Romans 13:13-14 – Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

THEME OF THE DAY: ALLOW NOT A SINGLE CRACK. It doesn’t take much. Whether it is trying to keep a room cool or warm, just crack open a window a little and it won’t be long till the impact is felt. Whether it’s the blast furnace feel on a humid night in August or a bone-chilling wind on a frigid January evening, if we leave just a little opening in a window, its purpose of keeping things out has been compromised and in come the results.

The same applies in our spiritual lives when it comes to dealing with temptation and sin. It doesn’t take much. One click of a mouse on a website, one channel up on a remote, one alluring advertisement of the next new gadget, one glance at another’s good fortune or situation, whatever the temptation may be, give into its first nudge on the heart, and the battle is lost. And remember, no sin just happens. Sin doesn’t all of a sudden put us in a spiritual chokehold. Sin doesn’t work that way. It’s too subtle and smart. It’s too deceiving and calculating. Sin sits on the sidelines and lets temptation do the hard and dirty work. Sin lets temptation work on our weak flesh, our drifting hearts, and our minds easily swayed by the world and then acts. Sin just kicks back, lurking in the shadows and once our resistance is worn down and temptation has gotten us, sin rushes in and takes over. The results are always painful, disastrous, and lead to nothing but guilt, sorrow, regret, and possibly, life altering consequences. And there is only one way to prevent sin from wrecking our lives and possibly the lives around us. Attack the temptation first and we do that by following the instruction given by the Apostle Paul in today’s scripture.

In Romans 13:14, we are told to do two things if we want to avoid sin and enjoy our walk with the Lord. First, we are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. The words “put on” is language of clothing, like putting on a coat on a chilly morning. It is deliberate and suited for the occasion. In the spiritual realm, it means “clothing ourselves with the mind of Christ” to prepare us for the onslaught of temptations that will come our way. How do we do that? A couple of ways. First, prayer. I would suggest starting each day of the week praying through Ephesians 6:10-18 by consciously asking the Lord to put on His armor for the fights which will occur throughout the day. As the old hymn reads, “Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer.” This is one of the best and most important disciplines to learn in the Christian life if we want to defeat temptation before it defeats us and gives way to sin. Another way of putting on Christ is learn to live consciously in His Presence. Here is the call to be a theologian. Let the attributes of Christ especially His omniscience (always present by His Spirit) be a guide throughout the day. If we remember He is always with us and in us, we will be well-prepared to say “no” to temptation at its first rising.

A second thing the Apostle Paul tells us to do in order to defeat temptation and sin is “make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.” Notice the completeness of this command – no provision. That means we cannot choose entertainment and recreation that is “not that bad.” It is either going to please the Lord or not. That is the only criteria in dealing with entertainment and the choices we make in music, movies, and television put before our eyes. But there is something else in Paul’s statement. It also means “don’t put yourself in a place that feeds temptations.” Whatever area of weakness we may have, don’t go or put ourselves in that position to feed the weakness. It will only fuel temptation and sin will soon follow. And it only takes a little crack. Keep the “window” of our hearts closed to keep out any temptation which may seek entrance. That is the first place to defeat all sin.

PRAYER: “Father, please help me to remain sensitive to all sin and especially the temptations leading up to it.”

QUOTE: “Open the door just a little to temptation and it will barge in and bring destructive sin with it”.