By these words may you see that these temptations or any other, be they ever so ugly, are expedient and profitable to a man that by grace is in full will to forsake sin, if he will be willing to suffer and abide God’s will, and not turn again to sin which he hath forsaken, for any sorrow, or pain, or dread of such temptations; but ever stand still in travail and in prayer with good hope. Our Lord of His endless goodness having pity and mercy of all His creatures, when He seeth time, will put to His hand and smite down the devil and all his power, and ease him of his travail, and put away all dreads and sorrows and darkness out of his heart, and brings into his soul the light of grace, opening the eye thereof to see, that all the travail that he hath had was expedient for him, giving him also fresh spiritual might to withstand all the suggestions of the fiend and all deadly sins without great difficulty, and leadeth him into a stability and settledness of virtue and good living; in which, if he keepeth himself humble to the end, then will He take him wholly to himself. Thus much have I said, that thou mightest not be troubled or letted with any such temptation, or too much afraid; but do as I have said, and better if thou canst, and I hope through the grace of Jesus Christ thou shalt never be overcome by thine enemy. (John Climacus)

Being a "man that by grace is in full will to forsake sin" is the key element in the calculus Climacus is using. He is writing for the monastic, the man or woman who has taken vows.

For those who have made this commitment the travail of temptation can be a cleansing of past life and forging of purpose.

I do not have a full will to forsake sin. I am aware of my sins. They trouble me. I can put them aside for a time. But they return without much struggle.

Temptation comes from a Latin word meaning to probe, feel, test, or try. Being uncertain of my purpose I continue to look about and probe for purpose.

Rather than a rigorous training regimen, my encounter with temptation is more similar to a fat man taking a leisurely walk after a huge dinner.