Tempted and Tried

Russell D. Moore, Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ (Crossway, 2011), 208 pages.

I don’t think we talk about temptation enough. We talk a lot about sin, repentance, forgiveness, and redemption. Somehow temptation, that in-between thing that happens when we haven’t yet done anything wrong but might, doesn’t get enough attention. It’s no fun. It tells me I’m weak, and I don’t want to believe I’m weak. I want to believe I’m strong. And so do you.

In Tempted and Tried, Russell Moore, dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, takes Satan, demons, our fallen affections, and our susceptibility to temptations as his topic. He contends that Satan is at work and you are a target. He is looking for ways to make you fall, and all that takes is giving you what you want.

The structure of the book isn’t complicated. There are two chapters introducing the subject, three chapters on the three temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness, a chapter with a bit of practical advice, and a conclusion. It seems simple enough, but this book is so much more. Keep Reading...