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Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ

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Good Christian books on temptation are pretty hard to find. Maybe it's because Christians like to pretend they don't fight temptation like we do, I'm not sure, but not a lot of Christian authors are really tackling the subject. Off the top of my head, the only other one I remember reading was John Owen's Overcoming Sin and Temptation, which seems to be the standard on the topic. That book opened up many new insights on temptation to me, but I hadn't seen anything since that helped in that area.

That's why I was so happy to get Russell Moore's new book, Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ. This book was insightful, poetic, convicting, and inspiring to read. Moore has an ability (a la Tim Keller) to be able to take familiar passages in the Bible and connect them in poetic and powerful prose that communicates God's truth to people in a fresh way. There were multiple times reading this book when I simply had to stop and take a breath from what I had just read (either from conviction or being moved by the truth of the gospel).

Moore begins with a personal anecdote to illustrate the insidiousness of sin and the seriousness with which we should encounter temptation. Then, he uses the analogy of a slaughterhouse to show how many Christians are literally walking to their own destruction willingly, not realizing the danger around them. The metaphor here was striking. These introductory chapters set the stage perfectly for encountering the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the desert. These chapters delve deeply into Jesus' temptation for bread ("Starving to Death: Why We'd Rather Be Fed Than Fathered"), the temptation for self-vindication ("Free Falling: Why We'd Rather Be Right Than Rescued"), and the temptation for self-glorification ("Desert Reign: Why We'd Rather Be Magnified Than Crucified").

These chapters are simply bathed in Scripture, with Moore pulling themes and passages together to paint a beautiful tapestry of the big picture of the Bible, all culminating in the cross of Christ. The themes in each chapter lend themselves well to related discussions about modern evangelicalism that were powerful commentaries in themselves. For example, in commenting on the commonplace occurrence of Christians lampooning caricatures of those who disagree with Christianity, Moore states, "The end result is a self-referential Christian rhetoric that not only fails to persuade outsiders but also fails to protect our own children and grandchildren from what we're afraid of exposing them to in the first place. That leaves us with what amounts to, in the words of one secularist critic, little more than "a perpetual outrage machine" (p. 123). This statement, in the context of Christ's temptation to self-vindication, was very convicting for me.

After moving through what we can learn from the three different temptations, Moore's chapter on some of the more practical ways to fight and resist temptation is simply brilliant. He uses the example of a friend who doubted his faith because of the things he was tempted to do. As Moore explains, the temptation itself is not sin, nor are you unique because you are tempted by it. Becoming a Christian doesn't eliminate temptation. In fact, it may actually increase it. But we can learn to fight the same way Christ did, through faith in His Father's character and promises in scripture. If we learn to balance humility and confidence in our faith, we succumb to neither pride nor discouragement as we look to Christ's finished work on the cross that frees us from Satan's condemnation and God's wrath. We are free to fight, and many times, walk in obedience.

Struggling Saints everywhere need to read this book. Modern Evangelicals tend to appear to have everything together as we fear being exposed as not what we say we are (and mostly want to be). We feel isolated. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, this cycle causes us to turn further and further inward into hiding, away from people and more importantly, away from our Father. This book will help you fight those urges. It will help you begin to take steps to walk in the Light. It will encourage you to see yourself rightly in relationship to God through Christ. I believe John Owen would be very happy with Russell Moore's work here, and I'm thankful for men like them who understand the gospel so well and can articulate the themes and passages to help struggling sinners like me.

This is easily one of the best books you will ever read on temptation. Moore has done an outstanding job of explaining the anatomy and stages of a temptation, the strategies of Satan, and how Jesus defeated the devil while in the wilderness.

The book is full of bold statements:

.."to lose control of your appetities is to lose control of the Gospel itself"

(pg.80)

.."pornography is occultism" (pg.83)

.."I'm prideful, and so are you." (pg.130)

Chapter 5, DESERT REIGN is beyond brilliant and will take your breath away. It's easily the best chapter in the book.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to better understand how temptation works and how the only sinless person who's ever lived completely defeated the tempter.

