How to Overcome Habitual Sin

 

There’s a proverb that says: Sow a thought & you reap an action; Sow an action & you reap a habit; Sow a habit & you reap a character; Sow a character & you reap a destiny.

What this proverb teaches us is that our thoughts have power to eventually influence our destiny. We are a product of what we think and believe.
Therefore our thoughts and habits have the power to shape who we are and where we go in life.

Now as a Christian sometimes you might find yourself struggling constantly with overcoming particular habitual sins. Even though you’re born again & have given your life to Christ, you find yourself constantly struggling with particular sins that seem to be a stronghold in your life.
Perhaps you have a lust problem; maybe you have a drug or alcohol problem; or maybe you’re struggling with having a short temper.
Therefore the question is – how do you deal with habitual sin in your life and how do you walk free from the bondage?

 

Here are the following 4 things you could do to overcome habitual sin:

1. Meditate on God’s Word Concerning the Specific Area
Psalms 119:11 says “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I may not sin against You”.
In the area of sin that we are struggling we need to meditate on God’s word and what the Bible may say about that area of sin in relation to overcoming the sin.
Even Jesus Christ had the Scriptures hidden in His heart to the point that in the face of temptation from the devil, Jesus was able to overcome temptation by using the Scriptures to overcome Satan’s temptations. Therefore Christ avoided sinning because the word of God was hidden in His heart.
The meditation of God’s word is therefore an important factor in overcoming habitual sin.

2. You Need to Draw Near to God
How do you draw near to God? We draw near to God through prayer & submitting to Him and His word. When you’re bound by habitual sin – you kind of feel like a slave and you find yourself submitting to the sin instead of submitting to God.
James 4:7-8 says “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”
Therefore drawing near to God gives us the strength to overcome sin. James 4:7-8 encourages us to submit to God and then the devil will flee. Furthermore the scripture also says that if we draw near to God, then He will draw near to us.

3. Be Led By The Holy Spirit & Not By Your Flesh
Galatians 5:16 says “I say then: Walk by the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”.
Whenever we submit to habitual sin – it’s because we’ve allowed the lust of the flesh to influence us and so scriptures encourage us to always be filled and led by the Holy Spirit.
The characteristics of the flesh are mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21 and include the following: “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like”.
Therefore it’s only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to overcome the lust of the flesh and habitual sins in our life.

4. Be Motivated by the Love of God
Jesus said in John 14:15: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”.
Therefore our motivation for obeying God and overcoming sin must be to love God and hate the sin. The more we love God then the more we will overcome habitual sin in our life.
Love must be a motivator for all that we do in our life. Love reveals the character of God because God is love.

 

ARE YOU A NON-CHRISTIAN WHO IS STRUGGLING WITH SIN IN YOUR LIFE?
Are you a person who is NOT a Christian and you find yourself struggling with sin? Do you find yourself to be a slave to wrongful pleasures and find yourself unable to break free?
The Bible says that God loves us that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16); The Bible also says that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) and without Jesus Christ in our life we will be destined for hell (Romans 6:23).
The only way we can ultimately overcome the power of sin is by becoming a born again Christian because Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins by being crucified on the cross. Jesus paid the debt of sin that we should have paid.
Believing & accepting Jesus Christ in your life transforms you into not only a creation of God but it most importantly makes you a member of the family of God (John 1:12).
From the moment that you become a Christian, God will then begin to gradually transform your life and your character so that you conform into the nature of Christ.
Salvation is a free gift. You are saved by grace and not by your own effort or ability (Ephesians 2:8,9).

 

DO YOU WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN or A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST???

1. ACKNOWLEDGE: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
You must acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you therefore need Jesus in your life.

2. REPENT: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3), “Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19)
Repenting means: to change your mind; a sincere turning away, in heart, mind and action;
Therefore God wants you to repent of sinful values and of sinful living. God wants you to decide to
follow Him and to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

3. CONFESSION: “If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)
God is a forgiving God. God will forgive any sin that you have done because Jesus died for ALL your sins and to set you free from the bondage of all types of sin in your life.

4. BELIEVE: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
You must believe that ONLY Jesus can save you and restore your relationship with God. You must believe that Jesus is the ONLY way by which you can have everlasting life and escape from eternal separation from God. You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and resurrected from the grave.
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive him, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11-12)
By faith, You must receive Jesus as Your Lord & Savior and therefore; you become a child of God; you become born again; you become a Christian; you restore your broken relationship with God

 

Why Not Make Your Eternal Decision NOW?

We become born again Christians by GRACE through FAITH or TOTAL TRUST in Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior (Galatians 3:26) & (Ephesians 2:8,9). Salvation is a FREE gift received through FAITH in Christ.

PLEASE NOTE: You can choose to pray in your own words. This prayer is a sample prayer and it is only an EXPRESSION of your faith, belief & trust in Jesus. Salvation is by GRACE through FAITH or BELIEVING in Christ Jesus as your Lord & Saviour.

“Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your love. I thank You that You died on the cross for me and resurrected so that I may have life through You.
I confess Lord that I have sinned against You and today I ask You to forgive me of all of my sins, past present and future.
I repent of all of my sins and I ask You to cleanse me Jesus.
Thank You for forgiving my sins.
From this moment, come into my life Lord Jesus & take full control of my life. I want to follow You Jesus and I want to follow Your ways. Save me and from today, make me the person You want me to be.
I receive You Lord Jesus right now by faith. I trust You as my Lord and Savior – Amen”

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