It’s common sense that if you don’t want to get stung, stay away from the bees! If you don’t want to get burned, don’t get close to the fire! If you don’t want to fall off the cliff, don’t hang off the ledge!

The goal is not to see how close you can get to temptation but rather how far away from it you can stay.

Proverbs 14:16 says, “A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless” (NASB). Pastor, you might think you can handle temptation, but who are we kidding? You need to do a frank assessment. You need to analyze when and where you are most tempted and vulnerable. Then you need to stay away from those situations as much as you can.

The Bible says to run from temptation: “I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws” (Psalm 119:59 NLT). If you have to physically remove yourself from tempting situations, do it! When Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph, he left his coat and ran away. Sometimes you may have to leave your coat. Get out of the situation. Run from it. Don’t stick around.

When you’re tempted, get up and change the situation you’re in—change the TV channel, turn on the music, go for a walk, read the Bible, or call a fellow pastor. Do something to break the spell.

Here is some practical advice: Don’t ever try to argue with the Devil. You’ll lose every time. He’s had thousands of years to think up lines to counter anything you could come up with. Don’t rationalize it. Don’t justify it. Don’t argue about it. The key thing to do is break the focus on the temptation. The more you fight a feeling, the more it grows in intensity.

When temptation calls you on the phone, don’t try to argue. Just hang up, and go do something else.