A number of years ago when my family and I lived in Tennessee, we went on a weekend outing in the Smoky Mountains with dear friends from church.  We each stayed in mountain cabins at the top of a narrow, steep and winding road.  On Sunday morning, it began to snow and we were not prepared for the trip down the mountain as the snow continued.  We left earlier than planned to avoid further danger on the downhill road. We kept up with each other on our CB radios.  Our friends were in their car ahead of us and we stayed a safe distance back.  However, the steep slope and winding curves became difficult to navigate.  I was driving in low gear and knew that I could not use my brakes or we would go off the road and into a gulley or ditch.  We were coming down the steep slope faster than I wanted and our friends needed to move on ahead as we were closing the gap between us.  So, I got on the CB radio and hollered out, “Tom, get out of the way.  I cannot stop.  I am coming down.”  He moved out and we both made it to the bottom a little faster than we wanted but we avoided going over the slippery slope.  If either one of us in leading and driving our families down that slippery slope had crashed, we would have taken our families with us.  Needless to say, we stopped and gave thanks to the Lord once we got safely away from the danger.

How does this real-life experience relate to our spiritual lives?  Many of the temptations we face sit atop a dangerous, slippery slope.  Once we start to sample or go down these roads even once, we can find ourselves on the slippery road to sin, pain and destruction.  Just like our experience on the trip described above, if we don’t set foot on the slippery slope of temptation and sin, we won’t slide off.  In our world today, men are encouraged to try many things that are dangerous to themselves and their families.  These are traps down slippery slopes that can ruin a man’s character and spiritual life.  Most all addictive substances and destructive behaviors start with what the enemy wants a man to believe in the beginning as harmless pleasures.  Do not experiment with anything that could become a full-blown habit and sin.  The enemy knows this and remember, “Give Satan an inch and he will become a ruler.”    How many times have we told ourselves like Paul, “I do not do what I want to do and I do what I don’t want to do?”  Clearly, it is easier to stay off the slippery slope than to get off it.  The slippery slope is usually steeper and more dangerous than it looks.  We can avoid getting on the slippery slope only through the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.  Look at what Paul told us in Ephesians 4:27 “Do not give the devil an opportunity.”  Men, stay off the slippery slopes and get off as fast as you can if you find yourself on one.