The Fertile Soil of Temptation
“Each one is tempted, when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin.”James 1:14,15
There is this thing called “desire” in all of us. You can’t avoid it. It pulls us in various directions. It can pull us in the direction of pride or humility, lust or love. When this pull is in the direction of sin we call it “temptation.”
Temptation builds its power over time, and the longer the soul debates its response to temptation, the more likely it is to concede. It is rather like a battery charger. The longer you leave it running, the stronger the current it generates. Or imagine it to be like a spring, the more you wind it up, the greater the energy it can discharge.
Desire comes to life
Notice what James says next: “After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin” (v15). There is a moment when desire conceives, a moment in the soul when desire comes to life. The members of the Board cast their votes and the soul responds to the desire that its members have debated.
When desire has conceived, there is no stopping it. The longer the will allows the soul to debate with sin, the more likely it is that you will capitulate to it.
Call the question
Some of us have been in a board meeting where a discussion has gone on for too long, and then eventually, someone will say “Call the question!” We have gathered information from the mind. We have considered the feelings of the heart. It is time to make a decision.
When you face temptation, the sooner you call the question the better. Temptation is like an unwanted salesman, the further you let him go, the harder it is to get rid of him.
All at once…
There is a powerful picture of temptation in Proverbs 7. Solomon was writing the book of Proverbs when he looked out his window and saw a youth who lacked judgment. He saw how this man was confronted by temptation in the form of a particular woman who came out to meet him.
The conversation develops, and a plan is discussed. Then Solomon says “all at once he followed her” (Proverbs 7:22). He allowed the situation to develop to a point where the outcome was inevitable.
That’s what happens. If you allow your soul to go on and on debating with evil, there will be a point where some members of the Board in your soul will give in. They’ll do so only because they’re fed up with the meeting.
Don’t let the power of temptation build within your soul. Practice early response. Call the question. The longer you allow the debate in the soul to continue, the more difficult it will be for you to resist sin’s proposal.
That’s this week’s LifeKey.
