Casandra Martin

You would think I would learn. Temptation doesn’t come with a big neon sign announcing that sin is just around the corner. It sneaks in, catching us when we are vulnerable and wounding without warning.

I watch other people flirt with temptation and can see exactly where it is going to lead. I want to shout that destruction is in front them. I shake my head at how blind they seem to the chasm of darkness that is only steps away. When I try to warn them, they nod their heads, but somehow think that their story will turn out differently.

But I am the same way. I think that I can play with fire and not get burned. I convince myself that I can dabble in darkness and it won’t cast a shadow over my soul. Temptation strikes, and I let my desires, my desperation, or my defining sense of entitlement set my path. And I end up getting scorched.

Proverbs 6:27 says, “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?”

Playing with fire always has consequences. When I try to carry even a little bit of evil next to my heart, it will sear its mark into my being. I will never be an exception to this rule, no matter what justifications or rationalizations I come up with. I can’t outsmart sin.

My Jesus Resolution today is to fight fire with fire. Temptation promises that I can control the fires of sin. Use it. Make it your own. No one will know. You can handle it. The truth of God’s Word reveals temptations’ lies. My only hope is found within the character of God Himself. “For our God is a consuming fire.” – Hebrews 12:29. The light of His presence can push back the darkness. The fire of His holiness can consume my impurity. The radiance of His glory can transform my heart. Holy fire provides my best defense when the flicker of sin tempts me to play with fire.