Humbly Admitting Our Vulnerability to Sexual Temptation Is the First Step to Avoiding a Fall

Someone once asked my thoughts about the idea that a Christian ministering among the needy in the inner city is safer from sexual temptation than someone else ministering to those who live in the more affluent suburbs. The idea seemed to be that God is more pleased by (or does greater work through) those who devote themselves to working in the inner city than those who serve in the suburbs. You may disagree with his premise, but my point to him was if he’s right, then that actually means that Satan has more reason to derail inner-city workers!

Since Satan and demons are finite beings and can only expend limited time and energy in tempting people, then it stands to reason that their higher priority would be to take down someone in the inner city who is doing a work close to God’s heart. (Of course, I absolutely know that ministry to those in the suburbs is also an important part of God’s plan, but I’m just following the questioner’s logic.)

Our Enemy Is on the Prowl

Pride, power, money, and sex are Satan’s major temptation tools, and pride and power often are underneath the temptation to money and sex. The inner-city worker will still be tempted by money, but even if he or she is freer of it than someone ministering in the suburbs (and that’s not necessarily so), consider the issue of sexual temptation. People are still people, and the city is as full of sex as the suburbs—arguably, fuller of sex (at least the open and blatant on-the-streets and in-your-face stuff). And if Satan especially hates what the inner-city Christian is doing, shouldn’t we expect him to bombard that believer with more sexual temptation to destroy God’s work?

Our enemy the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour, and the landscape is littered with people he has destroyed. Obviously, he can do more damage to God’s kingdom by taking on Christians (once set on a path of destruction, drug addicts don’t need as much attention from him), more damage still by taking on Christians of influence and notoriety, and the most damage of all by taking down Christians who are doing strategic work that is close to God’s heart. I believe that’s exactly what Satan and demons do (I developed some of that in my novels Lord Foulgrin’s Letters and The Ishbane Conspiracy). And they will use all weapons at their disposal … including and often especially sexual temptation.

Consider what 1 Peter 5:5–9 says:

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Beware of Pride

Pride is a problem for all of us, but there is an obvious pride in a Christian believing their sexual vulnerability is less because they are “doing God’s work.” (On the contrary, as I’ve argued in my booklet Sexual Temptation, such a Christian will probably be more vulnerable—but certainly at the very least the same, not less.) This applies to believers in every position of ministry and leadership.

For example, if we think we are not vulnerable to being robbed, pretty soon we will leave the car unlocked, and cash laying on the passenger’s seat … greatly increasing our chances of being robbed precisely because we thought we wouldn’t be. This is part of God opposing the proud: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor. 10:12).