Any time a person is going to enter battle or take the field against an opponent, he develops a game plan. Christians entering the battlefield of life should be no different. From the moment we wake up until the time we go to bed, we are at war. Our war is with the temptation to sin. For most of us this battle with sin is hard because of all the temptations we face.

Joseph was a young man who faced the same temptation day after day (Gen. 39:10), yet he didn’t succumb to it even when he had the perfect opportunity. He had a game plan in advance. Notice what Joseph did to help him resist the temptation before him.

1. He Remembered (Gen. 39:9). As Potiphar’s wife was standing there tempting him to sin, Joseph stated how wrong this act would be to God. I have to think we would be less likely to sin if before we gave in to the temptation we reminded ourselves how wicked the act is in the eyes of God.
2. He Realized (Gen. 39:8-9). While some people might have tried to justify giving in, Joseph did not. He understood there would be consequences because she was the wife of another man. He simply had too much to lose. One of the best ways to overcome temptation is to understand when we give in to the temptation and sin, there will always be consequences.
3. He Refused (Gen. 39:8). Instead of giving Potiphar’s wife what she wanted, he refused her advances each time. If we’re going to overcome the temptations which face us, we’re going to have to make up our minds ahead of time to refuse the temptation.
4. He Ran (Gen. 39:11-12). When Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph and demanded he sleep with her, Joseph understood his refusal was no longer enough and ran. He ran out of the house and away from the temptation. If we want to resist the temptations we face, run away from the people, places and things that tempt you to sin.

To overcome the war with sin, we’re going to need a game plan like Joseph. We must prepare well in advance or it will be too late. May God bless us with the wisdom to develop a game plan for resisting temptation.

Now that’s Something to Think About!