Can You Still Run? I Hope So...

Can you still run like you did when you were young? Physically, my body says "No" but what about spiritually? Not running from God but running to Him. Today, I want to show you some passages featuring the word "flee".

1 Corinthians 6:18–20 (ESV) — 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. [underlining added] When tempted by spiritual immorality, we are not to linger... not to hesitate... not to consider what would happen or if we will get caught. We are to "Flee from sexual immorality". Remember that last sentence... "glorify God in your body".

1 Corinthians 10:13–14 (ESV) — 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. [underlining added] This time, we see all temptations being controlled by God, who is faithful, and we are to "escape" from each temptation. When Paul said "flee from idolatry", he was saying "Run from anything that could take your focus off of God and become your idol."

2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) — 22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. [underlining added] Supposedly, wisdom comes with age... but does it? Are we really wiser because we have gotten older or are we wiser because we have learned some important lessons along the way? Instead of acting like a child who doesn't know better, we need to "flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace". We need to stop running towards that which got us in trouble before and run towards God instead.

Those three passages had us doing the running but this one has somebody else running...

James 4:7 (ESV) — 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [underlining added] The order of the words in this verse are so important. The devil will not flee from you until you have submitted yourself to God. He would have no reason to do so. Also, he will not flee from you until you have resisted him. The word "resisted" means to show opposition to. The devil won't flee from you and you two are on the same team. You need to show that you really are on God's team by truly submitting to God. Then when you resist the devil and his ways, "he will flee from you."

So, don't stop running. No matter how old you are. The condition of your spiritual life is at stake. Keep running.