Run From Temptation: Be Careful to Consider the Danger

One of the greatest follies we can make is to disregard and neglect the warnings of God found in Scripture. They are given to us for our safety and for our good. We do ourselves great damage when we ignore them and often find ourselves wondering how we ended up in the pigpen we are presently in. Follow every choice out to the end before walking through the door. There are consequences to everything – both good and bad - for every action we take and every word we speak. God tells us to think about how we live. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV): Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV).

Many who flee into temptation have no clue how weak their souls truly are and how powerful the enemy of their soul is – never considering what has happened to others following the same path. Apart from Christ within, we are no match for the evil one. Think about Peter who denied Jesus three times after vehemently stating he never would. Flesh always seeks to save and pander itself and gives birth to death – death to love, death to trust, death to contentment and on and on. But the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit gives life and life to the full – equipping us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord Jesus.

Remember as well, when we play with fire we are going to get burned. Walking into temptation, we never come out unscathed. That is why our Lord Jesus provides us with a door of escape. He tells us in our verses for today that He will provide a way out. Look for the door when tempted and flee through it. I used to pray for my family, especially when my kids were younger, if they should linger when temptation arises (which it always will) God would pull them by the hair through that door of escape! This is a good prayer to pray for ourselves as well as none of us are above temptation. Our Lord’s instructions were given to us as a means to preserve us from it and to keep us from falling.  

Lastly, we are in a military posture when we pray against temptation – remaining aware of all that is going on around us. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:18 (NIV): “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” 

We are also told to pray that we might stand firm in all the will of God – mature and fully assured. We do not want to be “held fast by the cords of our folly,” as John Owen wrote rather live in the freedom of Christ. Paul writes in Galatians 5:1 (NIV): “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves become burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” We become a slave to whatever has mastered us. When we fall into sin we set ourselves up to become burdened under this yoke of this slavery.