To prevent sin from reoccurring, we must firstly rely on God rather than our own striving to make the changes needed within us:
‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.’ Philippians 2:13.
‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.’ Hebrews 12:2.
While we work towards perfection, it’s important to realise that perfection can only be achieved through having God’s spirit within us. Until then, evil will always continue to be present within our mortal bodies to some degree. If we could be perfect within our own strength or through works without faith, we wouldn’t need God. This is why the Lord says that ‘my strength is made perfect in weakness’, and why Paul concluded that he can take pleasure in his infirmities as ‘when I am weak, then am I strong’ (in Christ) (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). While we must do our best to overcome sin, we must also realise that it is God who perfects us in his own time and through his own power. Condemning ourselves when we fall short can lead to unnecessary self-judgment and general unhappiness. Rather, we need to partner with God on our journey and realise that our weaknesses provide God with space to fill with his spiritual presence, much like water running into a jar of marbles.
With God’s help, our goal is to slowly become ‘dead’ to sin – i.e. completely impervious to its temptations:
‘Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you.’ Romans 6:11-14.
We can do this by spending time in the Word:
‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.’ Psalms 119:11.
Sometimes, we need to physically flee temptation:
‘Flee fornication … Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.
Often, it’s helpful to, like Jesus, go ‘about doing good’ (Acts 10:30) through helping other people. Doing so pleases God and helps us to focus on others rather than on our own problems:
‘Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ Romans 12:21.
‘But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.’ Hebrews 13:16.
The main way to overcome sin, though, is in the field of our thoughts, which we’ll turn to next time.
View other devotionals in this series