This article is a summary of the following episode: Tempted? Welcome to Christianity
If you have walked with Christ for any amount of time, you have likely wondered why temptation still feels so strong. You may have even assumed that maturity in the faith would mean the struggle gets easier. Many Christians believe that the longer they follow Jesus, the less temptation they will face. The reality is quite different.
The Christian life is one of continual dependence on Christ in the midst of ongoing temptation. That struggle is normal.
Temptation Is a Common Experience
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.” The temptation you face is not unique. Every believer knows the same pull. The desires that draw us away from God have been present since the garden.
Temptation is part of living in a fallen world under the influence of the evil one. The apostle John says that the whole world lies in his power. The devil tempts, the world entices, and our flesh responds. Yet none of this surprises God. He is faithful and does not abandon us to fight alone. Paul reminds us that God “will provide the way of escape,” which means the strength to endure through faith in Christ.
Temptation is not the evidence that God has failed you. It is the reminder that you still live in a body that longs for redemption.
Jesus Understands
Jesus knows what temptation feels like. He was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. He felt hunger, exhaustion, and fear. He was confronted by Satan directly. He even prayed in the garden, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” The Son of God knows what it means to feel the weight of temptation pressing down.
Because he understands, we can come to him. Hebrews 4 tells us that he sympathizes with our weaknesses. He is not shocked by our struggles or ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters. He welcomes us to his throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find help in time of need.
The Battle Within
Every believer lives with two realities: the presence of the Holy Spirit and the corruption of the flesh. We have been made new in Christ, yet we still carry our fallen nature. The Spirit leads us toward righteousness, but the flesh pulls toward sin. This tension defines the Christian life.
You are not broken beyond repair when you feel that internal war. It is the sign of spiritual life. Before we were saved, there was no fight. Now there is resistance. The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh. Temptation is the evidence that the Spirit is at work in you, not proof that he has left you.
God Provides a Way
Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10 are not a promise that temptation will disappear. They are a promise that God will strengthen us to endure. The “way of escape” is always Christ himself. He is our refuge and our strength. His faithfulness is greater than our weakness.
The Lord provides means of grace to help us stand. He gives us his Word, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, and the fellowship of the church. These are not empty rituals. They are how God feeds and protects his people. We come to the table each week not because we have conquered sin, but because we need strength to face it again.
Temptation is not conquered in isolation. God has given us each other. Confess your struggles to trusted brothers and sisters. Pray together. Encourage one another with the gospel. The church is a community of fellow strugglers who fight the same enemy and rest in the same Savior.
When You Feel Ashamed
Temptation often brings shame. We wonder why we are tempted by the same sins again and again. Shame drives us to hide. The gospel calls us to step into the light.
When shame whispers that you are alone, remember that Jesus was tempted too. When guilt tells you that God must be tired of you, remember that his mercy never runs out. When you feel defeated, remember that Christ has already overcome the world.
Our Father does not despise weak, tempted saints. He delights in those who run to him for help.
Enduring Until Glory
The struggle with temptation will last until Christ returns. Every day we pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Every day we stand in the strength of the Lord and trust his grace to keep us.
There will come a day when temptation will cease forever. Sin will be gone. The flesh will be no more. The enemy will be silenced. We will finally rest in perfect holiness and joy. Until then, we endure by faith.
If you are tempted, welcome to Christianity. This is the fight every believer knows. You are not alone, and you are not abandoned. Christ is faithful to strengthen, forgive, and keep you until the day you see him face to face.
