Temptation in the Will
Influx of tempting ideas into the mind is not itself temptation, if the will is not attached to those ideas.
- These tempting ideas let our imagination draw out our loves which would lead to temptations. (this often happens anyway!)
Temptations may be at the point of acting,
- or we may perceive ahead which of our (selfish) loves may lead to selfish actions, and deal with them in advance.
We need self-witnessing or self-monitoring as a necessary practical discipline: seeing our will via our understanding.
“Permanent spiritual growth occurs after you freely resist temptation by means of truths.”