What does the request “and lead us not into temptation” mean in the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father”?
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem answers this question this way: “Does the Lord really teach us to pray so as not to be tempted at all? As it is said in another place: “He who has not been tempted knows little” (Sir. 34:10), and again: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations” (James 1:2 ) - But maybe entering into temptation means getting bogged down in temptation? For temptation is like a kind of stream that is difficult to cross. Therefore, some, without getting bogged down in temptations, bypass them, as if becoming some kind of skilled swimmers, and not being carried away by them in the least. But others are not like that - they enter and get bogged down. Just as, for example, Judas, having entered into the temptation of the love of money, did not swim across the abyss, but was mired and perished physically and spiritually. Peter entered into the temptation of renunciation, but, having entered, he did not get bogged down, but bravely swam across the abyss and got rid of the temptation. Listen to how in another place the face of the saints who have reached perfection thanks for deliverance from temptation: “You have tested us, O God, you have refined us, as silver is refined. You have brought us into a snare, you have placed sorrows on our backs, you have placed a man on our heads. We have passed through fire and water, and You brought us out to rest” (Ps. 65:10-12). Do you see with what boldness they say that they overcame temptation and did not faint? It is said: “And You brought us into rest.” To enter into peace means to get rid of temptation.”
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Temptation is an invitation to commit sin. It can come on a mental level, in the sensory sphere, on a completely material plane, when someone specifically tempts... But you can commit a sin, or you may not commit it. Archpriest Igor Filin
What increases our spiritual strength? Overcome temptation. priest Alexander Elchaninov
Whoever does a deed pleasing to God will certainly be faced with temptation; for every good deed is either preceded or followed by temptation, and what is done for the sake of God cannot be solid unless it is tested by temptation. Just as bodies are followed by shadows, so the fulfillment of commandments is followed by temptations, for no one, said the Great Anthony, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven without temptations. So, do not be surprised, my son, that, while caring for your salvation, you encounter temptations and sorrows. But endure without embarrassment and pray, thanking that you, for fulfilling the commandment, are considered worthy to be in temptation, for the training and testing of your soul. May the good God give you attention and patience during temptation. St. Abba Dorotheos
The fruit of temptation is self-knowledge: “But here, it turns out, I am weak; This is where I have no strength, this is where I don’t understand anything.” And all this is learned in order to actively correct ourselves. prot. Andrey Tkachev
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As you become a church member, it seems that getting rid of external circumstances can radically change your life. Alas, in place of some external causes, others immediately appear. As we grow spiritually, we come to the realization that our main enemies are within us: vanity, irritability, fussiness, condemnation, etc., and external difficulties only reveal them.
History of the concept of “temptation”
What is temptation as a concept? Taking its origins from the transcendental past, it is reflected in the biblical scriptures in the chapter on human sin. Probably, there is not a single Orthodox believer, Christian, who would not be privy to the scripture about the Garden of Eden and about the adultery of Adam and Eve, which they committed as a result of temptation.
Eve had the imprudence to try the unfortunate apple, so beautiful and appetizing in appearance. The rattlesnake of vice and sinful passion enslaved a man and a woman, subject to euphoria and pleasure from the eaten sinful fruit, and poisoned them with the poison of vulgarity and vice. Hence the identification of the concept of temptation with sin, oversight, misconduct, shameful act. But what does this concept mean in the modern world?
Temptation and religion
Another type of vicious sinful thinking is temptation in religion. It manifests itself in a combination of specific circumstances of internal and external factors in the life of a Christian and provokes him to pass a test of the stability of his faith.
This commitment to one's religious beliefs is reflected in diligence in the implementation of dogma and observance of all biblical commandments. Based on the fact that considerable effort must be made to achieve this conviction, the concept of sophistication here is often used in the sense of suffering and sorrow, because doubt in itself in one’s own faith is also experienced by the believer as suffering.
Temptation and envy
Such concepts as nobility and the temptation of envy are often also on different scales. It is sad to state this unfortunate fact, but the current society is slowly and surely degrading, increasingly showing its cowardice in practice. And there are fewer and fewer noble people among the current society, while the number of envious people is growing in direct proportion.
The temptation of the devil in the guise of envy penetrates into the far corners of a person’s consciousness and is firmly entrenched there, strengthening its influence on his thoughts and thoughts, forcing him to slander the person who has more, who is more successful, who enjoys the favor of others. So, very often women envy their friends who are many times slimmer than themselves. Men envy their bosses who have expensive cars and a huge number of women. Even a child is subjected to this blatant sensation when he looks at a peer with such wonderful toys that he himself does not have.
Temptation by alcohol
The meaning of the word “temptation” from the perspective of the problem of alcoholism and drunkenness is identified with a poisonous green serpent that poisons the life of an alcohol-dependent person. Here you can even sympathize with people caught in the intoxicated web and feel sorry for them. After all, very often dependent alcoholics try to break out of the snake chains that surround them. They go to clinics, sobering-up stations, and pay huge sums of money for treatment with the latest drugs and courses of modern technological medical procedures. All this in order to get rid of the temptation to abuse alcohol again. This kind of temptation is truly a severe illness, which some cannot cope with until their death.
