1 Cor 10:12-13
We are most likely to fall when we are most confident of our own strength. Distrust of ourself, puts our vigilence and dependence on God which is the best security against sin. We live in a tempting world, where we are compassed about with snares. Every place, condition, relation, employment, abounds with them; yet what comfort may we get from this passage. For “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful.” Our trials will be proportioned to our strength, or strength will be supplied in proportion to our temptations. Though Satan be a deceiver, God is true. Men may be false and the world may be false; but God is faithful, and our strength and security are in Him. “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” He knows what we can bear, and what we can bear up against; and he will, in his wise providence, either proportion our temptations to our strength or make us able to grapple with them. He will take care that we are not overcome, if we rely on him, and resolve to approve ourselves faithful to him. We need not perplex ourselves with the difficulties in our way when God will take care that they shall not be too great for us to encounter, especially when “He will provide a way out,” of either the trial itself, or at least the mischief of it. There is no valley so dark that he cannot find a way through it, no affliction so grievous that he cannot prevent, or remove, or enable us to support it, and in the end overrule it to our advantage. We cannot fall to a temptation if we cleave first to him.
Found this from Spurgeon: “Fellow traveler, do not say in your heart, “I will go here and there, and I shall not sin;” for you are in the most danger of sinning when you are boasting of security. Be on your guard. In handling highly-combustible material, we must be careful to avoid any flame that could ignite it and set off an explosion; and you, too, must take care that you enter not into temptation. There is nothing in this world to foster a Christian’s piety, but everything to destroy it. You should be very anxious, indeed, to look up to God, that He may keep you. Your prayer should be, “You hold me up, and I shall be safe.” Be sober; be vigilant, danger may be in an hour when everything seems the most secure to you. Therefore, be alert and self-controlled so that you can pray. No one ever fell into error through being too careful. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all our ways, so they shall always please the Lord.”