Tempted and Tried: temptation and the Triumph of Christ is written by Dr. Russell D. Moore the Dean of the School of Theology and senior vice president for academic administration at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also serves as the preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church. In Tempted and Tried Dr. Moore has written a heady, practical, Scripture-saturated and Gospel-centered book on the why the believer is tempted and how he/she is to overcome temptation. Rather than get into all the specifics of what the book is about, I would like to share a few things on how this book has impacted me.

Dr. Moore teaches that temptation deals with a question of one's identity. Many believers struggle with their identity in Christ for a variety of reasons whether because they were raised in a dysfunctional home or because they are addicted to pornography. Throughout the book, Dr. Moore challenges his readers to understand their identity in Christ by understanding who Christ is and what He has done. This book has helped me to better understand my identity in Christ and the assault that my identity in Him is under.

On page 171 Dr. Moore explains that one of the first ways you can tell you are moving beyond temptation into a pattern of sin is if you find yourself in a time of prayerlessness. He rightly identifies this as a gospel issue. Knowing the right things about God, the Bible, and Jesus is all well and good but they ought to lead to action. One of the ways our convictions are revealed is in how the believer fights against temptation when it arises. In the past several years this fighting against temptation and specifically apathy is where I have grown the most in my walk with God. In growing in these areas, I have learned to recognize my identity as rooted in the finished work of Christ and in the importance of prayerfulness.

Tempted and Tried by Dr. Moore is a book that every Christian should read in order to better understand why one is tempted and how to deal with temptation. Reading this book will challenge you and at times confront misconceptions you may have about temptation. I encourage you to allow the work of the Word of God by the Spirit of God to the glory of God to do its work in you as you read this book, so that through you God may bring forth much fruit for His name and fame. Reading this book will help you grow in the Gospel and in turn help you to be a fruitful Gospel Christian.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Is it normal for Christians to face temptation? Of course it is. Jesus went through the trials in the wilderness. We, if we follow in his footsteps, will also face similar battles. Russell Moore opens the Bible with his readers and helps us to understand the trials we face in Tempted and Tried, his latest book.

Positives

Early in the book, readers will discover that the author is a very real person who has experienced very real, very down-to-earth temptations. Unlike the many authors who remain aloof from the reader, Moore gets right into his reader's living rooms. He shares our experiences. He does not pretend to be better than us. Moore simply tells the truth with the Scripture, with his own life stories, and with extremely well-chosen illustrations.

As Moore looks at the episodes of Christ's desert temptations, he sees a pattern of how the devil attacks Christians today. Whether we are tempted to doubt God's love for us, his provision for us, his understanding of our desires, his plan for our future, or whatever doubts might enter our minds in myriad forms, those temptations were all present in the tactics of the enemy that Christ faced. Moore does well to bring Jesus' first century temptations into our twenty-first century lives.

The focus of this book, regardless of the temptation faced, is the gospel of Christ. Moore does not make this little book a how-to or accountability-group manual. Instead, the author takes his readers to the cross. It is when we understand what Jesus accomplished on our behalf and what the gospel is all about that we will better face down our temptations.

A final positive I will mention about this book, though there are many, is that this is a Crossway book. I love the fact that, when I got this book, I also had a free PDF copy available to me for use on my computer or another electronic reading device. Simply put, I love what Crossway is doing.

Negative

The biggest negative that I have toward this book has to do with its structure. Call me particular, but I just do not like reading thirty-page chapters. I would rather have seen this book broken down into shorter chapters that kept the flow of thought more simple.

I will also add that this book is very real in speaking of sin. Moore never crosses any line into impropriety, but he is honest about the ways in which temptations can manifest themselves in the lives of real people living in a real, fallen world. Readers need to be aware that Moore is not going to pull punches or pretend that the worst temptation we face is to have a second slice of pie at the church social.

