“Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?” (Proverbs 6:27–28 nlt)
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by fire. This fascination prompted me to do some stupid things, like taking little green army men and lighting their plastic rifles on fire so that I could watch them melt into little green puddles. Once, however, I was doing this on a piece of newspaper, which also caught on fire. So, I grabbed the newspaper with the burning green army men and threw it all into a wastebasket. The wastebasket, unfortunately, was made of bamboo, and it, too, was set ablaze. Thankfully, I was able to put out the fire.
That is how sin works. It starts small, and then it grows out of control. That’s what the author of Proverbs 6 was talking about when he wrote, “Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?” (verses 27–28 nlt).
Samson learned that lesson the hard way. He thought he could handle sin. He thought he could keep playing the game. But the devil knows how to package his wares. He knows how to sell his stuff. The devil sized up Samson and figured out that he was a he-man with a she weakness. He couldn’t bring Samson down on the battlefield, so he brought him down in the bedroom. And he found a willing accomplice in Samson, who thought he could handle it.
Temptation comes in attractive packages, but for temptation to succeed, we must be willing participants. For temptation to work, there must be desire on our part. James 1:14–15 says, “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death” (nlt).
For the devil to succeed, we must listen to him, yield to him, and desire what he is offering. The devil can throw anything at us. He offers different kinds of bait. But it isn’t the bait that constitutes sin. It’s the bite.
That’s why Jesus warned, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matthew 26:41 nlt). It’s why Paul wrote, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:12–13 nlt). It’s why James advised, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 nlt).
Temptation can get the better of us only if we choose to play with spiritual fire.
Reflection question: How can you thwart temptation in your life?
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Greg Laurie is the pastor and founder of the Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and of Harvest Crusades. He is an evangelist, best-selling author, and movie producer. His latest film ‘Jesus Revolution,’ from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, is now available on-demand worldwide.
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