Sins of the old nature may reassert themselves at any time. They are never to be entertained. There was a young man some years ago, he said to me, ‘I know my greatest and my besetting sin.’ It was to be always the centre of attraction wherever I was. Now he was a rather sparkling personality and he had a big presence wherever he was. He loved the attention, and he had to shine whatever company he was in, wherever he was. And since his conversion it has been his great battle because now it has been conquered and it will not stand against him. But it constantly tries to reassert itself, and he has to put it down and to pray for grace. Never entertain old sins. We all know what our chief sins were. Do not entertain them in any shape or form. Always fight the old nature and its suggestions. Never be in the neighbourhood of sin. We can be so foolish. We can hang about as it were in the presence of the world’s bright lights and influences. How do you do that? You just have the television on constantly showing things that are utterly worldly and present a completely worldly viewpoint. You hear of Christians watching soaps; things that are promoting and projecting the thinking and living of this sinful world, are washing over you. I remember once being in the United States years ago and a senior seminarian from a particular seminary where I was due to give some lectures came to collect me from the airport, and he turned on his car radio and it was a rock station. This is was in a part of the United States where there were any amount of devotional and religions stations if you had to have the car radio on. Oh no, this was a hard rock, worldly culture. Of course, I tried – it is difficult when somebody is doing you a kindness – but I tried to challenge him about this. But this was his custom, this is what he liked – one foot firmly in the world. What a tragedy! Never be in the neighbourhood of sin.
And do you daydream a lot? Some people have time on their hands or they are doing things that are menial tasks and they have time to think. So they enjoy a day dream. Yes, but is it a dangerous day dream? Is it a day dream which makes you centre stage? There is a little playact going on here and you are dreaming of all kinds of fictional things and you are the star of the show. And really it is just a way to indulge fanciful pride and all the rest of it. It is amazing what people will tell you they have been drawn into by the enemy of souls. We avoid all these things because we are cautious of the old person re-establishing itself within us.