we pursue a lower alternative over God. 

Regardless of how they arrive, temptations are the same. So now what?  

We choose to run, engage, or succumb. 

Sometimes, the Holy Spirit’s intervention is enough to stop the urges; other times, it’s not. Succeeded at overcoming temptation — great! Don’t dwell on it. Lose the struggle? It happens. Don’t dwell on it.  

The enemy is a bully. He hasn’t singled anyone out and dislikes all God’s beloveds equally. Remember, all saints and martyrs were once warriors in spiritual combat, too.  

The battle-ridden road to salvation is long and treacherous. God uses our torments and temptations to educate, train, test, and ultimately save us. I often wish life wasn’t such a minefield.  

Avoiding temptation is impossible.

It’s best to temper sinful tendencies and frequent the sacraments. Sin anesthetizes the flesh, but it’s God the soul craves. All of me adores Him. Some parts are just weaker and inferior. Sometimes, my interior spirit involuntarily gets dragged into the mud; it’s a prisoner of war. Consenting to sin is often my last desperate grasp for grace. How much better would my grace be if I withstood temptation, though?  

The hard truth is we will never be sin-free. Only the Lord Jesus succeeded at that. Son of God, have mercy on me. Future saints, please pray I can retrain my brain to enjoy greater intimacy with God. I’ll pray the same for you! 

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Copyright 2024 Amanda Lawrence
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