A competitive runner notices the excuses his body makes when tired and chooses to push through anyway. The speaker uses this to explain how Christians should watch for the flesh's lies, recognize personal weaknesses, and avoid creating sinful opportunities by rejecting excuses before they take hold.
I was having a chat with a close friend of mine who loves to do competitive running. He's incredibly disciplined and explained to me how he pushes through plateaus so that he can get a better run time. Much of it is a mental battle. He explained, when I become really tired or my legs start to hurt, I notice how I try to persuade myself to quit. I'll give myself excuses or tell myself things like, you're already doing so well, so take a break and try again next week. Then he said something that got me thinking about the believer's battle with the When I asked him how he fights off the excuses and the urge to quit, he said, well, when I get really exhausted, I pay close attention to what the other me tries to do. Now, by that, he meant the part of him that would rather not run. It made me think of this truth: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Whenever you are tempted to give in to the flesh, take a moment to notice the excuses you give to yourself, the things you tell yourself. Watch what your flesh tries to do to get its way. Learn about your own weaknesses so that you don't create sinful opportunities.