Conclusion

Russell Moore has given us a sweet little book in Tempted and Tried. We all have temptations. Moore has helped to show us what those temptations are like and how Christ, who has identified himself with us through his suffering, is familiar with the kinds of struggles we face. Pastors, small groups, Sunday School classes, and individuals will benefit by reading this work.

Over the last couple years I've really come to love the work, writing and speaking of Russell Moore. He is definitely a man worth following and learning from. I would recommend following him at minimum on Twitter.

In this book recently published by Crossway, Russell Moore sets out to illustrate to the reader the truth behind temptation. The strategies of Satan for temptation, Jesus' overcoming of the temptation, and what this means for us in the Church today are important aspects of Moore's book.

The book is very readable. Russell Moore is a natural writer. The book is in depth, but is surprisingly a very easy read. The words flow very well from Moore's thoughts to the pages of this book. It is weighty material, but Moore has an uncanny ability to make complex ideas easily understood.

Moore's personal touch on the book is illustrated in his many personal anecdotes. This shows a man who has truly wrestled with the truth of Scripture and applied it to his own personal life. Seeing a man who has struggled and has been tempted illustrate how he has moved through temptation with the Scripture as a guide is encouraging and every believer should try to find someone who can lead and mentor in such a way.

Moore's understanding of the Word of God is excellent as well. He spends a great amount of time explaining the Scriptures and helping the reader understand what Christ really went through. It is easy in our world today to think we understand the details of Jesus' temptations, but without understanding the background and Jewish understanding behind what Christ went through we cannot have a full understanding.

This book is not exhaustive in its approach in dealing with temptation and sin. It is a great place to start though. There is so much one can do in applying this text and Moore only scratches the surface. Moore is very well read and is worthy to be listened too in this discussion. Fortunately though for the reader, the book is not just filled with information on what temptation is and what Christ did to overcome His own temptation. The book if filled with countless examples of what God has done for us as believers and the Gospel is at the forefront of the discussion.

Please purchase this book. Read through it carefully. Read through it prayerfully. Read through it expecting that God will continue to touch your life and show you your need for Jesus' continual mediation and support in the difficult lives God has called us to live.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Are you human? Then you have dealt with temptation. Even people who do not consider themselves Christian talk about being tempted, and they are not the only ones who chronically give in.

Yet there is a watershed difference in what temptation mmeans to one who is called of God and who has been bought by the blood of Christ. The book of Hebrews tells us that, in Christ, we have a "High Priest who was tempted in every way, yet without sin." It also says that Jesus' temptations were "common to man." How much more clear do we need to get? Jesus, God in human flesh, was tempted in every way that you have been or will ever be tempted.

Quite a bold statement! This is precisely the topic of the book Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ, by Russell D. Moore, dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Seminary.

Don't worry, this is not another one of those books that attempts to give you five steps to freedom from your temptation. On the contrary, the virtually the entire book is about Christ and his temptation by Satan. Dr. Moore fluidly presents each temptation in finite clarity on how each if foundational to every temptation we face today.

Hidden in the folds of Christ's garmets is where we find our freedom. Jesus lived the righteous life that he knew we could not live; and he lived it on our behalf. The answer to all our temptation is found in our life in Christ. As we seek to be fathered by God, rescued by his grace, and cruicified with him our live reorients under the awe and passion of knowing the one who gave his all for us.

There are many books on temptation, but few that offers the only real solution to our problem: Christ alone!

