How To Handle When Temptation Calls

In summary of Proverbs 14:16 it says, "A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless.”

Bottom Line:

A wise person will turn away from evil and not get close to it.  A fool will be reckless, not give thought or be confident that he could handle it.

What this means to me:

If I’m wise and sensible, I will avoid danger and turn away from evil.  I’d be careful to stay out of trouble.  If I’m foolish, or even stupid, I would be arrogant or overconfident, plunging ahead with a reckless confidence.  So, if I don’t want to get stung, I would stay away from bees or hornets. If I don’t want to get burned, I would not get close to the fire.  If I don’t want to fall off of a cliff, I wouldn’t hang out on the ledge.  The same thing is true with temptation.  The goal would be to not see how close you can get to temptation, but rather figure out how far away from it you can stay.  This passage in Proverbs 14:16 says, "A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless” (NASB). A fool will think he can handle temptation, but who is he kidding? I need to have a frank assessment. I need to analyze when and where I am most tempted and vulnerable. Then, I need to simply stay away from those situations as much as possible.  God’s word tells me to run from temptation, Psalm 119:59, “I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws” (Psalm 119:59 NLT).  Its often best to physically remove myself from the situation as Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife tempted him. He quickly left his coat and split.  Just like Joseph, there will be times that I need to leave my coat and get out of the situation. I need to quickly run from it and not stick around. When tempted, get up and change the channel. Do something to break the spell or refocus my attention.  It is not wise to ever argue with the enemy.  He's had thousands of years to think up lines to counter anything I could come up with. Don't rationalize it. Don't justify it. Don't argue it. The key is to break the focus.  The more you fight a feeling, the more it will grow in intensity. So in summary, When temptation calls on the phone, I won’t try to argue. I’ll just drop the receiver, and go do something else.