Way of Escape

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NIV)

Our world is filled with temptations. The broad categories of temptation that affect humankind most seem to be money, sex and power.

Even if we are not wealthy, we can be tempted by money. We want more and more and never quite get to the place where we reach contentment. "If I could just get that promotion and make $5,000 more, I would be happy." Or we refuse to be generous in the face of a need because we are unwilling to use any of the money we're saving for that nicer house or new car. Paul lifts up a powerful antidote to the temptation of materialism: contentment.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13 NIV)

Sexy is everywhere in our culture. Sex sells, and so advertising uses sexual attraction and fills our screens and billboards and magazines and web sites with tantalizing beauty. The dirty underbelly of our world includes the pornography industry and human trafficking. Paul lifts up the antidote for sexual temptation: chastity.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NIV)

Way too much of politics and social media in our nation is all about gaining and flexing power. And way too often, even in our families, our workplace and our church, we insist on our own way, seeking to be the empowered one, rather than the servant of others. Jesus addresses the antidote to the temptation to power: servanthood.

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:33-35 NIV)

There is a fourth temptation that I believe plagues us in our fallen human condition. That is the temptation to self-reliance. As a Pastor, I have experienced this temptation throughout my ministry as the temptation to do God's work in my own human strength, gifts, skills and ingenuity. We are tempted to rely on our own good works, our own goodness, instead of the grace of Jesus Christ even for our own salvation. The antidote for the temptation to self-reliance is trusting Jesus and relying on His Holy Spirit to guide and empower our lives.

The Bible reveals some important strategies for dealing with temptation. The first is to resist.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 NIV)

One reason we fall into temptation and sin is because, frankly, we enjoy it rather than resisting it. It's true of hot fudge sundaes and it's true of pornography. Submit to God and resist the enemy, like Jesus did in His temptation in the wilderness, and we can stand in victory.

The second strategy for dealing with temptation lifted up in Scripture is to flee.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22 NIV)

It is simply not a wise strategy when one struggles with drunkenness to sit in a bar and pray for the strength to resist the lure of alcohol. Flee it. Removing oneself from the temptation goes a long way toward overcoming it.

The third strategy we can use against temptation is to take the way of escape.

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NIV)

One powerful way of escaping temptation is to put the safeguard of accountability into our lives. Secrecy is the friend of temptation. Admitting the temptation to an accountability partner or a group and giving them permission to check on us and call us out when they see us moving back toward tempting behavior goes a long way toward overcoming the temptation in the strength of community.

Woven into these strategies is the Biblical way of escape: the power and transformation of the Holy Spirit and the strength of community and accountability. When I am weak, the Holy Spirit is strong. When I feel weak and alone, the body of Christ stands with me, if I am in fact opening myself to the relationships and love and prayer power of my church family.

Resist the devil. Flee from temptation. Take the way of escape. Temptations will lose their power and God will cause you to walk in victory.