Review

Moore's Tempted and Tried takes the reader through key moments of temptation throughout scripture. Beginning with Eve in the garden, Moore shows how the serpent challenged her thinking of who she was, attacked her natural born desires, and finally caused her to question God's word/ His faithfulness. Moore compares the Christian temptation to an animal slaughterhouse which prepares its meat for the slaughter. The meat is prepared and then in a moments time terminates its predator. We, like the cows, in this situation are fattened up by Satan and blinded to the future results of our sins. Moore then takes the reader through the temptations of Christ and shows how Christ was tempted in every way that he may conquer the tempter and sympathize with our weakness. Moore shows how singing "Free Falling" on an airplane now teaches us a story of reckless abandonment. Satan tempts Christ by challenging him to question the sovereignty of God. If Jesus truly was the messiah then if he jumped from the temple God would surely save him. Satan calls Jesus to question the faithfulness of God. Jesus responds not by putting God to the test but by modeling what it looks like to put confidence in God's goodness and his word. Moore then resolves the chapter by explaining his "Free Falling" illustration, calling the reader to fearlessly walk up to the edge and sing without fear as those who have been rescued from their own securities. Next, Moore shows us in Jesus' final temptation, Satan offered Jesus the reign of the entire earth here and now. Jesus was faithful even in the midst of this temptation, because he knew that it was better to be patient until the end, when he himself would be exalted in heaven and earth. Satan likewise offers us the kingdom of this world in exchange for God's future kingdom. If we choose the here and now, we lose heaven. As my pastor often says, "If we choose heaven, then we get earth thrown in for free."We must crucify our own kingdom building, if we desire to win the battle with temptation. In the end, we must decide whether we will be magnified of crucified. The wilderness is scary, because it is unknown to us what exactly is out there. The wilderness is a lot less fearful when we know exactly what we have to face. Success with temptation begins by knowing how we are tempted and preparing ourselves for it. Temptation cannot be defeated by mere moralism, we must fight through the Spirit. Second, fighting temptation is accomplished through reminding ourselves and thinking upon the gospel. Moore correctly demonstrates how the gospel is not just the starting point of salvation, but it is also the very thing that sustains the life of the believer after his conversion. Next, Moore points out that conquering temptation occurs through trusting in God's word and believing upon His promises. Moore concludes the book by calling the reader to pray to the one who has defeated sin and conquered the tempter. Remember that the Spirit is working through us to defeat the tempter. We are not doing this by our will alone or we would be quickly defeated.

Reflections

I have to say that I am in love with Dr. Moore's writing style. Even if you don't buy the book because of its great material, buy it just to learn/mimic his unique and wonderful writing style. Moore begins every chapter with a personal unique story that unavoidably sticks with you. Moore then makes a partial transition to the main point of each chapter. After transitioning from his opening stories you slowly forget about the opening stories and begin to focus upon the theme of the chapter. Generally at the end, but sometimes in the middle of the story Moore brings back up the opening illustration and ties all the points together forming a beautiful picture and bringing clarity to everything that he has been talking about the entire time. Reading Dr. Moore is like watching a good M. Knight Shyamalan movie. Throughout the movie you are enjoying the plot and then at the end he throws a curveball into the picture and causes you to re-evaluate everything that has already been said. With all that being said, I must re-iterate I am in love with Dr. Moore's writing style. There are not many reformed writers who are good with narrative. Dr. Moore is one of a few elite that have mastered it. Next, I think Moore does a great job of keeping the gospel at the center of fighting temptation. Too often writers will turn fighting temptation into a hopeless moralism, divorced from the gospel. Next, I think Moore does a great job showing how fighting temptation is not an individual issue, but something that is done within the confines of the local church. Temptation cannot be defeated in isolation or divorced from a local church body. Finally, Moore correctly points out that fighting temptation is done through Spirit and is a work of the Spirit. I would highly encourage everyone to read this book. I think the book is one of the best, if not the best book I have read on fighting temptation. The book is a very down to earth read/easy read, but still would be extremely challenging even for the scholar.

~The Reformed Reader~

Russell Moore provides us with an excellent thesis on the Temptation of Christ" and all of the nuances of the temptations as well as that of Christ response. Along with this Moore does a wonderful job of addressing how we today are faced with temptations and how subtle Satan is in how he approaches us and dangles the temptations in front of us.

At first I thought how can Moore take a small section of scripture from Matthew 4 and write a 200 page book on the subject? In all honesty if you were one of the men at Promise Keepers in Boulder, CO when Rev. E.V. Hill taught this section of scripture you will remember that he only spoke for 10 minutes (he usually preaches over an hour). His main point, "When Satan comes at you with temptations just HIT HIM with the Word of God." He then said, "do you understand that, just HIT HIM!"

