I. The Lord Was With Joseph—But That Didn’t Mean Life Was Easy

Nobody would have predicted that Joseph would become a shining example of sexual integrity. He was just a teenager. And he didn’t get it from his father.

Jacob—Joseph’s father—had four wives and multiple children with each. When Joseph was young, his sister Dinah was raped. It was the world Joseph grew up in—openly, brutally sexual—and his family reflected the culture around them. No boundaries. No morals.

Joseph ends up in Egypt, a slave in the house of a man named Potiphar. He finds himself alone every day with Potiphar’s wife. Verse 6 tells us Joseph was “handsome and well-built.” In verse 7, Potiphar’s wife makes her move. In Hebrew, her invitation is just two words—blunt and direct. But verse 8 tells us, “Joseph refused.”

That’s the moment you realize: this boy has become an extraordinary man.

God was with Joseph, but that didn’t mean he got a fast pass around temptation. It didn’t mean he avoided trouble. And neither do we.

In temptation and trouble, you have the Lord’s presence and power to accomplish His purposes. And that’s why Joseph rises to the top, wherever he is placed. But his real power isn’t in his leadership skills—it’s in his integrity.

Joseph didn’t need Potiphar’s wife to make him a man. And he refused to give up his strength for a moment of pleasure.

II. Sexual Temptation Isn’t Something You Flirt With—It’s Something You Run From

Joseph was living in a world where sex was casual, where women were treated as objects, and where men proved themselves through conquest. He had no godly example to follow. His father had four wives. His sister had been assaulted. He grew up in a family without moral boundaries.

Yet somehow, Joseph had a strength that didn’t come from his environment.

And this is the moment you see it. He didn’t prove himself by conquering. He proved himself by being faithful.

This was one moment. One temptation. One choice. But choices aren’t isolated events. They set the direction for our lives. Boys drift. Men focus. Boys live for today. Men think long-term.

That’s why 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Run from sexual sin!”

The Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God and stand firm—but not when it comes to sexual sin. In this case, the only strategy is to run.

And Joseph ran.

If you have to quit a job, delete an app, change your settings, or cancel a subscription—do it. The price of compromise is too high. You don’t flirt with sexual temptation. You don’t manage it. You eliminate it.

Joseph’s greatest concern wasn’t what Potiphar would think or even his own reputation. It was God.

He called it what it was: sin.

He didn’t say, “Boys will be boys.”

He didn’t say, “I couldn’t help myself.”

He knew he had a choice. And so do we.

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.

If you belong to Christ, don’t say you can’t control yourself. The Spirit of God lives in you.

III. The Cost of Integrity

Joseph made the right choice, and it cost him. Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him. He was thrown in prison. His life took another downward turn. Do you think Potiphar actually believed her? If he did, Joseph wouldn’t have been imprisoned—he would have been executed. Instead, he was placed with political prisoners, high-profile captives. Even in Joseph’s worst moments, God was still guiding his story. And that’s the thing. Doing the right thing won’t always bring an immediate reward. Sometimes, it costs.

But if Joseph had given in, what would that have cost him? He may have gained a temporary thrill, but he would have lost something much bigger: his integrity, his calling, his future. At the end of this passage, Joseph is in prison. His circumstances have changed. But one thing remains the same (v. 21):

“But the Lord was with Joseph.” And that’s all that really matters.

Conclusion: Who Are You Becoming?

Joseph’s defining moment didn’t come when he was handed power. It came when he was given a choice. One decision at a time, he became the man God called him to be. And that’s true for all of us.

Your choices aren’t just choices. They are steps in a direction—toward wisdom or foolishness, toward regret or integrity, toward sin or righteousness.

You don’t have to be defined by your past.

You don’t have to be ruled by your desires.

You don’t have to be shaped by the world.

You belong to Christ.

Walk in His strength.

Live with integrity.

Run from sin.

And become who God has called you to be.

By Pastor Tim