It is much easier to fall into temptation if you are right next to it. 

·       If you make a plan to follow through on your desires, it becomes more and more difficult to stop that process. 

·       On the other hand, if you make a plan to avoid temptation, then is becomes harder and harder for you to be tempted.

Consider when Eve was tempted by the serpent.  God had forbidden her to taste of the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  

As she considered whether or not she would ignore God’s commands, she move closer to the tree.  When Eve was standing in front of the tree about ready to reach for the fruit, she could have stopped, but it was going to be tough to hit the brakes at this point.  She had intentionally put things in motion so that she could follow through on her sinful desire.

The only thing left for her to do was to actually give in to the temptation and she was just inches from sin at that point.  It is much easier to fall into temptation if you are right next to it and it is much easier to avoid temptation if you keep your distance!

James 1:15 says, “15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

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Mark Stafford

Senior Pastor