THE GRACE SOCIETY - Essay 2 - Worldly Temptation

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13

The Abyss of Wordly Temptation

We are nothing without Christ. All that we consume, do, experience, and think is empty without God.

Our inner dialogue is a constant battle of the will, a struggle to keep ourselves from falling over the precipice of goodness into nothingness. A simple analogy helps us visualise this. Temptation keeps us anchored in the flesh, which is the playground of the evil one. When we elevate ourselves into the mind and the heart, we move away from the flesh and into the battleground between the world and the Spirit. This is the place of constant conflict, where we contend with our inner voice, our inclination toward sin, and the seeds of our downfall planted by the evil one and his servants. These seeds are ones we may either nurture or uproot and replace with the Word of God.

We stand always at the edge of the abyss, at risk of falling into worldly temptation and away from God. The desires of the flesh draw us in, often in ways that feel nearly impossible to ignore. Yet we are rational beings, gifted with God-given will, and we are capable of exercising that will to turn away from the abyss and toward God through prayer.

This is easier said than done without a faithful heart though. We are bound to the flesh and subject to pride, wrath, gluttony, lust, and countless forms of sin. Many of these are worked so subtly by the evil one and his servants that we often do not realise we are enslaved to them.

These are the fruits of a bitter harvest. Sin diminishes us spiritually and draws us further from Christ. The seeds of temptation, if left unchallenged, grow to fruition. When we fail to battle them, deny them, and turn to Christ, we willingly partake in sin and act in rebellion against God, drawing ourselves deeper into the abyss.

Through continual inner struggle, reflection, prayer, Christian meditation and denying the body through acts like fasting, we use our God-given will to nurture the seeds of the Holy Spirit planted within us. These bear fruit in love, joy through service, humility, care for others, and a sense of duty to God in all that we do. If we neglect this inner battle, however, we instead cultivate temptation, reap the bitter harvest of sin, and descend once again into the flesh.

For this reason, it is essential to remain constant in prayer, to walk with the Lord, and to stay on guard. The enemy and his schemes are refined beyond our comprehension and are always directed toward turning us away from God and back toward the flesh.

Yet by grace we are drawn inexorably toward God and kept within the light of His presence. His Word is a lamp to our feet and a guide along the path of righteousness, it is one of our most powerful weapons.

As members of Christ’s body and servants to our families and neighbours, it is our duty to confront temptation within the heart and mind, defeat it through prayer, and allow our actions to reflect our faith. This is how others are drawn to Christ, through humility and the understanding that while we are imperfect due to free will, we are capable of exercising that will for good.

Through prayer, Scripture, and love toward those around us, we conduct ourselves as Christians. In short, we are called to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbour as ourselves. Through this, all things are doable. Through Christ, all things are possible.

Note: Perhaps this is partly what Nietzsche meant when he wrote, “If you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you.” What we dwell on, we give life to. What we tolerate in darkness grows, including sin.