I recently got a new navigation app for my phone. I was driving down the road and decided to try it out. The app recognized the car was in motion and a warning popped up. It said something like “You are not allowed to edit while driving.” Then I noticed a box. “Click here if you are a passenger.” I had never faced this dilemma before. Am I going to lie to my cell phone?

Here’s one of those tree falling in the forest questions. Is lying to a cell phone really a lie? Is it a “Thou shalt not bear false witness against” your cell phone kind of lie? Exodus 20:16 Is it one of those “six things the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him” kind of lie? Proverbs 6:16-19

Some of you are thinking, “Really? Just click the button and move on!” I’m a pastor, and this was teachable moment, for me.

I had to sort out why this was an issue. I wanted to click the button but I also wanted to do the right thing in God’s eyes. That was it! It sounds silly but I wondered, “If I click on the button will I hurt my relationship with God?” Lest you think I’m some kind of super saint, I’m not, just ask my kids. Then again, don’t. Rest assured, I have bigger issues than this that I struggle with. Right then, I wondered if an itsy, bitsy, teeny little lie mattered? Agh! Why was I even thinking about it?

According to Peter, it was because an evil desire was waging war with my soul 1 Pet. 2:11. It’s a daily battle we all have.

Even though we like to think of people as basically good, okay except for the neighbor kid who plays his drums at 2 am, there’s something inside all of us of us that wants to do wrong and likes it Jeremiah 17:9. It’s the enemy called our sin nature Romans 6:12-13. We all regularly have major “D Day” type spiritual battles with the sin nature including sexual temptations, substance abuse problems, honesty issues, controlling our tongues, and anger to name a few. What do we do when we’re in a spiritual warfare battle with the sin nature?

Remember who you are!

When you trusted in Jesus, you died to the sin nature and became alive to God Romans 6:5-11. You don’t have to give in to the temptation.

Here’s what you do. Imagine you’re standing before the Father in heaven and ask Him what you should do. If you’ve decided to do the wrong thing, ask Him to join you. “That’s crazy!” you say. “I couldn’t do that with the Father.” Exactly. When you remember who you are and invite God into your decision and keep talking to Him, He’ll empower you to make the right choice.

I didn’t click the button.

Have you had a temptation like this? Do you think a little lie is enough to hurt your relationship with God? How do you deal with bigger temptations? Please respond below.