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Cuthberts
Guest
I understand it wouldn’t constitute desiring it but would getting angry at a sin constitute falling into it?
Does getting angry at a temptation count as willfully entertaining it?
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TheLittleLady
Guest
Anger is an emotion. As we mature, we learn to control our emotions.
Emotions are not sins, however, we are more apt to sin when we allow our emotions to take control.
Temptation is natural, Christ was tempted in all ways we are tempted, He showed us how to overcome temptation.
Emotions are not sins, however, we are more apt to sin when we allow our emotions to take control.
Temptation is natural, Christ was tempted in all ways we are tempted, He showed us how to overcome temptation.
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White_Tree
Guest
It might, depending on your mental state.
When we have an adverse reaction to aspects of our own mind, that can have several possible deleterious effects.
One possibility is we push the sin into our subconsciousness. In that situation, the sin is still present in us, but we become unaware of the way in which it is operating. This can be very dangerous, because the subconscious mind continues in the sin, and in that process the sin can grow and change, and never in a positive way.
Another possibility is that, due to our desire to believe that we are holy, and the fact that the existence of the sin conflicts with that (false) sense of self, the sin can morph into something that we do not recognize as sin, but is nevertheless continuing to feed that same temptation, but in a more subtle way.
As a simple example of that, consider a person who is angry with someone. The person may recognize that their anger is wrong, and expressing it in an outburst would be harmful. So perhaps they instead choose to act in a passive aggressive manner, or they cut off communication, or they engage in harmful fantasies. All of these things are still negative expressions of that original anger, but a person may not recognize them as such.
We may believe that we have adequately avoided the sin because we do not allow it to express in the physical world, but in reality we have simply transferred the activity of that sin into the mental plane, and we still carry that poison in our heart.
The Lord tells us:
When we have an adverse reaction to aspects of our own mind, that can have several possible deleterious effects.
One possibility is we push the sin into our subconsciousness. In that situation, the sin is still present in us, but we become unaware of the way in which it is operating. This can be very dangerous, because the subconscious mind continues in the sin, and in that process the sin can grow and change, and never in a positive way.
Another possibility is that, due to our desire to believe that we are holy, and the fact that the existence of the sin conflicts with that (false) sense of self, the sin can morph into something that we do not recognize as sin, but is nevertheless continuing to feed that same temptation, but in a more subtle way.
As a simple example of that, consider a person who is angry with someone. The person may recognize that their anger is wrong, and expressing it in an outburst would be harmful. So perhaps they instead choose to act in a passive aggressive manner, or they cut off communication, or they engage in harmful fantasies. All of these things are still negative expressions of that original anger, but a person may not recognize them as such.
We may believe that we have adequately avoided the sin because we do not allow it to express in the physical world, but in reality we have simply transferred the activity of that sin into the mental plane, and we still carry that poison in our heart.
The Lord tells us:
So the Lord exhorts us to remove not only the physical manifestations of sin, but also any trace of those sins in our heart. And if we engage in mental habits that prevent us from recognizing those sins as they exist inside of us, that can lead to problems.
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Cuthberts
Guest
It’s just I have read that you have to use your irascible/incensive power to push sins out of your mind, so I have done so.
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White_Tree
Guest
Oh certainly. 
I wasn’t implying you should indulge the sin. It is important to remove it from your mind. I was just noting that we have to be intelligent in the way that we do so. If we approach the sin in the wrong way, it can go into hiding rather than being truly removed.
It wasn’t clear from your original post what exactly you were doing internally, as that is something only you can know. I was merely stating possible consequences that can arise from an incorrect approach. We all need to be vigilant.
I wasn’t implying you should indulge the sin. It is important to remove it from your mind. I was just noting that we have to be intelligent in the way that we do so. If we approach the sin in the wrong way, it can go into hiding rather than being truly removed.
It wasn’t clear from your original post what exactly you were doing internally, as that is something only you can know. I was merely stating possible consequences that can arise from an incorrect approach. We all need to be vigilant.
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Beryllos
Guest
If not falling into it, perhaps clinging to it. Anger directed at temptation (or evil, or the devil) should be avoided because it is a kind of devotion. The more attention you give to evil, the less you can give to God and others.
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JanR
Guest
Would it be best simply to ignore it?
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Beryllos
Guest
Not ignore it, but turn away from it. In my experience, I can’t really ignore temptation, but I can turn my attention toward good, which sometimes, though not always, puts some distance between me and the temptation, and with God’s grace may break the temptation’s grip on me.
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