Satan hides from us two things: sin’s deceitful power and our own weakness when it comes to resisting sin. He obscures the fact that sinful behavior excites sin’s remnants inside us. Sinful behaviors inflame more sin in our soul, and thus sin ensnares us. The process is all too familiar: We are tempted to sin but persuaded to think that we can resist the temptation. Once we get close to the sin, however, we want to sample a little bit of it… but only a little, so that we will still be at free ourselves quickly (or so we tell ourselves). Then once nibble, the remnants of sin inside us are strengthened. Now we want a slightly larger bite. Satan skillfully encourages us to think that we are still in control of the situation. Like every other addict in the world, we think, “I can stop any times want.” We believe that we can always put it down and wall away, and so we indulge the larger bite. And that inflames even more sin inside of us.
Isn’t it true that living the Christian life often involves doing things that non-Christians don’t understand? One of those things is fleeing from temptation. In a world full of people who think they are quite self-sufficient and capable when it comes to doing what is morally right, we Christians are painfully aware of our debilitating moral weaknesses. We know that even when our spirit is willing, our flesh is weak. Others may think that sin is not resident in them, but we quickly affirm that the remnants of sin continue to plague even the most mature believer. We have no delusions regarding our spiritual strength, as we have all fallen more times than we care to admit. At least when we are thinking rationally, we know that the Bible is right: We must flee from temptation.
Sometimes fleeing temptation means removing myself physically from a situation where the temptation to sin is great. With regard to some movies, for example, fleeing temptation may well mean leaving the room (or better yet, checking out the movie’s content before exposing yourself to the temptation). Sometimes fleeing temptation means removing myself electronically from compromising situations. I flee temptation when I install software to prevent viewing pornography on my computer. Sometimes fleeing temptation means taking steps so I won’t find myself in a temptation-infested situation. If I am prone to gossip with a certain friend, for example, I might make sure that another Christian joins my conversations with that friend as a kind of “conversation chaperone.” Or if I am tempted to spend too much time on my hobby, then fleeing temptation might involve limiting myself to one golf outing or one garage sale safari every month.
William Bridge (another Brooks peer) suggested one way to flee temptation: deliberately engage your mind and body in some wholesome and God-pleasing activity when temptation strikes. “The way to avoid temptation is not always to apply a salve directly pertinent to the temptation,” said Bridge, “but turn off your mind and your thoughts to some other good obiect, and by that time your mind is settled upon other objects, you will be easily able to meet with the temptation.” Scottish pastor Thomas Chalmers called this “the expulsive power of the new affection.” Surely this is an example of disciplining yourself for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7).
Note well the critical point here: fleeing temptation means we must take action, sometimes preemptive action. We must regard sin as sufficiently serious to warrant serious sin-avoidance measures.
For Brooks and his peers, fleeing temptation meant fleeing things that looked like sin, could develop into sin, or dulled one’s sense of moral outrage against sin. They understood 1 Thessalonians 5:22 as instruction to avoid even things that appeared to be evil. “We must not only hate and avoid gross sins,” said Brooks, “but everything that may carry a savour or suspicion of sin.” Some may regard this radical determination to “shun sinful occasions” (as Brooks called it) as extreme, but Christians in Brooks’ generation believed it to be only common sense. As Brooks put it, “He that would not be burned, must dread the fire.”
Previous posts in this series:
- Peaking Into the Devil’s Playbook
- Satan’s Strategy #1: Bait and Hook
- Satan’s Strategy #2: Sin That Seems Virtuous
- Satan’s Strategy #3: Downplay the Danger
- Satan’s Strategy #4: Great Men Sin
- Satan’s Strategy #5: God Doesn’t Judge
- Satan’s Strategy #6: Just Say Sorry
This article originally appeared here.
