Let Us Not Fall Into Temptation

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. With me in charge” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. – Genesis 39:7-10

We’ve all experienced some level of success in one form or another – something that we did or a situation that we handled well. Those that are familiar with the flip side of success called defeat will always be quick to give all the glory to God for any triumphs they experience. Others who fall into the trap of thinking that all they’ve achieved they have done in their own strength will often fall into the temptation that is sure to come shortly after. They forget that it is God who has brought them the success they are experiencing. They begin to take God for granted.

I have learnt that a great time of success is always followed by a lure of temptation. Great success often makes us more open and vulnerable. We spend less time with God, go to church less often and spend less time with godly people. As soon as things are going well, we often get comfortable and develop a lackadaisical attitude. In truth, we are to be more vigilant when we have been victorious over a situation in our lives. Temptation often comes after we have enjoyed periods of success and our guards are down.

This is exemplified in the above scripture with Joseph. Joseph was successful and blessed. Everything was going well and he couldn’t have wished for much more. Then temptation arrives in the form of his master’s wife. What is a man to do? He was young and he was virile. The Bible tells us that Potiphar’s wife came after him day after day trying to get him to do the unthinkable. I am sure Joseph was tempted but he knew that even if no-one saw, God was always watching. Even though he must have been tempted, Joseph understood that being tempted is not the issue – the problem is succumbing to the temptation so he fled. He fled because he understood that there will be dire consequences to pay if he fell for Potiphar’s wife and her scheme.

Fleeing from temptation is always the best decision. The Bible tells us to resist the Devil and he will flee from us. Walking with God does not make us immune to temptation. Even Jesus Christ was faced with temptation until He went to the Cross. We will all be tempted at one point or another in our lives and the fact that we are often tempted does not make us sinners. It’s how we deal with the temptation that will determine the difference between victory and defeat in our lives. Temptations are not sins; they are a call to battle in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ.

Every time you are faced with temptation, ask yourself a few questions:

• What will Jesus do if He was in the same situation?
• How will my falling for this temptation make my Heavenly Father feel?
• Is this simply a test from God to see if I am ready for the next level of victory in my life?
• Is this Satan’s cunning method of getting me to stumble?
• What do I have to lose if I choose to act differently and walk away from this temptation?
• What can I learn from this specific temptation?