This is one of those truths that we must pray about, asking God to give us His plan for our victory (as we saw in Purity Bootcamp). Otherwise, we will look at our situation and say things like: “There just isn’t any way I can run away from my workplace; or flee from the Internet where I do my banking and other important things.”
Notice this relevant story from the life of Joseph:
Genesis 39:6-12 ISV Everything that he (Joseph’s master) owned, he entrusted into Joseph's care. He never concerned himself about anything, except for the food he ate. (7) That's why, some time later, Joseph's master's wife looked straight at Joseph and propositioned him: "Come on! Let's have a little sex!" (8) But he refused, telling his master's wife, "Look! My master doesn't have to worry about anything in the house with me in charge, and he has entrusted everything into my care. (9) No one has more authority in this house than I do. He has withheld nothing from me, except you, and that's because you're his wife. So how can I commit such a horrible evil? How can I sin against God? (10) She kept on talking to him like this day after day, but he wouldn't listen to her. Not only would he refuse to have sex with her, he refused even to stay around her. (11) One day, though, he went into the house to do his work. None of the household servants were inside, (12) so she grabbed Joseph by his outer garment and demanded: "Let's have some sex!" Instead, Joseph ran outside, leaving his outer garment still in her hand.
Question 4. What did Joseph do when being tempted toward sexual immorality?
The devil is very persistent, just as the master’s wife was in the above story. Impurity keeps pressuring us with vivid images, which we’ve stored away in the library of our minds, just as Potiphar’s wife “kept talking to him day after day.” That person with whom we’ve had an illicit relationship doesn’t take no easily; they might hound us and pester us repeatedly for more.
But Joseph “refused to stay around her,” he got away, he fled from her! “Instead, Joseph ran outside…”
Joseph won this battle through fleeing sexual impurity. His motivation was that he did not want to sin against God.
And here is where the cross of Jesus Christ is so crucial for you and I, for at the cross God pours out His love on us and changes our hearts, causing us to truly love Him! As we kneel at the foot of the cross, we see love displayed for all the world to see, love bleeding and dying, love with arms wide open, love coming to us in forgiveness and acceptance, and it changes us.
"And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations" (Ezekiel 36:26-27). This very thing happens as we come to the cross and look up!
Question 5. Joseph won the battle by fleeing, but according to Genesis 39:12 what did he lose?