The 50,000 men in the stadium started chanting, hit him, hit him, hit him. E.V. knew that he had made his point so he packed up his papers and walked off the podium. The men started chanting it even louder. As E.V. got to the tunnel to exit the stadium and got out of sight the chanting started to die down, so he turned around stepped back out and just thrust his Bible in the air and the chanting started again and lasted for 10 more minutes.

So, if we can get the point in just 10 minutes why write a book of 200 pages? Well the answer is that there is even more to this section of scripture and more deep theological truth that we can garner for a good exegesis of the passage. Moore gives us very practical examples of how we are affected today by temptation and what we need to learn.

One example is on page 86 in response to the first temptation about consuming food. Moore states, "The first temptation is not just about consuming food, it is about consuming, period. It is about our quest for economic security, our appetite for stuff." Does that ring the truth bell for you? It did for me. We in America are obsessed it seems like to have all the newest gadgets and every material item that will `make our lives easier.' Why does it not surprise us that the storage unit business is one of the fastest growing businesses in our country.

Moore goes on to say on page 87, "It is hardly legalism to ask such questions as, how much of this do we need? And how much are we giving away? And so on."

He further states, "Self-control is, in this fallen world, counterintuitive and countercultural." So, have you fallen to the temptation of Satan to obtain all that you can?

One more area of example. In regards to the temptation to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple and allow the Angels to rescue him, Jesus says no. Moore points out that when it comes to vindicating ourselves regarding our faith in God's protection or provision or position we do not need to be the ones striving to vindicate ourselves. We need to let God do the vindication for us. Moore states on page 116, "Public vindication is a critical part of God's deliverance of his people. God doesn't simply set a table for me, the Scripture says, he sets this table `in the presence of my enemies' (Ps. 23:5)"

So, how is your faith? Do you allow God to vindicate you rather than fall victim to the temptations of Satan?

Well, I could go on and on but then you probably would stop reading.

So, stop reading this review and instead "click" on the "purchase this book" button and get a copy for yourself and enjoy it!

There has been a fair amount of buzz on twitter and various blogs about Russell Moore's latest book, Tempted & Tried (Crossway Books), and having read it I have to say it is for good reason. Unlike the attention being paid to some other recent releases, the focus of conversation has been squarely on the content, not the author. Moore's book is a walk into the wilderness with Jesus, as the Christ squares off against the Devil. It is both an exegetical work and a contemporary application of those strategies that were employed to tempt Christ, seeking to understand how we are likewise tempted. Most importantly, it is not a book telling us the step-by-step method of overcoming temptation, but instead is a long, hard, devoted look at the only one who has faced the Devil and walked away not guilty. Tempted & Tried not only guards us by revealing the strategies of our enemy, but keeps us from pride and legalism by pointing to Christ as our only hope for victory.

The structure of the book, after a great introduction to the general theme of temptation and the basic way that temptation will be worked on people, follows the three temptations that Christ faced in the wild places. Dealing firstly with that introduction though, because it matters - Moore is very sure to point out that we're not dealing with make believe here. There is a temptation in modern man to think himself oh so much smarter than those who came before. Now that we understand more about the way the brain works, or the laws of nature, we can explain so much away. We are unwilling to surrender our own sovereignty over all things, and as such will not tolerate the existence of spiritual realities outside of our dominion. The Devil is not a welcome concept. Incarnate evil is so middle ages, don't you know? Thankfully, Moore doesn't fall for that and takes the Biblical account seriously. As Moore writes, "The sheer animal force of temptation ought to remind us of something: the universe is demon haunted."

Allowing for that point, the next chapter deals with the brilliant patience of Satan and his cohort. "The path of temptation is gradual and intelligent," says Moore, "not as sudden and random as it seems." In other words, we need to keep our wits about us, stay on the ball and live our lives as though we're at war, not out for a nice picnic.

