August 19, 2023

I Timothy 6: 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (NIV)

The devil gets into the garden wherever the fence is the lowest.*

In this passage, Paul is admonishing Timothy to flee from the particular dangers of the love of money, but his counsel is applicable to any temptation. Students of Paul’s letters will note the usual pattern of his advice: stop doing the bad thing; start doing the good thing. 

Jesus illustrated this principle in a lesson we find in Matthew 12: 43-45. He told of how an evil spirit might return with a vengeance when it leaves a man if it comes back and finds the “house” swept clean, put back in order – and vacant. It isn’t enough, says Paul, that Timothy should flee from the temptations and traps involved in one’s pursuit of riches; instead, he says, replace it with the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Don’t leave room for the bad stuff to come back to roost!

Are you trying to overcome a particular temptation? Do you have a signature sin that you are struggling with? Don’t just quit, avoid, flee, resist. Abandoning the negative behavior leaves a vacuum that begs to be refilled. Look for new, good habits to replace the old. Find an accountability partner. Go to church. Get involved in activities that promote the opposite of your old way of life. Adopt the godly qualities Paul has listed here – not with your own strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When tempted, look. Look for the way out. Taking the way out leads to victorious living.*