The Bible says to flee sexual immorality because sexual sin is too dangerous to toy with. It damages your body, your soul, and your relationships, and it’s easy to underestimate. Instead of seeing how close you can get without getting burned, God calls you to run like Joseph did. Fleeing, along with consistently practicing the principles of purity, moves you from simply knowing about purity to actually experiencing it.
Run Like Your Life Depends on It
When it comes to many temptations, the Bible tells us to resist or stand firm. But with sexual immorality, the command is different.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
The language is urgent on purpose. Joseph shows what this looks like. When his master’s wife tried to seduce him, he didn’t debate or linger.
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.
Too often, we do the opposite. We treat sexual sin casually and see how close we can get without getting burned. Would we take that approach if our physical life were at risk? Of course not. Sin is a spiritual life-and-death issue, able to destroy intimacy with God and with the people we love. Lot’s wife is another sobering example. As she fled Sodom, she looked back with longing at the life she was leaving, and it cost her everything (Genesis 19:26).
Where to Flee
Here are four areas where fleeing is critical:
- Sexual distractions: Avoid places and situations you know are tempting. Stay alert and guard your heart and eyes.
- Electronic devices: Use filters and accountability software like Covenant Eyes to protect yourself online.
- The commercial sex industry: Avoid every form of it completely, from strip clubs to explicit content.
- Sex outside of marriage: Set clear boundaries and stay far away from compromising situations.
From Knowledge to Experience
There’s a big difference between understanding purity and experiencing it. Knowledge alone isn’t enough. Purity has to be pursued and practiced. This series has covered five key principles:
- Connect with God
- Involve others
- Control your thoughts
- Control your eyes
- Flee sexual temptation
Revisit these often. Talk about them, reflect on them, and apply them, just as God told his people to keep his words before them every day.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
God’s commands, including his call to purity, aren’t restrictive rules. They lead to life and joy.
Psalm 19:9-11 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
A Word to Married and Single Men
Married men: Pursue deeper intimacy with your wife, not just for a better sex life but for lasting closeness. Your marriage is meant to reflect Christ’s love: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
Single men: Don’t believe the lie that you’re incomplete without marriage or sex. Jesus said that marriage is for this life, not the next (Matthew 22:29-30), and God alone can fully satisfy your heart.
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Real purity offers more joy and satisfaction than any fleeting moment of sin. If you missed the start of the series, go back to Is Sexual Purity Really Possible for Men Today?
This lesson is part of the Stormproof series, based on Roger Fankhauser’s book Stormproof Men: Sexual Purity in a Sex-Saturated World.
The Takeaway
The Bible says to flee sexual immorality because it’s too dangerous to play with. Run like Joseph, set clear boundaries in the areas where you’re most vulnerable, and keep practicing the principles of purity until knowledge becomes experience. God’s way leads to life, joy, and lasting reward.
