When our inner voice tells us that something is bad, it is wise to listen. If we take too much time to think about it, our flesh may win the debate over our spirit because it knows how to convince us.

The reason we yield to sin is because it looks good. If having sex outside marriage meant suffering horribly, it wouldn’t be difficult to keep ourselves out if! It’s the same for any kind of sin. The devil’s very effective tactic is to present us the sin as something very pleasant. Like he did with Eve in the Garden. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3.6 NIV)

When we are born again and are tempted to sin we immediately feel a sense of discomfort. “I’m not sure I should do this…” This feeling belongs to our new nature. The life of Christ flowing in us and leads us in the will of God. So when we step away, we get this feeling of discomfort. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” (1 John 3.9 NIV)

We should listen to that little voice! But all too often we begin to reason with ourselves instead. “Why am I not allowed to do this? What if I would just do this little thing instead?” And so on. If we let logic keep talking it will completely stifle the Holy Spirit and committing the sin will seem normal, legitimate and harmless. This is what happened to Eve in the Garden. Her first response to the serpent was right: God did not allow them to eat from this tree. But then the serpent continued to debate and Eve was convinced. This is still happening today.

Sometimes we even find verses that will suit our logic. It is easy to force the Bible to say what we want to hear. We only have to take a verse out of its context, as the devil did when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4.9-11). “I did not steal this! It fell into my handbag and nobody stopped me at the door of the store. If God didn’t want me to have this, He would have stopped me at the door!” Did this logic make you roll your eyes? God does not prevent us from sinning! He did not stop Adam and Eve from eating the forbidden fruit, and He will not stop us either. He gave us the freedom to choose between good and evil, but it is up to us to make the right decision.

The same goes for every sin. Having sex outside of marriage is not God’s plan. When we give our lives to Christ, we do not need a deep theological class to convince us of this fact. The Holy Spirit convicts us. So why do so many Christians fall into sin? It’s because, over time, they let their logic justify their actions. The more we think about something, the more it seems innocuous, and therein lies the danger.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Heb 4.15 NIV) Christ was tempted in all things. But His communion with God kept Him sinless. The Bible tells us what God asks us to do and what to abstain from. But reading the words are not enough. We need the Holy Spirit to convince us to follow them. “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16.8 NIV)

Of course, we have to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit! “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 NIV) We must discern which voice is speaking to us and we have to listen to the Spirit of God. We must silence the voice of logic and reasoning as soon as possible, otherwise, it will win. Our flesh is very persuasive. “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.” (Gal. 5.7-8 NIV)

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Gal. 5.16 NIV) If you feel that doing something is not of God, don’t do it, and refuse to think about it. Think about something else entirely. Meditate on the Word, sing a song, testify about what God has done for you to someone, or something else completely. Don’t let your mind start justifying a behavior that is not worthy of Christ. This is the only way to keep yourself in holiness.