On Temptation and the Mortification of Sin

Description

Temptation is John Owen’s biblical warning to Christians for avoiding the many significant harms of temptation. It is the second of his three books dealing with sin: Mortification of Sin, Temptation, and Indwelling Sin. In Temptation, Owen presents one of the most thorough treatments of our part in sanctification (“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation,” Mat 26:41) and Christ’s part (“I will keep thee from the hour of temptation,” Rev 3:10). Owen shows successively what temptation is, what it is to “enter into temptation,” the power of temptation, marks of having fallen into temptation, the role of prayer, how we must “watch,” what it is to “keep the word of Christ’s patience,” and motives for watching against temptation.

Mortification of Sin is now accessible to today’s readers in this translation and adaption of his original 1656 English text into our modern English. Owen expertly explains how to put to death sin through faith in Jesus Christ. He tells us why it is important for the Christian to be killing sin in his life, what it means to kill sin, and why only a Christian can do it. He shows why sin can only be put to death by the power of the Holy Spirit exclusively available through the gospel of Christ. “Be killing your sin or your sin will be killing you.” Each of us is in a life or death battle with sin. It’s a battle that can’t be won by willpower or works, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit, who brings the cross of Christ into our hearts with all its sin-killing power. While we will never be completely free of the power of indwelling sin in this world, Mortification of Sin gives all of us a roadmap to the victory over sin available to us in the gospel of Christ.