Sin is seductive and the enemy will do everything he possibly can to woo you closer and closer to it with the hope that you will get sucked in and fall.

By now you have probably heard that on Friday January 14, an Italian cruise ship sank off the Tuscan coast.

Much of the news coverage has been focusing on what captain, Francesco Schettino, did after he knew the luxury liner was doomed.

Reports imply that as many of the 4200 passengers and crew were still onboard looking for leadership – Captain Schettino abandoned ship.

And while this act of cowardice is indeed worthy of discussion, I would like to back the story up a bit to shine light on what caused this horrible tragedy in the first place.

Allegations have stated that Captain Schettino of the Costa Concordia changed the cruise ship’s course in an attempt to “show off” to a colleague and his family on shore.

To do this, he would have get very close to the dangerous coastline and to do that, he had to override the computer-programmed route and ignore warning alarms as the cruise liner headed for an area just about 150 yards off shore where a rocky outcrop tore into the side of the ship causing it to sink…killing some of the passengers and crew.

Some who have worked alongside Captain Schettino call him “too high-spirited and a daredevil.”

So sad to think that all of this could have been avoided if the captain would have played by the rules and not flirted with danger.

This dramatic and terrible tragedy can be a lesson to you regarding listening to your spiritual alarms when they go off and not pushing to see how close you can get to sin before it grabs a hold of you.

Almost completely oposite to the warning on your car’s mirrors that state “objects may be closer than they appear”…the enemy wants to deceive you into believing that the sin in your life is further than it may appear.

Scripture says that even those with sincere and pure devotion can be deceived.

2 Corinthians 11:3
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

There is a type of pride that births rebellion, a pride that lies to you as the devil whispers in your ear…”it will all be fine, just do it.” If you allow it, you can be blinded to even the obvious consequences fooling yourself that you are the exception to the rule. Proverbs says differently.

Proverbs 6:27-28
27 “Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?
28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?”

The enemy would love for you to ignore God and the warning signs in your life but God wants you to stay focused be alert and clear minded.

1 Peter 5:8
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Just like the captain of the Italian cruise liner, you may be tempted to go down the more dangerous path thinking it’s more exciting but this will always end poorly.

Proverbs 4:14-19
14 “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.”

The key is to resist the enemy and his seductive tongue, holding firm to God and His word.

Daniel 11:32
“With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.”

James echoes that…

James 4:7
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Take captive all of your thoughts…

2 Corinthians 10:5
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

As you study the word of God, spend time with Him and His people, you love will grow with your knowledge and this will keep you on the right path to purity.

Philippians 1:9-10
9 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,”