“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” Romans 7:15 ESV.

By: Scott Schuler

70 pounds. It doesn’t sound like much. But when a 70-pound marlin is fighting with all its might at the end of a fishing line, rest assured you need your feet firmly planted on the deck. And that’s where I found myself, off the Costa Rican coast on a fishing expedition I’ll never forget. What baffled me was the strength it took to stand firm enough to reel the marlin onto our boat. And how little it took to bait this giant fish, flailing at the end of my line.

It reminds me of how easily Satan baits us with temptation. When we bite, Satan doesn’t play by rules of catch and release. Once his hooks are in, he continues to reel us back into his boat. We may even think we’ve escaped, swimming full throttle to the end of our line. But the hook remains deeply embedded.

Unless we plant our feet firmly in God’s truth, we cannot escape temptation.

Is temptation the same as sin?

No. Temptation is a course of action or thought that previously led us into sin. But temptation is not sin. Sin is an act of disobedience against God, resulting in separation from God.

How does temptation lead to sin? Satan strategically lures you to fill your heart voids with sin. Voids are the unsanctified (fleshly, unholy) parts of your heart that remain open until you allow God to fill them. In the meantime, you fill them with your selfish desires – sin.

While some sin may seem worse than others, it is all the same to God.

Paul provides a list of sin in Galatians and warns of their consequence:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” Galatians 5:19–21 ESV.

Although we long to be free from sin, it is not possible. For years, I battled the sin of lust. Lust for the world. Wanting more. Bigger job, more money. More possessions. I was never satisfied with what I had or did.

When I asked God Why? He said, “Because you love yourself more than you love me.”

Ouch. The truth hurts. Each time I chose sin, I said yes to me and no to God. We will all fail at some point in our walk. But God forgives us. That’s grace. So, let’s stop beating ourselves up and do something about this.

First, don’t focus on the bait. Ask Jesus to help you recognize the desire to feed your sin nature before you’re tempted. Like the marlin, once you’re hooked, you cannot free yourself. Only Jesus can deliver you.

Second, remember that sin isn’t always the glaring red flag we might expect. But through the Holy Spirit, God gives us a yellow flag, warning us to listen to the still small voice.

Next step:

Get real with Jesus and tell Him where you are vulnerable to temptation (Galatians 5:19-21). Ask Jesus why you return to these cycles of frustration and what He wants you to do.

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