Struggling With Your Conscience: Choosing God in a World of Temptation

Have you ever had that little voice inside tell you what’s right, even when everything in you wants to do the opposite? That voice is your conscience. God gave every one of us a conscience along with the incredible gift of free will - the ability to decide and choose our own path. But with that freedom comes responsibility, and sometimes even danger.

Why God Gave Us Free Will

God didn’t create us to be robots. Real love only exists when it’s chosen freely. That’s why He gave us the power to say yes or no to Him. The Bible says, “I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction… Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:15,19). Our conscience is like an inner compass. It’s there to guide us, but we have to pay attention to it. When we listen to it, we grow closer to God. When we ignore it, we drift away.

The Struggle Inside

Here’s the hard part: just because we know the right thing doesn’t mean we always do it. St. Paul admitted, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). That struggle is real for all of us, especially when the world tells us, “Just do whatever makes you happy.” But not everything that feels good is actually good. That’s why conscience and free will can feel like a battle zone.

The Devil’s Influence

Because of free will, God allows us to be tested. And yes, that means the devil has room to tempt us. Jesus warned us about this when He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). The devil can twist our desires, confuse our conscience, and make wrong look right. He can sneak in through pride, jealousy, anger, or even laziness. But here’s the truth, Satan only has power when we let him. With God’s grace, we can resist.

The Importance of Formation

Here’s where formation comes in. A conscience doesn’t guide itself - you have to train it. Just like an athlete needs a coach, our conscience needs direction. Formation means surrounding yourself with the right influences so that your inner compass always points to God.

Prayer – Talking to God daily keeps your conscience sharp.
Scripture – The Bible is God’s playbook for life. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
The Church & Sacraments – Mass, Confession, and Eucharist strengthen you for the battle.
Community - Surrounding yourself with friends who encourage you in faith makes it harder for the devil to pull you away.

The Blessings and Risks of Free Will

Advantages of free will and conscience:

You get to choose to love God, making your relationship with Him real.
Every good choice strengthens your soul and builds character.
You can impact the world around you in ways that last forever.

Disadvantages and risks:

You can fall into sin, guilt, and regret when you ignore God’s law.
The devil can tempt you and influence your decisions.
A weak or poorly formed conscience can lead you down the wrong path.

Choosing Daily

Struggling with your conscience doesn’t mean you’re failing - it means you’re alive and paying attention. The real question is: Which voice will you follow?

Joshua challenged his people with these words, and they still apply to us today: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

God gave you free will not to weigh you down, but to raise you up-to give you the chance to love Him freely, resist the devil, and live with purpose. The choice is yours every single day.