In the sport of boxing, it is just as essential to guard yourself against your opponent’s punches as it is to punch them. Every good coach will tell you, “Don’t let your guard down.” The minute you drop your gloves opens your face to being hit. Christians have to be just as vigilant in keeping their guard up when it comes to temptation. As soon as you let your guard down, Satan will pound you with opportunities to sin.
Job 31:1
“I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?”
A Moment of Indulgence
Job wrote this at the end of his trials. Notice his resolve. With all that he has lost and endured, he didn’t let his guard down. He is not giving himself any room to sin even though he has been through so much. I’ve seen this happen a thousand times. Someone goes through a trying period in their life, and they remain faithful to God and persevere but then as it gets towards the end, and things start to look up, they let their guard down and give in to a moment of self-indulgence. Job resolves that he won’t give in to the temptation to look at another woman.
No One is Immune
Sexual sin is one of the most difficult because it comes at you from different angles. There is the obvious temptation of looking at porn on the internet, but it goes way beyond that. It could be a warm spring day, and a young woman is dressed provocatively crosses your path, and it sends your mind off on thoughts that are not pure. It could also start as simple flirting in the office but devolve into an affair. No one is immune to the draw of this kind of temptation.
Don’t let your guard down
The key is to guard your eyes and your mind. You can’t protect your eyes from everything that crosses your path, but you can make sure that the thoughts in your mind don’t get out of control. The Apostle Paul tells us to take every thought captive. That means an impure thought may come in, but you nip it in the bud before it grows out of control. You do that by recognizing it is wrong, asking God to help you, and then refocusing your mind on things above. Don’t let your guard down.