Allen's Account of the Christian Life

In Allen's account of the Christian life, temptation offers us a doorway into the mystery of God. Far from trying to avoid the temptations of our daily lives, we need to recognize them as an essential part of our journey into the kingdom of God.

Here our model is the three temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness: the temptations of material goods, security, and prestige. To face the reality of these temptations, even though we cannot overcome them, is to enter upon the spiritual life.