Comments on: Struggles. http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/ {blog of adam} Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:55:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Tara Lilly http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/comment-page-1/#comment-3647 Tara Lilly Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:56:52 +0000 http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/#comment-3647 Lee- Man do I know about self-condemnation, which is what you are talking about when you describe getting down on yourself about having temptation. We do it for sins (and temptations to sin) of today, yesterday, and even 10 or 20 years ago and we just don't have to do that! There is NOW no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, and if Jesus doesn't condemn me what am I doing if for??!! But it's real, it is a part of our sin nature that Satan taps into, he tells you that you are failing at being a Christian and you should just give up. The great news is, we don't have to fight that battle on our own! Put on the full armor of God (whenever you get down it's great to read Ephesians 6:10-18, it really makes me feel like I'm a warrior that God has truly equipped for whatever situation I get into) and know that HE KNOWS your struggles and loves you and has a plan to see you through! Aren't you glad we can learn this now and see that being an overcomer is possible! I related to what you said and thank you for having the courage to be vulnerable with your struggle in your comment. I think this is what we are supposed to be doing for each other in the body, not acting like we have it all together, but admitting how hard it is, how much we struggle, so that we can encourage each other!!! Lee-
Man do I know about self-condemnation, which is what you are talking about when you describe getting down on yourself about having temptation. We do it for sins (and temptations to sin) of today, yesterday, and even 10 or 20 years ago and we just don’t have to do that! There is NOW no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, and if Jesus doesn’t condemn me what am I doing if for??!! But it’s real, it is a part of our sin nature that Satan taps into, he tells you that you are failing at being a Christian and you should just give up. The great news is, we don’t have to fight that battle on our own! Put on the full armor of God (whenever you get down it’s great to read Ephesians 6:10-18, it really makes me feel like I’m a warrior that God has truly equipped for whatever situation I get into) and know that HE KNOWS your struggles and loves you and has a plan to see you through! Aren’t you glad we can learn this now and see that being an overcomer is possible! I related to what you said and thank you for having the courage to be vulnerable with your struggle in your comment. I think this is what we are supposed to be doing for each other in the body, not acting like we have it all together, but admitting how hard it is, how much we struggle, so that we can encourage each other!!!

]]> By: Lee_D http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/comment-page-1/#comment-3638 Lee_D Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:19:57 +0000 http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/#comment-3638 I completely agree with this on every level. Temptations to sin is a HUGE struggle in my spiritual walk. To be honest, I used to get really down and think that if I was a stronger Christian, these temptations wouldn't be here or wouldn't have quite the blow they do. This really helps, especially with what Tara said, in explaining the temptations. Before I came to truly know Christ, these temptations were there but rarely bothered me. After I came to Him, they became far more intense and far more frequent. The explanation is simple! When I knew about God but didn't actively chase Him, Satan didn't care about what happened to me now because he already knew where I was headed. Once I came to Christ, that whole scene changed and now Satan is working harder and harder (thus more and more temptations) to get me to turn back. This has been a very educational and enlightening post. Way past cool, man! I completely agree with this on every level. Temptations to sin is a HUGE struggle in my spiritual walk. To be honest, I used to get really down and think that if I was a stronger Christian, these temptations wouldn’t be here or wouldn’t have quite the blow they do. This really helps, especially with what Tara said, in explaining the temptations. Before I came to truly know Christ, these temptations were there but rarely bothered me. After I came to Him, they became far more intense and far more frequent. The explanation is simple! When I knew about God but didn’t actively chase Him, Satan didn’t care about what happened to me now because he already knew where I was headed. Once I came to Christ, that whole scene changed and now Satan is working harder and harder (thus more and more temptations) to get me to turn back. This has been a very educational and enlightening post. Way past cool, man!

]]> By: Adam http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/comment-page-1/#comment-3637 Adam Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:17:05 +0000 http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/#comment-3637 More than that... James says something to the effect of, "No one should say 'God is tempting me' for God does not tempt. But each one is tempted by his own evil desires." So if we're tempted by our own evil desires that means we're tempted because of our human nature. That's our human nature attacking our Godly nature - hence the conflict of 2 natures. Temptation IS the struggle. Another thing - and this is just to expound on what Tara said... "struggle" should not always mean "fail." Our aim can not be to stop struggling with sin, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE - our aim is to struggle, and win. Then we become one of "those who overcome" described in Revelation :) Jesus even struggled with Sin, he was tempted by Satan! it must have been a difficult struggle because afterwards the angels came and comforted him. But Jesus Christ struggled with Sin, and won! More than that…

James says something to the effect of, “No one should say ‘God is tempting me’ for God does not tempt. But each one is tempted by his own evil desires.”

So if we’re tempted by our own evil desires that means we’re tempted because of our human nature. That’s our human nature attacking our Godly nature – hence the conflict of 2 natures. Temptation IS the struggle.

Another thing – and this is just to expound on what Tara said… “struggle” should not always mean “fail.” Our aim can not be to stop struggling with sin, THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE – our aim is to struggle, and win. Then we become one of “those who overcome” described in Revelation :)

Jesus even struggled with Sin, he was tempted by Satan! it must have been a difficult struggle because afterwards the angels came and comforted him. But Jesus Christ struggled with Sin, and won!

]]> By: Adam http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/comment-page-1/#comment-3635 Adam Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:05:55 +0000 http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/#comment-3635 Exactly, Tara! Temptation is a part of the sin-struggle. For many - its the BIGGEST part of the sin-struggle. Exactly, Tara! Temptation is a part of the sin-struggle. For many – its the BIGGEST part of the sin-struggle.

]]> By: Tara Lilly http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/comment-page-1/#comment-3634 Tara Lilly Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:20:52 +0000 http://blog.adamdiehl.com/2008/03/24/poop/#comment-3634 Great post...goes along with something I've been thinking about. There are sins I haven't committed recently but have been TEMPTED to do, and with God's help so far I have not done it but I am very tempted. ALOT. So I started thinking after reading this, if you aren't struggling with sin, and you're not even tempted, you're probably not much of a Christian either, right? Why does Satan even need to mess with you if you aren't a threat to him? Doesn't he increase temptation (roaming around trying to devour us) the closer we are trying to walk with Jesus? This gives me greater desire to do as you said here, rededicate every day and press on! Great post…goes along with something I’ve been thinking about. There are sins I haven’t committed recently but have been TEMPTED to do, and with God’s help so far I have not done it but I am very tempted. ALOT. So I started thinking after reading this, if you aren’t struggling with sin, and you’re not even tempted, you’re probably not much of a Christian either, right? Why does Satan even need to mess with you if you aren’t a threat to him? Doesn’t he increase temptation (roaming around trying to devour us) the closer we are trying to walk with Jesus? This gives me greater desire to do as you said here, rededicate every day and press on!

]]>