We have been discussing the responsibility of godly men to maintain moral purity. Although there are several areas in which Satan can tempt a man to fall, it is in the realm of sexual sin that seems to be his primary target. A major reason for Satan’s interest in this area is found in the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:18-19, Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; This is a foundational theological truth. God’s Holy Spirit lives within each of us who have received the gift of salvation. Therefore, if we engage in sexual sin, we take God right into the situation with us. From Satan’s perspective, this is the best way to dishonor the holiness of God.
Satan also attacks here because he understands our vulnerability. Men are often sexually motivated. Again, this is not sin, in fact it is how God made us. We are instructed to multiply the earth and a strong sex drive assists us in fulfilling that role. It is the abuse of this drive that Satan is drawing us to.
We have started our discussion with steps we can take to avoid falling into the temptation. This week will be a transition and next week we will move more aggressively with those who find themselves already in the depths of the problem.
Before we go there, I want to discuss how it can happen to us and what to do to avoid disaster. It is understood that one doesn’t jump from moral purity directly into an extra marital affair, sexual addiction, porn addiction, or other issues. It happens one step at a time. This is the reason it is so important for us to not just recognize the tricks of Satan, but also understand what our role needs to be if we find we have stepped too far into trouble.
Look at this scenario. You are working on the computer and an add pops up for a questionable site. In a weak moment, you think, “What could it hurt to just look around for a minute?” Before you know it, you’ve spent time there and found pleasure in it. There are now several messages that Satan will send you. “You got away with it this time, you can do it again.” “You don’t have any negative affects from the experience, it can’t be that bad.” “Everybody looks at this stuff, why should you be different?” And the list goes on. These lies are easy to believe. Unfortunately, the next time leads to the next time and the next. It’s not far from an addiction. The key is to stop in before it goes further.
Another lie of Satan is that if I disappoint God, he walks away. The truth is just the opposite. It is when we stray that God pursues us with more vigor. Therefore we often feal discomfort in our sin. We call this the conviction of God’s Spirit, and it is very purposeful. It is God’s way of telling us that our failure can be forgiven and forgotten, and we can have a fresh start. The Apostle John reminds of this truth in 2 John 1:9,If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Our part is simple, we simply agree that our action was sinful and ask for forgiveness. It is then that God takes over an does the amazing. He forgives and forgets and makes us blameless in his sight. We are cleansed of the unrighteousness.
This restoration of our right standing before God allows us to put our failure behind us and get off the path of destruction Satan intended. We are set free, and God is honored.