Perseverance

Perseverance

If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin. But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

It’s reassuring for us to realize that encountering temptation is not a sin, because even Jesus was tempted (Hebrews 4:15). But the way we respond to temptation indicates our spiritual state.

When we experience temptations of the body, God has already provided us with a way of escape. Adrian Rogers calls it “the King’s highway—two legs and a hard run.” When Joseph realized that Potiphar’s wife was trying to seduce him, he fled. First Corinthians 6:18 tells us, “Run away from sexual sin!” We’re not told to fight—we’re told to flee!

We are taught to deal with temptations of the soul by reflecting on God:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in his wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of his glory and grace.^a

If we’re experiencing God in our lives, we won’t quickly run to substitutes.

When Peter questioned Jesus’ mission and said he shouldn’t have to die, Jesus told him, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s” (Matthew 16:23). We can say the same in the name of Jesus Christ.

When we encounter temptation we do not want to be “like an ox going to the slaughter or like a trapped stag . . . a bird flying into a snare” (Proverbs 7:22-23). Instead, we can flee, focus on God, and pray.

God our Savior,

Thank you that because you lived on this earth as a man, we know that you understand temptation. Thank you that you left us a pattern and that we have the presence of your Spirit. May we walk closely with you so that we will find strength to make good choices. Amen.