Lovely
When a modern woman calls her child “lovely,” she doesn’t even understand what exactly she’s saying. This word has been circulated in advertising, and it seems to us that the words “charming”, “charming” mean something beautiful and elegant. But the Church Slavonic language reveals the very essence of the word: according to the “Biblical Dictionary,” “charm” comes from the Old Slavonic word “flattery,” which means “deception,” “lie,” and seduction is a state of darkness in the human soul that appears as a result of the work of evil forces – treacherous people or even demons. There are two more interpretations of the word: “charm” is self-deception or self-delusion. Or “charm” is charm, that is, casting a spell on a person, because of which he falls into darkness
Writer Alexander Tkachenko points out that delusion is “the assimilation by a person of a lie accepted as the truth.” In essence, a person who cannot resist temptation and reaches out to temptation finds himself in delusion.
The Russian saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, who lived in the 19th century, called the state of people who live in a lie “delusion”, and pointed out that after the Fall, all of humanity is in delusion, considering themselves smart, knowledgeable and capable of managing their lives. “The greatest of delights is the delight of considering oneself free from it,” the saint pointed out.
Delusion comes in different forms: from people who impose false teachings (heresies) on others; from demons who come to praying monks and instill in them thoughts of their own exclusivity; from the human mind corrupted by sins, which exalts itself above God.
It is impossible to resist delusion without God's grace; only Christian life, tireless prayer to God asking for strength to overcome all adversity, following the commandments of the Gospel, repentance and work on correcting one’s sinful soul, accepting the Sacrament of the Eucharist can help a person, give him God’s grace, give him strength to fight delusion, temptation and temptation.
The meaning of the word "temptation"
In contrast to the religious interpretation of this concept, today's terminology excludes from it the fact of the Fall. Temptation is a feeling provoked by the desire to receive something forbidden, characterized by the manifestation of weakness in relation to something unacceptable.
Any person, without exception, can unconsciously succumb to this feeling, since it does not choose whom to visit. Temptation is a vicious attraction, a desire to perform a sinful act of water under the influence of a shameful inclination or passion, which provokes people to betray their ideals, beliefs, and principles.
The main parasitic property of this sinful feeling is the inability and impossibility of people to prevent its influence on their own consciousness. You can try to slow it down, control it, but it is very, very difficult to completely get rid of thoughts about the object of temptation. Therefore, it actively extends its influence to those whose conscience is unable to stop it.
The negative impact of temptations on a person
How does the feeling of temptation manifest itself in a person, his activities and behavior? This can probably be compared with the sensations that a drug addict feels during sobering up and the desire to purchase a new dose. In other words, he feels “withdrawal”: his condition is worsening, and it is much more difficult for him morally than physically to cope with this side effect.
Dependence on temptation is also moral, mental—a person feels it precisely on an emotional level. His thoughts constantly revolve around the forbidden fruit, which he wants to “eat” as soon as possible.
Song.
Have you heard about the way, yes, about the new and living way, which Jesus, the Son of God, opened? Have you heard that He came down to earth and took all sin upon Himself? Have you heard how He fought and won?
The path that Jesus opened was through His flesh. Sin was condemned and put to death. When He exclaimed, “It is finished,” while hanging on the cross of Calvary, He opened this path for us.
With a strong cry and with tears, He cried out to His God, suffered and fought! The drops of sweat on His forehead were like drops of blood, but He never did His will.
The path that Jesus opened was through His flesh. Sin was condemned and put to death. When He exclaimed, “It is finished,” while hanging on the cross of Calvary, He opened this path for us.
Do you want to follow Him every day, denying yourself? Do you want to follow this new and living path? Follow Him, Who responded to hatred with love. Do you want to follow in His footsteps every day of your life?
The path that Jesus opened was through His flesh. Sin was condemned and put to death. When He exclaimed, “It is finished,” while hanging on the cross of Calvary, He opened this path for us.
The Ways of the Lord #314 Melody: Edvin Andersen
Temptation by power and glory
Another sinful human impulse is ambition. The desire to have power over people or property, to have fame and to bask in everyone's attention and recognition is also considered a cowardly human quality. After all, we need to strive for social equality, which will prevent the development of conflicts, civil strife and, ultimately, wars between entire nations. But for some reason, people, on the contrary, want to be taller, richer and more famous than others. They want to be respected in society as something higher than the rest of society. And this is not commendable.
Temptation by adultery
The current public has a slightly different attitude towards sinful thoughts about adultery. Modern people treat sex and sexual relationships as a normal process. The temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden, considered the gravest sin in the Bible, is now not such. Moreover, today carnal pleasures are considered one of the favorite pastimes of people in relationships, marriages, connected by family ties and feelings of love. Here, rather, we are talking about physiological temptation, synonymous with temptation. The temptation to indulge in carnal love, the temptation to indulge in a passionate impulse.
Temptation by money
In fact, there are many types of the notorious vicious desire to sin. One of the most common of them is the temptation of money.
Man by nature is characterized by a desire to constantly be in his comfort zone. And people often feel comfortable when they are happy. In turn, happiness for many people today lies in money. More precisely, in their quantity. After all, there are always few of them. There is little money for yourself, for spending your own leisure time in the way you want, little money for children, because you need to pay for expensive education, little money for realizing your desires, which are to vacation abroad.
The desire to have a large amount of money provokes a person to succumb to temptation and commit some indecent, shameful, and sometimes completely illegal action. Commit an illegal financial transaction at work; frame a colleague for the sake of receiving a bonus and ruin his work; to steal, to rob a bank or a residential building with unforeseen consequences - all this is vile, disgusting, unacceptable, but people do this, enduring an annoying temptation of the soul.
