If you are like me, either of these scenarios would be greatly disconcerting. Yet this is what God faces from us daily. We are a worker in God’s creation. Although we are to exercise dominion under Him, we tend to want His position of full sovereignty. We act through our mutterings and complaints that our plans are greater than His providence. When we sin and are enjoying the temporary pleasures of this disobedience (Heb. 11:25) we are saying our ethics are better than God’s commandments. In our prayerlessness, we are satisfied with our own ability to work out life’s difficulties rather than prayerfully laying our burdens before the Lord.

We compete with God daily for first place in life. In so doing we are no different from our first parents, Adam and Eve. They believed Satan’s lie: “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5) We could trace this competition by Christians throughout scripture. This action would take more space than afforded by this article. In Revelation, Christians were still prone to leave their first love (Rev. 3:4)

What can spiritual adulterers and would-be adulterers do to confront and fight this sin? (Not surprisingly, much of this is true for physical adultery)

Remember your Husband (or in terms of physical adultery, your spouse). Jesus loved us before we ever loved Him. (Rom. 5:6-8) He lived and laid down His life for us. Is a relationship with any sin comparable to what the Christian has in Christ? Of course not. Why grieve the Holy Spirit by sinning?

We must maintain good spousal communication. Although Christ already knows our hearts, through honest prayer and Bible reading, we communicate with the triune God. God uses these actions to teach us. This takes time as does regular communication with our spouse. Humanly speaking, communication and time spent with one another draws couples closer in commitment and communication. It is little wonder that throughout scripture Christians are called to hide God’s word in our hearts, meditate on scripture and  pray.

We must realize the reality that we can and do commit spiritual adultery. To think that we would never do that is to be dishonest with ourselves and to not recognize what we should about the depths of our depravity.  Hearing of physical divorces should remind us anew to work to maintain our marriages. We need to regularly guard ourselves from temptation and flee from sin. I realize I do not pray often enough for the Lord to lead me from temptation and to deliver me from sin (Mt. 6:13).

Accountability from individuals, small groups and the church body are also important in maintaining our focus on the Lord. We are to bear up one another and realize we are all prone to wander from our Bridegroom.

Finally, we need a quick repentance in regard to adultery.   God called those in the Ephesus church to repent (Rev. 2:5) of leaving their first love. We need a quick, convicting turn-around when we venture into the path of sin. We need a return to our Bridegroom Who laid down His life and spilled His blood for the sins of His bride. We need to pray for repentance and a return to fellowship with the Lord.

The desire to be god of my life will plague me until the Lord calls me home. Between now and then I want, by God’s grace, to make headway in the fight against this difficult temptation. The above steps will help you and me in that fight.