Due to the recent stress in my life, I have found it's not always as easy to forestall temptation. The past few weeks have been hard, admittedly, but today I really struggled with a gut-wrenching urge to do wrong.
I imagine most physically and emotionally mature people can understand how strong sexual desire is. I don't know that it's stronger for men or women, but as a dude, I know sometimes it almost seems painful to go without. I wouldn't say it actually is painful most of the time, nor would I claim abstinence is a surefire way to (pardon my language) blue balls, but I would say there is a need for some level of satisfaction.
In my case, I want to know I have a girl whose curves I can study guilt free; I want my reason to smile while daydreaming to like attracting me. At the same time, I want to know God is going to clap me on the shoulder and tell me I scored a home run, and not be disappointed by a foul ball.
Baseball metaphors aside (how do baseball and sex always get intertwined?), I hope you can see what I've been struggling with then. It would be easy to rationalize myself into wasting an afternoon looking at "art nudes." It's easy to listen to the cricket on my shoulder saying I could get away with one or two pictures just fine, and maybe I'd be a little happier if I let myself find the very thing I crave.
My desires are not unique to me--I am scared to imagine how easy it might be to find a ride to a strip club--however, I know God will help me fight the temptation if I'll let him.
Temptation is not from God, but it is a way for God to be glorified. In leading us to be tempted, the Holy Spirit is presenting us with a choice: We can choose the easy route and sin, or we can choose the more difficult route and trust in God. Because we're inclined to sin, Jesus suggested in the Lord's Prayer that we ask not to be led into temptation.
Fortunately, today, for the most part, I managed not to fall to sin because God was there to help me take baby steps away from it. When I finally got away from the temptation, I had this awesome sense of being set free.
God is good.
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