Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ

by Russell Moore

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2011

Although temptation is a common and well-acknowledged part of the human experience, few realize the truth behind temptation and fewer still know how to defeat it.  Tempted and Tried will not reassure Christians by claiming that temptation is less powerful or less prevalent than it is; instead, it will prepare believers for battle by telling the truth about the cosmic war that is raging. Moore shows that the temptation of every Christian is part of a broader conspiracy against God, a conspiracy that confronts everyone who shares the flesh of Jesus through human birth and especially confronts those who share the Spirit of Christ through the new birth of redemption.

Moore walks readers through the Devil's ancient strategies for temptation revealed in Jesus' wilderness testing. Moore considers how those strategies might appear in a contemporary context and points readers to a way of escape.  Tempted and Tried will remind Christians that temptation must be understood in terms of warfare, encouraging them with the truth that victory has already been secured through the triumph of Christ.

Contents

Top Highlights

“But none of these are new temptations, just newer ways of surrendering to old temptations. The temptations themselves are, as the Scripture puts it, ‘common to man’ (1 Cor. 10:13), and in Jesus’ desert testing we see how true this is. Here the Scriptures identify for us the universal strategies of temptation. You will be tempted exactly as Jesus was, because Jesus was being tempted exactly as we are. You will be tempted with consumption, security, and status. You will be tempted to provide for yourself, to protect yourself, and to exalt yourself. And at the core of these three is a common impulse—to cast off the fatherhood of God.” (source)

“Temptation—for the entire human race, for the people of Israel, and for each of us personally—starts with a question of identity, moves to a confusion of the desires, and ultimately heads to a contest of futures. In short, there’s a reason you want what you don’t want to want. Temptation is embryonic, personality specific, and purpose directed.” (source)

“We are not—and Jesus is not—tempted by God (James 1:13). To be tempted is to be enticed toward evil. ‘God is light, and in him is no darkness at all’ (1 John 1:5). We are, however—and Jesus joins us in this—tested by God. James wrote, ‘Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life’ (James 1:12). The difference between testing and tempting is no trivial matter. The goal of tempting is evil; the goal of testing is ‘that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing’ (James 1:4).” (source)

Product Details

• Title : Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ
• Author: Moore, Russell
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2011
• ISBN: 9781433515972

About the Author

Russell Moore (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is public theologian at Christianity Today and director of Christianity Today's Public Theology Project. He is a widely-sought commentator and the author of several books, including The Kingdom of Christ; Adopted for Life; and Tempted and Tried. Moore blogs regularly at RussellMoore.com and tweets at @drmoore. He and his wife, Maria, have five sons.