Is there anything in your life that you continually struggle with? Is there something you find yourself doing, saying, or thinking over and over again (despite promises to yourself or someone else that you wouldn’t do that anymore)?
Is there something that you have repeatedly asked God to forgive you for, and then you find yourself right back in that same situation again? Meanwhile you continue to struggle in silence…
That’s exactly where I was. I was there for a long time, actually.
Is there a habitual sin in your life that you have just accepted as something you will always have to struggle with? Maybe it’s something that you don’t exactly want to broadcast to the world, so you can’t really talk to many people about it (if anyone).
Ephesians 6:12 states, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
God showed me one day that I was holding onto this sin, because (to me) it was part of who I was, since I struggled with it for what seems like f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I may not have liked dealing with it, but it was very difficult for me to see myself not having to struggle with this. God revealed to me (again) that because I’m born again, that really isn’t who I am anymore. Knowing that in my head and accepting that with my heart were two different things, though.
When satan would throw his darts at me, I usually tried to ignore it. That was my strategy. Well, it wasn’t working! It wasn’t working, because I eventually ended up letting my guard down and I wandered right back into the same old trap. I’ll never forget what one of my pastors once said to me a few years ago. When I told her that I was trying to ignore this, she asked me if Jesus ignored satan when he tempted Him in the wilderness.
When satan would tempt Jesus, did Jesus fight back with God’s Word, or did He turn away to say, “Wow, look at those flowers over there. Aren’t they beautiful?” That’s a funny example, but it really showed me that I had not been using what God gave me to fight my battles.
We have to fight our battles with the weapon God gave us.
When you ignore any bondage in your life – it grows. It’s kind of like a weed. If I ignore the weeds in my garden, they will continue to grow and take over the whole garden. I can only “conquer” them by pulling them out by the roots. Weeds always grow back. You don’t just pull them out once and never have to do it again. This is something that has to be done continually.
You may be tired of fighting.
Sometimes it seems easier to ignore it and hope it will go away. Sometimes it seems just too painful to fight. It’s not just going to go away all by itself, though. All unconfessed sin eventually leads to death of some kind. It just leads down a slippery slope of death.
James 1:15 states, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Sound extreme? Sin is nothing to take lightly. It always leads you down a pathway of death.
If you have any particular sin that keeps creeping back into your life, you are not alone. 1 Peter 5:8.9 states, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”
The good news is we have a loving, all-knowing and powerful God who shows us how to conquer these things! Confess your sin to God, repent and ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him to show you what changes you need to make in your life in order to help combat any strongholds.
If you are in this situation, confide in a pastor or trusted friend. I’ve learned first hand that when sin is brought out into the open, it has less power over you. Maybe you deal with a sin that you think is no big deal, so you take it lightly. ALL unconfessed sin leads you away from God, no matter how big or small the sin seems to you. Turn to God, and let Him help you.
Thank you, Jesus, that you are always with me. Thank you for showing me who I am IN YOU. I am no longer who I was. There is nothing that is hidden from You. I thank you that I have kept my heart tender enough to receive those little taps on the shoulder when you give them to me. Thank you for your convictions, because they are warnings of impending danger. Thank you for giving me armor to fight that battles that come against me. I stand in faith for Your healing and deliverance. You are such a loving Father.
