It can hit at any time. Usually the times when you’re most confident that it won’t, it’s then that it does. It’s that same reoccurring sin you are just so powerless against.
The depression sets in, teary eyes stare at the ground, shivers run up your spine, and you feel your stomach turning as if you might puke. You lay on the floor in disbelief at your own betrayal of your King.
We’ve all been there. We know this situation very well. We despise it, we fear it, and we alone are helpless to its strength. It doesn’t matter what sin it is, we all have that one sin that breaks us every time. There are days when we are victorious to it, or at least it doesn’t attack us on those days. And there are days when no matter what condition our heart is in, we crumble to it. Pride, gossip, being judgmental, lust, bitterness, hatred, indifference—you name it, someone struggles with it. So what do we do? How can we fight these attacks?
[PRAY]
Prayer is, as you know, so important to having a good relationship with God. One of the most important things I’ve learned along the lines of praying over sin is not to focus on the sin. I’ve found it most beneficial to take my prayer time and focus it toward walking closer to God, not towards praying against a certain sin. If you’re like me, you spend all your time praying away one sin only to have another pull your legs out from underneath of you.
Talk to God about your relationship. When things are good between you and God, that sin that so easily trips you up will be lost in God’s power. A heart devoted to Christ has little time to wander towards the things that dishonor Him. Dedicate your mind to knowing God more. When you do fall, confess your sin to God, and He in His faithfulness, He forgives you (1 John 1:9).
[SEARCH SCRIPTURE]
This seems to get lost in my life far too easily. The Bible is the Word of God, and as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, it is useful for teaching, correcting and training us to live God’s way. Check out Psalm 119 for what King David thought of God’s words. Search through the Bible, and you will find people who struggled with the same issues as you do. You will find others who address the issues you face. You will find God Himself speaking comfort to your heart. You are His child, and He has written this love letter for you to know Him and for you to know how to please Him.
[ACCOUNTABILITY]
I can’t stress this enough. I’ve gone through times with accountability, and I’ve gone through times without it, and I’d take the former over the latter every time. Confess your sins to each other, the Bible says. Be open with your friends in Christ, share your heart with them, and invest yourself in their lives as well. We do ourselves a great disservice and lie to ourselves when we believe we can go it alone and be okay. Ask someone to be there to pray for you, to ask you about certain areas of weakness in your life and how you are doing in those areas. Do the same for them; be the brothers that Christ intended you to be to each other.
These are a few basic but vital tools to use in order to combat sin in your life. This life is a journey, and there will be ups and downs, victories and defeats, successes and failures. The real questions then are what is the next step after you fail? Have you failed God? Are you branded the traitor for life?
I think the answer is seen in how Jesus responds to Peter before he disowns Jesus. In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus tells Peter that Satan had asked to sift him as wheat, but Jesus had prayed for Peter to keep faith. And Jesus said, "When you turn back, strengthen your brothers" [italics mine]. Jesus knew Peter would fall, but He prayed that Peter would keep the faith. Judas betrayed Christ and he lost faith, but Peter kept the faith, and as Jesus told him, he strengthened the brothers and spoke of Christ with power. I encourage you to keep the faith, turn back when you do fall and seek Christ’s face so that you may keep from falling. Find hope, strength and grace in the unchanging love of Christ.
[Roman Comer is a 21-year old student at Miami University. He enjoys photography and reading.]
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