1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”  NKJV

I had a person tell me, “It just happened and there was nothing I could do about it” in reference to a failure in their life.  If that statement is true then the passage above is a lie and the Word of God is not a lie.  We do get “caught” in faults, situations, and circumstances but they DO NOT just happen.  I would suggest that usually we have opened the door and failed to look for and receive the “way of escape” God has provided.  It really doesn’t matter what the temptation is, there is a way out if we will stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not allow the devil to inundate us with justifications that seek to excuse our behavior.

Will we tell God that it “just happened” and we were totally caught off guard without a way out?  I don’t think we’d dare attempt that justification or excuse because we know better. If we fail to heed the warning signs of the Spirit and the flesh we open ourselves to failure on any and every front in our lives.  I had a woman tell me once about her infidelity, “He said such good things and cared about me unlike my husband and it just happened.”  NO IT DID NOT.  You opened the door.  You entertained the flattery and began to enjoy the attention and allowed your guard to be lowered.  I have no doubt that God was continually giving you warning signs and offering you ways out but you were enjoying the attention too much and the flesh was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

We do not just “FALL INTO TEMPTATION” we walk into it.  If we allow the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life override the pricks of the Holy Spirit we become subject to succumbing to temptation.  When we “fall” it was not totally unexpected but we kept moving nearer and nearer to the edge and finally could no longer maintain our spiritual balance and over the edge we went.  But, never doubt there was a way out, a path of escape because that is God’s promise and God never lies.

I cannot emphasize the importance of the biblical directive of Paul in the next verse, “…flee idolatry” and the other biblical warnings to “resist the devil” and to “shun the very appearance of evil.”  We talk ourselves into failure because of circumstances, situations, disappointments, and sometimes simply through flattery.  I have had preachers tell me, “Well, there is no harm in harmless flirting.”  Seriously?  Harmless flirting?  What is that?  Remember it is the “little foxes that spoil the vine”.  If you continue to sow seeds to the flesh and ego, one day you will find the harvest comes in and you won’t like the result.  It is one thing to be friendly it is quite another to flirt which often subconsciously entertains something beyond the harmless.  I have witnessed very bad situations develop as a result of “harmless flirting” that in a moment of weakness, disappointment, and even anger over a situation.  If that door had not been opened the opportunity would not have presented itself and the fall into temptation would not have been a possibility.

God is faithful and He expects faithfulness from us.  The good news is, “if we sin we have an advocate with the Father.”  Never, justify a failure or indirectly blame God for not warning you of the danger because He has promised to provide “a way of escape.” 

            God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Him.