Thomas à Kempis: Dealing with Temptations

Thomas à Kempis: Dealing with Temptations

            Temptations are universal to all humans, and there is nothing this side of the New Creation that we can do to get away from them (150). But temptations are useful in that they can bring humility, cleanse, and teach us (150). Some put the source of temptations almost entirely on the satanic enemy. But the truth is, temptations largely are sourced from within ourselves (151). We can’t get away from them. As the adage goes: “wherever you go, there you are.”

            Temptation leading to sin is a process: thought gives way to imagination, leading to a desire for the pleasure, and ending with the action of sin (151). But the process is not the final word. God provides escape from temptations when we become weary of them and allow him to help us overcome (152). Sin leads to pain, but relying on God is the true delight (152). However, we must break off old habits and allow our troubles to call us back to our first love (153). We need God, and He provides four sources of peace – doing for others, choosing to have less, seeking the lower places, and desiring “that the will of God may be completely fulfilled” (154).

            When I struggle with temptation, I can take heart in this devotional as Thomas is reminding me that my temptations are not unique; they are common. The power of temptation is, in my mind, two-fold. First, the longer they are kept in the dark, the more power I give them. Second, thinking I am alone in my temptations keeps me from relying on the one who will deliver me. In the Garden, the enemy lied to the woman by lying about God’s word, twisting God’s word, and promising her something she already owned (the humans were already like God because they were made to reflect his image). Keeping this in mind helps me to overcome the strategies of the enemy and my own selfish desires.

All references with page numbers are from Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith, Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups, Revised and expanded (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2005).