Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. In chapter 11, the writer highlights the people of God, named and unnamed, who faithfully persevered, while still waiting for what was promised through Jesus. He exhorts them not to turn back to the old order of things but to persevere in faith. Throughout the book, the writer sets before them the glory and superiority of the new covenant in Jesus Christ. They were tempted to give up and return to Jewish practices and ritual law-keeping to experience relief from persecution. Scholars believe that Hebrews is likely addressed to Jewish Christians who were persecuted for being followers of Jesus.
The writer is not focused on the particular sin patterns I mentioned earlier, but the message does help to orient us in the midst of our particular temptations, especially when we are ready to throw in the towel. He offers help for weary warriors in the book of Hebrews. But what encouragement does God give to us in the throes of battle? When we stand at the cusp of capitulating to the satanic lie, “Resistance is futile,” what help does our gracious Father offer? At least this is often our experience, namely that the way out of temptation is to give in to temptation in a particular moment. The clock can be reset with a fresh start and fresh resolve. There is a paradoxical relief in succumbing (albeit often with guilt, shame, and other consequences). The thought of another day, even another hour, of wrestling with that insistent and persistent desire is too much to handle. So it’s easier to give in and move on rather than continue to resist.
It seems to have more power over you than you do to fight it. Perseverance is uncomfortable, especially when you’ve given in to that temptation so many times before.
It feels too hard spiritually, emotionally, and physically to keep waging war against our flesh. There are many biblical ways to answer this question, but I want to focus on just one: we give in to temptation because we get tired of fighting the battle. Why do we give in to temptation? This question often arises in the context of counseling for repetitive struggles such as pornography use, masturbation, substance abuse, and overeating.
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