Resisting Temptation

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

Everyone faces temptation each and every day. Christians and non-Christians come across situations where their morals are tested, their standards are pushed and their character evaluated by a temptation in life. I thought we might learn something from the account of how Joseph successfully avoided sinning in a temptation he was exposed when in Egypt.

 

The story up to this point is that Joseph was disliked by his brothers and so was sold into slavery. He arrived in Egypt and through God’s providence ended up being placed in charge of Potiphar’s household who was an official of Pharaoh. This was a very prestigious position involving great responsibility. Read the following passage for the background of the story to come.

 

Genesis 39:1-6a

“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.”

 

With powerful positions come powerful temptations at times. Let’s see how Joseph’s temptation manifests itself and how he handles it.

 

Temptations Can Be Subtle

 

Genesis 6b-7a

“Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph…”

 

Joseph could not help how God had blessed him with good looks. But Potiphar’s wife was tempted herself by her own evil heart. Often temptations we face originate from the temptations others have and this was the case with Joseph. Potiphar’s wife “took notice” of Joseph. This does not mean she briefly saw him and left it at that. She processed her look and probably took a second, third and possibly additional looks. These were not looks of simple awareness, they progressed from noticing Joseph to imaginative expressions of how to fulfill the evil desires of her heart. Matthew 6:22-23 has something to say about this. Matthew 6:22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light. But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you your conscience is darkened, how dense is that darkness!”

 

The point of this verse is that the eye is directed by the heart, mind and soul of a person and so if your conscience is darkened by evil and sin, your eyes will reflect this in what they view and how they process what is seen. Potiphar’s wife had an evil eye which therefore revealed her evil heart. It’s very likely Joseph was aware of her subtle stares. You often know when someone is checking you out from afar. He probably picked up on cues from her inappropriate advances way before she propositioned him which we will see in the next portion of scripture.

 

Temptation Can be Striking

Therefore Resistance Must be Decisive and Principled

 

Genesis 39:6-9

“Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he refused. ‘With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’”

 

Here we see Potiphar’s wife make her evil strike of temptation. She has dwelled upon her lust for Joseph and now in a bold proposition is asking Joseph to go to bed with her. Such a brazen request is a frontal assault on Joseph’s integrity and faith. This might appear shocking to some degree, but she was in a powerful position and had everything she wanted and now she wanted Joseph. In today’s world of I-want-to-have-it-now mentality Potiphar’s wife would fit in nicely. When temptation is thrown in your face so boldly your response must be just as bold and calculated. Joseph throws back his refusal and wisely justifies his denial for two reasons. First he states that Potiphar has entrusted him with everything in the house and this means leaving his wife alone. Secondly and more importantly, Joseph states that this would be a wicked thing to do and it would be a sin against God.

 

We need to remember what Joseph has brought to our attention. Temptations are opportunities to sin and if you give in to them you sin not only against yourself and others but also God. Many people think as long as no one else is involved except themselves it doesn’t matter. Others feel if it is a mutual sin among consenting adults it doesn’t matter. But when you sin, by yourself or with another person, sin is always a sin against God.

 

Temptation Can Be Sustained

Therefore Resistance Must be Unyielding

 

Genesis 39:10

“And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.”

 

Whether temptation is from within or without, it usually persists until it is given free reign or is killed. Here we see Potiphar’s wife sustain her continuous tempting requests. Such persistent hammerings on the morals of a godly person are an attempt to wear them down. Joseph stood his ground though. We must be aware of this as followers of Christ. Sometimes we can fall into a fleshly pride because we have withstood a temptation only to find out how weak we are later when we eventually succumb to the temptation and then sin. Constant pounding on the door of our heart, mind or soul to give in to a temptation can cause us to lower our standards and choose to sin. When we do this we not only settle for second best, we compromise our witness as a follower of Christ. It is also true that once we fail to withstand one temptation, there are several other related ones waiting to take up residence in the living room of our heart and mind. Sin breeds sin and sin attracts other sins. It is best to kill the temptation and resist so that no sin is ever born. This is what Joseph did with the incessant temptations thrown at him by Potiphar’s wife. Follow the example of Joseph and never yield to temptations that cross your path.

 

Temptation Can Be Strategic

Therefore To Resistance Must Be Added Avoidance

 

Genesis 39:11-12

“One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.”

 

Potiphar’s wife had grown tired of subtle suggestions and moved to outright badgering. But this was not working either, so she decided to forcibly take what she wanted. Here we see her strategically set up a scenario to trap Joseph so that he could not resist the temptation. She probably theorized that with no witnesses and her beauty he would not be able to resist. We need to be aware that there are forces in the world that are strategically planning to ruin our relationship with our Heavenly Father and destroy our Christian witness. We battle the world, the flesh and the devil. Each of these members of the unholy trinity seeks to lead us into temptation and therefore sin. The world is greatly influenced by mankind’s sinful flesh and the Devil. Our own flesh will lead us down a sinful path if given a chance. Satan loves to see us fall into temptation so that we can sin and bring him glory. Here we see Joseph not only resist but vacate the premises. He ran for his spiritual life to keep his purity and reputation intact. We should do the same when faced with a blatant strategically placed temptation. Sometimes it is best to run from temptation rather than discuss, debate or confront it, JUST RUN like Joseph did.

 

Resisting Temptation Can Bring Both Reward and Penalty

 

Genesis 39:13

“When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. ‘Look,’ she said to them, ‘this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.’ She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: ‘That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.’ When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, ‘This is how your slave treated me,’ he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.”

 

Sometimes godly behavior is rewarded and sometimes it is not. It is not fair when we seek to do the right thing and are punished for it, but this is what Joseph experienced. We see in these verses that Potiphar’s wife was an evil tempting vixen. She either had Potiphar tricked into thinking she was innocent which might show her power of influence or his own pride would not allow him to admit that his wife lusted after another man. Whatever the reason for his response, Joseph received the full brunt of his anger and was punished for doing the right thing.

 

Resisting Temptation Will Bring Godly Protection, Comfort and Blessing

 

Genesis 39:20b-23

“But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.”

 

Despite being unjustly accused and punished, God was close by Joseph’s side. We also must remember this if we attempt to respond godly in the midst of temptation. Sometimes we will get a raw deal, suffer criticism and possibly even vicious gossip. But God knows the truth and will reward us for our obedience to His Word and His Spirit.

 

James 1:13-15

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

 

1 Corinthians 10:13

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”