Give The Flesh No Opportunity
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” - Romans 13:14
God desires to guide us throughout each day we live, but much of what a believer is to do in each coming day is based on wisdom. God teaches us many lessons as we grow in our Christian life. These lessons are His wisdom to us and we need to remember them.
REMEMBER THE BASICS!
People scale the cliffs of Yosemite all year long. One wall they climb is the world famous massive 3000 foot sheer granite face called El Capitan. The climbers sleep in hammocks bolted to rock often over a thousand feet above the valley floor.
You can see their motionless lights at night high above the valley below as they eat and read comfied up in their sleeping bags hanging in mid-air. No thanks for me. I love the ground, alot!
Imagine I am a world-famous climber and I’m going to have you go climbing with me. We’re going to attempt to scale all the way to the tip top of El Capitan. (Fun?) You can be sure that I’d teach you many things before we ever started our climb!
As we’d begin our ascent, I’d undoubtedly review what I taught you a whole bunch and pack in still more lessons. We’re roped to each other. If you fall, I might fall. You can bet I’d be earnest in my teaching!
While we continue up the face, I’d teach you more advanced lessons for new difficulties we’d encounter. Occasionally I’d review the basics, but after a while I’d expect you to remember. But, you might not be too smart. You might forget the easiest first lessons and AHHHHHH off you’d go tumbling toward the earth. Hopefully the rope would catch you so you wouldn’t drag us both off. Back on the cliff, I’d strongly emphasize “REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LESSONS!”
DON’T ENTER TEMPTING SITUATIONS…
Today’s verse is about the basics—like the elementary basics we’d use in climbing El Capitan. When the Bible talks about “making no provision of the flesh,” it means don’t put yourself into situations where you’ll be tempted. Your flesh, your “old self,” loves to sin. Everyone’s does. YOUR flesh could sin all day and not get tired a bit! Shocking, huh?
Much victory over our flesh comes from not giving it opportunities.
Psalms 101:3 says, “I will set no worthless things before my eyes.” Do you set worthless things before your eyes? Do you watch bad movies or look at inappropriate magazines? How about your music? Do you listen to music that God wouldn’t be pleased with? Do you have relationships that God wouldn’t want you to have? All these can be making provision for the flesh in a big way. If we make provision for the flesh and sin, it leaves us feeling empty and far from God and in need of another “fix.”
Making no provision for the flesh also involves not going where you know you shouldn’t. Don’t be with people who you know drag you down. Rather be alone. Seek God for what will help your Christian life rather than doing what will hinder it. The Holy Spirit can’t guide you this week in all that He wants if you ignore the basics.
LIQUOR STORE WHOOPS…AND BETTER RESOLVES
Not long ago I was on a nice outing with my family and needed directions when I spotted a liquor store. I know not to go into liquor stores because they often have improper magazines all over the place. But, I rationalized and convinced myself, “Oh I won’t see anything. I’ll get my directions and leave.”
Not so. I walked in and immediately to the side I saw a huge three-foot by three-foot ungodly poster. Good grief!
I groaned as I got back into the car with my family. I knew better. But, I gave my flesh an opportunity. As we drove away, I felt how the picture had polluted me and taken away my joy. I asked God’s forgiveness and struggled to ignore my memory of it. After a while I felt close to God and my family again, but it would have been much easier to pay attention to God’s previous lesson for me.
You want your relationship with God to be strong, don’t you? Don’t you love the happiness, the peace, the love, and the miracles that come from walking close to Him? Don’t you love to be God’s blessing to others? The hope of the righteous is gladness (Proverbs 10:28)–godly joy. Seek to please God and all the rest will be rolled in. Deeply resolve not to make no opportunity for my flesh.
Maybe you’ve made some mistakes like everyone has. Maybe you’ve gone way downhill in just a few weeks or months. You might want to honestly talk to some older Christian friends about it. Don’t be afraid to be honest with someone else. James 5:16 says to “Confess your sins to each other.” It’s good for us to admit how we fail in proper contexts. This builds meaningful Christian friendships rather than pretense—where everyone acts like everything is perfect and it isn’t. Then, follow up with some decisions that strive to live by wiser guidelines. You’ll find your Christian life will grow much stronger if you do. And you’ll be much happier (see Hebrews 1: 9).
GODLY JOY IS DELICATE…IN ONE SENSE
One more thing. Remember that fresh, new, godly joy is delicate. If we entertain ungodly thoughts in our minds, it evaporates. We can smile outside, but the closeness to the Lord is gone inside. We need to turn from evil and fill our minds with good things like meditating on Scripture, praying for others, thankfulness, and seeking God for His ways for us to love others. We need to be about our Father’s business. When we do this, God fills our heart and He moves in our days.
A big key, though, is to remember to give your flesh no opportunity. Do all you can to avoid all the evil influences you can, and then God will give you abundant grace for what takes you by surprise. Walk as a child of the light each hour of the day, and you’ll be an example of Proverbs 29:6, “The righteous sings and rejoices.” You’ll see God be increasingly powerful and joyful in your life! (Ephesians 5:8, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Ephesians 1:19).
