Choices

We speak of people “falling into sin,” but that is not true. The Bible says we are tempted when we are drawn away of our own lust. It is not a sudden act with no premeditation; it is a series of choices.

Before a person succumbs to temptation he begins to draw away from God. He chooses to let a few questionable things slip into his life. Then he chooses to quit reading his Bible and praying regularly. Soon he is making choices without even considering what God has to say.

God promises that He is everything we need, but the enemy is subtle and tricky and knows how to gradually woo us away from God and toward the sin of trying to derive love, acceptance, and happiness, or trying to solve our problems by trusting in something or someone else besides God.

I want you to see that becoming entangled in sin is a gradual process, and it is by choice. We make choices daily as to what to do in various situations. Will we solve our problems and meet our needs the world’s way or God’s way? Anytime we are tempted to draw away from God and toward anything else that would take the place of God in our lives, it is sin.

The key to victory is to use God’s way to escape temptation: the Word of God—that’s what Jesus used during His temptation; praying (in the Spirit); standing (protected by the armor of God), resisting and being vigilant (steadfast in the faith), and by not giving the devil a foot in the door in the first place. Forsaking the Word of God and prayer seem to be the first steps to becoming vulnerable to temptation.

If we are watchful we can recognize what is happening when someone or some situation is tempting us to draw us away from God, and we can choose the pathway of escape. The power of the temptation will be broken and the urge or urgency to follow our desire will leave. However, the more we choose to dally with it, the easier it becomes to get entangled, and the harder it is to escape it. That is when we “fall” into sin.

“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. then said Jesus unto the twelve, will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go, thou hast the words of eternal life.” John 6:66-68. I have seen too many people tempted away from God and never return, only to live wasted lives. Don’t let that happen to you. Choose God.

Scriptures to Ponder:

James 1:13-17; 1 John 2:16; Matthew 1:4; Ephesians 6:18;

1 Peter 5:8,9; Ephesians 6:13; James 4:7