Willpower is weak. No man should rely upon it except as a last resort. In most cases, people who appear to have an inflexible will in fact have something altogether different. They have wisdom. Avoiding temptation is always easier than resisting temptation.
Any man who finds himself loitering at the door of sin needs to remember the story of Alypius, Augustine’s youthful companion. Alypius was known and regarded for his purity. Unlike most other young men in Rome at the time, he refused to go and watch the gladiator fights in the Colosseum. Yet, one day a group of friends badgered Alypius into stepping into the magnificent arena. Alypius consented with one condition: He said that he would sit in the arena, but he would not open his eyes. He lived up to his word – for a while, but then something happened. Tens of thousands of spectators erupted with cheers. As quickly as Alypius’ eyes slipped open, something else slipped in. A lust for bloodshed rushed into his heart. Before he knew what was going on, he was high fiving friends and cheering on his feet.
Sadly, this moment was a turning point in Alypius’ life. From then on, he switched from being known for his purity to being known as a passionate recruiter, pulling in other friends to go and see the Roman games.
It is worth asking the question, where did Alypius go wrong? The answer is not the moment when he opened his eyes. That was a near inevitable consequence of a prior choice. He went wrong when he consented to going into the Colosseum. At that point the game was rigged. It was only a matter of time before willpower would snap under the pressure of temptation.
Proverbs 5:8 is clear. The best way to resist sin is by avoiding the door of temptation. Only an attitude of negligence would make us think that we could window-shop without eventually making a purchase.