Now we get into the meat of the text, as Moore relates the three temptations (bread, worship and throwing Himself from the high place) to the temptations we will all face: consumption, security and status. As Moore deals with the exegesis and hermeneutic of each temptation, he applies brilliant analogies, shares openly of his own struggles and falterings and applies things with a pastoral counseling tone that takes this book beyond the realm of mere information and into the kind of place that God can speak through into people's lives.

I urge you to read the book for yourself - it isn't overdrawn, or unnecessarily complex. That is the mark of a good teacher that he has taken complicated ideas and presented them with such comprehensibility. Let me share with you my own "aha!" moment that occurred from reading this book. It was to do with the appetites, and other than C.S. Lewis, I have not found a more insightful view on the appetites. Maybe I'm just not widely read enough, but it isn't for want of trying!

Moore notes, "The fear of death overshadows us, tempting us to grab what we want, to satisfy our cravings, before we lose our opportunity. The reign of death seeks to drive us on to fill our guts with what we think we need." But he also says that "a life that is all fast or all feast is disordered to the core." Moore is not opposed to the appetites. We must remember that these appetites are given by God.

Here's the payoff for me: we've spent so long being told that our appetites (food, sex, possessions) are for survival. We eat for sustenance. We have sex to procreate. We acquire to be secure and expand our empires. Once survival is dealt with, then we begin to enjoy food for itself, sex for itself, things for themselves. But in that the appetites are never satisfied. This is because with that model the appetites never get their true climax. Our appetites exist that we might give thanks to God. That's where I got to from Moore's writing, and I don't know if he actually spelled that out, but I'm thankful that I landed there!

The same principal is found in the issue of security and status. When those are not submissive to God, they become places of weakness we can be tempted in as fear is used to drive us to take things for ourselves.

The book is gospel-infused, full of grace and truth, and brimming with the power of Christ who was tempted, tried and is victorious.

Russell Moore in Temped and Tried frames the temptation of Christ within redemptive history as the answer for the daily temptations all Christians encounter. Christ's example is not merely our example to follow, but His example is our answer to temptation. We look to His gospel, the good news of His death and resurrection to reconcile us to His Father. We are not left alone to fend for ourselves for we have One who has conquered, is conquering, and will conquer the evil one. In other words, we cannot triumph over temptation, only Jesus can (195).

Christians exist in a wilderness of temptation where possible pitfalls lurk around every corner and where we least expect it (Ch. 1). Temptation is subtle, leading us gradually to a great Fall. Justifying a "small" sin eventually encourages us to justify "greater" sins. Sins we would not have committed in the beginning, we are desensitized to embrace later (Ch. 2). As sinners, we want what we want, but it can never satisfy. We must long for eternity more than we long for the temporary. Christ heard His Father's voice louder than His growling stomach when tempted in the wilderness. Having been made sons and daughters through Christ's blood, we must hear our Father's voice louder than our appetites as well (Ch. 3).

Furthermore, what matters in our daily lives is not our selfish vindication, but God's present and "not yet" vindication of us through Christ. He will defend us in Christ; we must simply preach truth, seeking to spread the gospel while looking ahead to our vindication instead of submitting to the temporary false glory of being right (Ch. 4). We must crucify our desire for power, influence, etc. regardless how "small" it may be; and instead, we must seek God's glory in Christ, looking to the day when we rule and reign with Him forevermore (Ch. 5). Temptations are real, persistent, and common to all Christians. They were common to Christ as well, yet He never sinned. The gospel empowers us through the Spirit to live as Christ lived while pleading His blood alone for salvation (Ch. 6). In other words, you cannot triumph over temptation, only Jesus can (Ch. 7). Run to Him continually.

In conclusion, Moore succeeds in his desired goal. After reading this work, I cannot help but feel the weight of my sin and the various temptations that plague me. Where will I turn for victory? I will only turn to the One who endured temptation and conquered, then bled and died as if He failed, and triumphantly rose from the dead to save His people. I look to Him afresh and anew tonight, and with honesty, I boldly cry out, "Abba, Father," due to His finished work. May I continue crying out, from here to eternity.