Rest and War: A Field Guide for the Spiritual LifeSample

So, what’s our enemy’s goal? His goal is to get us to sin—for us to take a step away from intimacy and enjoyment with God. But in order to do that, he’s got to make sin look attractive. How does he do it? Well, let’s look at what he knows. What he knows is you. Specifically, he knows your wiring. He knows that you have a mind and cognitive processes. He knows you have affections that you’re inclined towards and averse to certain things. And he knows you have a will, a decision-making mechanism.

He knows you have a mind, affections, and will. You’ve got a brain, you’ve got a heart, and you’ve got hands and feet, and he knows your particular tendencies. He knows your proclivities—what you’re inclined to and adverse to. He’s watched the game film on you. So how does he work?

Well, to get sin to look attractive to you, he’s got solicit thoughts to the mind to stir your affections. And when he stirs your affections, you take a step, and you move to a place you were never meant to be because the enemy knows this principle: what you think about is what you care about, and what you care about, you will chase. Now you may say, “Ben, where are you getting this?” Well, I’m getting it from James, who says, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (1:14 ESV).

Lured speaks of the mind’s attention, and enticed speaks of the heart’s affection, and then, when you enact the will, you sin, and you take a step in a direction you are never meant to go.

Jesus told his disciples, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41 ESV). If I know temptation always leads to sin, Jesus says draw the battle line here at temptation. If this moment leads to that moment, we need to—number one—eliminate the moment.

1. What weaknesses do you have that the enemy targets?
2. How can knowledge of yourself, God’s Word, and prayer help you draw battle lines that eliminate moments of temptation?
3. How does the truth that God loves you impact your motivation to battle temptation and avoid sin? What do your current struggles teach you about God and yourself?