Brother… today we’re exposing one of the biggest lies the enemy has ever fed men of God: the idea that “real strength” means standing toe-to-toe with temptation. As if holiness means proving how close you can get to the edge without falling.

But God never asked you to fight temptation.He asked you to flee it.Not negotiate with it.Not test your strength against it.Not reason with it or “manage” it.Just flee.

Fleeing doesn’t make you weak — it makes you wise.It’s not cowardice — it’s clarity.It’s not passivity — it’s spiritual intelligence.

Let’s break this wide open.

📜 OUR SPRINGBOARD FOR TODAY’S DISCUSSION IS:

1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)“Flee from sexual immorality…”

📖 TEACHING

When Scripture talks about temptation — especially sexual temptation — God doesn’t tell you to face it. He tells you to run. That is not a suggestion. It’s not a gentle encouragement. It is a divine command because God knows something we don’t like to admit:

You cannot out-muscle your flesh.You can only outrun it.

Temptation grows stronger the longer you stand in its presence.The longer you linger, the louder it becomes.The more you entertain it, the more it entangles you.

We fall most often not because the temptation is strong…but because we are slow to flee.

Joseph didn’t stand and negotiate with Potiphar’s wife.He didn’t pray a long prayer.He didn’t quote seven scriptures.He ran — leaving his cloak behind if he had to — because purity was worth more than reputation, comfort, or explanation.

Holiness sometimes looks like sprinting.Sometimes it looks like blocking a number.Sometimes it looks like logging off.Sometimes it looks like leaving the room.Sometimes it looks like saying “Nope, not today.”

But every time it looks like this one truth:Get out before your flesh talks you into staying.

🧍‍♂️ PERSONAL STORY

Brother, fleeing temptation isn’t something I learned from a sermon… it’s something I learned from the wreckage of trying to handle things myself.

There were seasons when I thought I could “manage” certain temptations. I thought I was strong enough. I thought my willpower was enough. I thought maturity meant being able to be around temptation without falling into it.

But here’s the truth God exposed in me:When you stop fleeing, you start falling — even if the fall takes time.

My temptation wasn’t sexual… mine was anger. Pride. Control. The desire to win the moment. And the enemy doesn’t care which temptation he uses — he just wants a foothold.

Every time I “stayed in the room” emotionally… every time I let myself get close to the edge… every time I didn’t step away when the Spirit nudged me… I fell into patterns that wounded people I loved.

And then came the whisper — the whisper that rescued me:

“Matthew… flee. Don’t fight this. Get out of the moment before it becomes sin.”

That whisper has saved me more times than I can count.

I’ve watched Michelle practice the same wisdom — in her case, fleeing anxiety-triggering conversations, fleeing environments that stirred old wounds, fleeing situations that threatened her peace. She isn’t weak. She’s wise. The Spirit taught her to run from anything that could pull her back into chains God already broke.

Sometimes holiness sounds like footsteps.Leaving. Walking away. Turning off. Turning around.

And God calls that obedience.

💪 LIVING APPLICATION

Brother, temptation doesn’t care how strong you think you are. It only cares how long you stay.If you want victory, don’t wait for the battle.Leave the battlefield entirely.

Temptation loses every time you refuse to give it an audience.

🙏 PRAYER

Father, give me the wisdom to flee before temptation gets close. Strengthen my discernment. Sharpen my awareness. Help me run quickly, boldly, and without hesitation when something threatens my purity. Make me a man who values holiness above pride. In Jesus’ name — amen.

⚡ Let’s Get To Work.

My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe