Bible verses about fleeing temptation

Joseph ran

Genesis 39 tells how Joseph, a servant in a powerful man's house, was pressed day after day by his master's wife. He refused, saying how could he do this great wickedness and sin against God. Then one day she caught him by his garment, and he left the garment in her hand, fled, and went outside.

Notice that he did not stand and debate. He had already decided, and when the moment came, he got out of the room. Sometimes the strongest thing available is to leave.

• Decide now where you will go when it gets loud, so you do not decide in the moment.

The word to the Corinthians

Paul uses the same verb in 1 Corinthians 6: flee sexual immorality. Every other sin, he says, is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. A few chapters later he says that anyone who thinks he stands should be careful lest he fall, and that the believer should flee from idolatry.

The two warnings fit together. Paul does not tell the Corinthians to try harder at standing. He tells them to run, and to be humble about how easily they could fall.

See it coming

Proverbs 22:3 says the prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple pass on and suffer for it. Proverbs 4 says do not enter the path of the wicked, avoid it, do not go on it, turn away from it and pass by. The wisdom here is to step off the road early, not to see how close you can get.

Proverbs 5 is a father's warning to his son about adultery: remove your way far from her, and do not come near the door of her house. The same logic applies to whatever your door is. It might be a late night with a screen or a certain app. Going far from it is cheaper than resisting at the threshold.

• Name the door: a place, an hour, an app, a mood. Put distance there first.

Run toward something

Timothy is told to flee and also to pursue. In 1 Timothy 6 Paul tells him again: flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and gentleness, and fight the good fight of faith. Running away with nowhere to go leaves a gap, and it tends to get filled.

So have a place to run to: a friend you can call, a walk, a prayer, a verse. The aim is not just to stop, but to turn toward something that is better for you.

He knows what it is like

Hebrews 2 says that because Jesus himself suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. Matthew 6 includes in the Lord's Prayer a request that fits all of this: bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

You are not asked to run on your own strength alone. Ask for help first, then move your feet.

• When it starts, pray the one line from Matthew 6, then leave the room.

A prayer to say with these verses

Lord, I know my weak places. Help me to see the danger early and to leave when it comes. Give me somewhere better to run, and people to run to. You know what temptation is like, so be my help now. Amen.