I can have all the desire in the world to not want to commit adultery, but if I continually place myself in environments that feed temptation, that desire alone is not enough. In Matthew 26, Jesus foretells Peter’s denial and later tells him in the garden of Gethsemane, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (v. 41). While Jesus is speaking to Peter specifically, the principle applies to every sin including adultery and sexual sin.
The young man in Proverbs is a great example. We don’t know what events led to him walking down the writer’s street. We are not told that he set out intending to be seduced by the adulterous woman. What we do know is that he was walking near the prostitute’s house in the cover of darkness. When she approached, he lingered and listened to her words. Eventually, he was seduced by her and entertained her invitation. Step by step, he moved closer to temptation until he was consumed by it.
Now, we may not be walking past the house of a prostitute, but temptation is still present today. It often enters our homes and lives through media. The shows we watch, the websites we visit, the social media we scroll through, and the music we consume all shape our hearts and minds. My spirit may be willing but my flesh is weak. If I am not careful, I can justify watching a popular show filled with sexual content or sing along to lyrics that celebrate lust and unfaithfulness. Before long, I find myself entertaining the very desires Jesus warns begin in the heart.
The lesson from both Proverbs and Jesus is clear: if we want to resist temptation we have to be careful about the path we choose to walk and what we allow to influence our lives.