So, in RPGs, as well as videogames, or any kind of game, any kind of use of imagination, but specifically tabletops and videogames.. What correlation is there to what you do in the game versus real life?
Are you playing Call of Duty? To your mind, at some level there is no difference between what you imagine and what you do in real life. You can cook up a scenario of your spouse cheating on you in your mind and feel angry as a result. Your mind doesn’t know the difference. So, don’t be immoral in gaming. You may be at odds with your friends, you may have to not play certain games.. But don’t do anything in a game unethical, particularly if your conscience pricks you.
I played Warframe for several years. After a few years, I couldn’t find it in myself to keep killing the Grineer and Corpus factions. They’re humans. I just couldn’t do it. I could do them in with magical radiation damage, but shooting or stabbing? Couldn’t do it anymore. So I had to decide what I was going to do. The Lord helped me. I haven’t played it in a while, haven’t really played much of anything.
What about what you watch on t.v.? Adultery? Fornication? What does that do to your mind? Evil images or movies or cartoons or whatever take a toll on your mind and heart. “Guard your heart, for from it springs the things of life,”
What’s in your mind? Your heart? It will overflow to your speech and actions. If Satan can get you to think about something long enough, he can get you to do it. That’s why it’s important to “take every thought captive in obedience to Christ,”
Guys, I struggle with lust. I think most young men do. But we have to continually repent, because if we don’t confess? Don’t repent? It will become a stronghold. It will get worse and worse. We may, one day, be unable to repent, and then God will have to discipline us, maybe severely.
So, get rid of the things that trip you up. You don’t have to literally cut off your hand or pluck out your eye, but mortify yourselves. Kill those things you do that lead you to temptation. Unplug the console, get rid of the iphone, cancel your netflix/whatever subscription. We have more temptations today than ever before. So we have to be vigilant, always, because we will find ourselves tempted in the least likely places, particularly as our society corrupts itself.
I’ve said it before and will say it again, ”Don’t go looking for it!” Take a different path home if you have to, cut up the credit card if that’s what it takes. Whatever your pet sin is, it is not worth your soul. Some people have addictions, sins they can’t shake. That’s complicated, but you should be fighting it every step of the way, not giving into it without a battle. And don’t sin deliberately! That grieves God more than if you are tempted and give in.
Satan tempted himself, and sinned. He deliberately sinned. Adam was tempted (through Eve), and He sinned. Did God have mercy on the angels that willfully disobeyed him? No. But he had mercy on Adam and Eve, because of the weakness of their minds and their naivety. They were tempted by Satan, and when they fell, God showed mercy through the coming of Jesus Christ (and to us through the history of the bible). But is there mercy for demons? No! As Isaiah confirms, ”Dust shall be the serpent’s food,” In other words, their judgment stands. That’s a subject for another post.
I hope that’s helpful for you. “Remember, God will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation will provide a way out,” and “No temptation has come upon you that is uncommon to man,”
“Christ was tempted in every way that we are, but without sin,”
Did you read that? “In every way” So, whatever you were tempted with, Jesus was tempted with. The Holy Spirit in Christ is the same Holy Spirit in us. So that means that we should, in principle, be able to resist every temptation. We have sin nature, unlike Christ, but the Holy Spirit is God. He is mighty in us.
Have the faith to believe you can leave your sin behind. If you don’t? Ask God for it. Ask God for wisdom (but don’t doubt!). God will give you wisdom freely if you ask, but you can’t doubt that He will, or that you really want it (see the book of James).
It took me three years to really get free of videogames. Am I tempted to go back? Yes. Do I have gamer friends that want me to game with them? Yes. Do I dream about videogames? Yes. But God is strong. Through His Spirit, for His glory, He has kept me from it. My friend stopped smoking one day and has never smoked since. Is he still tempted? Yes, he says, at times he would like a cigarette, but he never has.
Be encouraged. You can overcome any sin with Jesus’ help. It may be a long, dark journey, but I’m reminded of something I read (not in the bible).
“And if virtue feeble were, Heaven itself would stoop to her,”
When we are trying to do right? Even if we mess up, God' is faithful. He will honor your attempt, your struggle to overcome. Hope that helps.