I hate it. It makes me feel horrible. What am I talking about?
Sin.
I don’t understand myself at times. I look in the mirror and ask myself, “ Who is that guy and look at how much he sins.”
I want to do right. Most of the times I do, but it seems that there are times I am on this roller coaster where I do great, feel good, life is good. But then I stray and I don’t do great and I feel horrible and seems like life is horrible.
I do not understand why there are times I want to do what is right, but I don’t, I sin and do what I hate.
I feel like such a hypocrite at times because I know that what I am doing is wrong. My conscious is screaming in my brain “D O N ‘ T D O I T.”
And yet, what do I do?
Yep… the sin gets the better of me and I do it anyways.
I love God with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind. But there is war always going on inside me where that sin part of me is constantly battling me in my mind.
You know that cartoon were the devil is sitting on one shoulder and the angle on the other. At times that is what it really feels like.
I hate the fact that I am a slave to sin and that it is still inside me.
It is a miserable feeling of emptiness and despair. I feel like I let Christ and the Heavenly father down. I know that the Holy Spirit lives within me, but at times it is like He vacated the premises. “Hello… anyone home?” … ECHO….Echo…. echo.
The power that makes me a slave to sin still lives within me and I hate it.
At time is dominates everything about me, my thoughts, my actions, my emotions.
It truly is horrible.
But what is worse is that I try to change things within my own accord and “power” and every time I fail miserably.
There is an old saying “if you play in the devils playground, you’re going to get dirty.”
It happens every time, your sin nature wins and when you go look in the mirror you see the filthy wretch that you are.
Do you know what I am talking about?
Dear God how can I stay pure and do the right thing.
Thing is that we can’t. It is impossible. That is why we are a slave to sin. There is no escape while we are still here on this earth and living in these bodies. Our sin nature works against us daily and a lot of times our flesh wins out.
Now this does not mean we go around and just give into it.
We really need to try to fight against it, well let me correct that. We need to flee from our sin. IF we try to fight against it, we will ALWAYS fail and sin will get its way with us again.
“But Ray, it feels so good.”
Yeah, it does, but only for a season. That season can be a few minutes, few days few months or even a few years. But sooner or later that season will end and you will have to look at yourself in the mirror again and see the sinner that you are.
I am always reminded of that story “The Picture of Dorian Grey” who’s picture displays the sin and the man, Dorian, stays youthful doing as he pleases. One day he goes to the attic where is picture is and he sees his real sinful corrupt self .
The thing is that we have to remember is that we are still sinners in need of a savior. His blood covers all our sins.
We learn the following from 1 John 1:9, which is one of my favorite verses in scripture.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are not perfect, but we are forgiven. But we must strive to be better and not sin. Even Paul hated the fact that he was a slave to sin, could not help himself, and he still sinned.
We read his own account here…
Romans 7:14-25
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
How To Deal With The Struggle of Sin – Seven Tips / Life Applications
I am someone who does well with lists. They help me stay on track. When I stop following the lists, I have to admit that I blow it. The more I can make things habbit, the better I do in life.
So I want to present a list for you. Print it out, put it on your wall, bathroom mirror, cubical at work, where ever you can look it over and help stay free of sin.
NOW… is this a guarantee? No, we still are sinners in need of a savior living in sinful bodies that will ALWAYS choose sin over that of Christ given the first moment it can. But this list can help you push back and resist the sin. This list gives you something to “flee” to.
1 – God always will forgive us our sins. It is promise #1. Once we are forgiven we need to be humble ourselves and work to resist and flee from sin.
Read – 1 John 1:9 and James 4:4-10
2 – ALWAYS Wear The Armor of God and Learn To Fight in The Armor
Many of you know my teaching on the Armor of God. In fact if you login to the Prophezine website and go under the PZ Insider area, you can find bible studies I have produced, one of them being The Armor of God. Once you have on the armor, realize that you can do all things through Christ which Strengthens you. That does not mean that you go charging hell with a squirt gun. We resist and flee from sin, not fight it.
Read – Ephesians 6:10-13. Philippians 4:13, Philippians 1:6
3 – Remember that you are a Child of God and in that lies the Joy of your salvation.
Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
4 – Renew your mind with God’s Word and push out those things that are contrary to His Word.
Romans 12:1- 2 is one of my favorite verses.
Romans 12: 1- 2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Be not conformed to the world and renew your mind with His Word. Those are so critical. When we miss that, we start backsliding and sinning more till we look in the mirror and we are that ugly wretch of a sinner again.
5 – Get rid of things that are not Godly and causes you to sin.
Jesus said that if your hand offends thee, cut it off, if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out.
Now are we literally supposed to do that? I don’t think so. But we are to get rid of things that our hands would do, places or feet would walk and stop looking at things that we should not be looking at.
6 – Be Holy for God is Holy
Stay in the middle of the path and do now waver. If you always remain in the middle of the narrow path, you will not have to worry about stumbling off the side. Be holy because our Father in Heaven is holy.
I am reminded of the following…
Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Read – Lev 11:44 , 1 Pet 1:14-17, 2 Tim 1:9
7 – Do All Things for the Glory of God
Scripture says…
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
I hope this little check up from the neck up has helped.
I know that it has helped me and it is a good thing to do from time to time to make sure we remain on that narrow path and not stray over to that broad way.