Sunday, January 8, 2017

How To Beat Habitual Sins


Proverb 26:11- “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly”.
                                                                                                                    
Every Christian that is not in heaven yet struggles with sin. Even Paul, a great apostle, struggled with sin (Rom. 7:15-24) after founding churches and a great spiritual giant. Don’t let anyone lie to you that you will not struggle with sin after salvation. Sin is something that hinders our spiritual growth or affects our relationship with God. They are things that bible abhors irrespective of whether it is culture inclined or acceptable by any national law. Habitual sin is like a dog going back to its vomit. Although it prevents you from being closer to God, you end up going back to it- it has become addictive and a habit.

What is “habitual sin?”
It is a sin which you know to be wrong before you do it, but then choose to forge ahead anyway. It unfolds within a powerfully defeating cycle of temptation, decision, and guilt. Satan is a master of deception and often rules each of these stages with surprising influence and stealth.

Some examples of habitual sin, but not limited to, are pornography, alcohol, smoking, drugs, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, adultery, gambling, anger, idolatry, reveling, banqueting, cheating, drunkenness, etc.

Know this before beating it
1. Prayer alone cannot help you.
2. All the sinful habits of a person do not suddenly disappear when he becomes a Christian.
3. Completely putting away a sinful habit is a step by step process that requires time, faith, patience, and perseverance.

Consequences of habitual sin
1. By frequent repetition, sin becomes habits that are hard to stop!
2. They are not only hard to put away, but often progress from bad to worse.
3. Destroys your relationship with God
4. It steals your spiritual gift through constant guilt
5. It grieves the Holy Spirit
6. It isolates you from good friends or group
7. Opens you up to all kinds of demonic attacks
8. Makes you hostile to the word of God.

How to overcome habitual sin
1. Admit that you have a problem and need help. (Proverbs 28:13).  Often believers are in      denial or unaware of the habits that they have. God can’t help you as long as you    don’t admit that you have a problem.
2. Seek godly counseling from matured believers because these habitual sins are often deep seated in the subconscious or firmly implanted in the heart. Trouble is, many people don’t seek counseling because of shame. Remember, shame is the weapon Satan uses to arrest you in your habitual sins. Psalm 119:11.
3. Establish accountability and take stock of your life. (2corin. 13:5). You might have already got rid of the problem but the old habits might be lurking around with the hope of returning and regaining control over your life.
4. Remain occupied with God’s work and not live idle.(matt. 28:29-30, Eph. 4:11-15). Remain occupied by serving in local church, youth group etc. Develop a hobby. Jesus said in Matthew 5:29-30, if your right eye causes you to sin pluck it out and throw it away.
5. Guard your weaker areas carefully: Your weakest point is the strongest point in you as long as you guard it carefully. Refrain from groups or activities that cause you to go back to sin.
6. Resist the devil.  The devil can only tempt you but can’t force you into sin. Therefore submit yourself to God in times of temptation and resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7
7. Prayer and fasting. (matt. 17:21). Beat the body into subjection (1corin. 9:25-27).
8. Study the word of God and be devoted to it because the mind or heart must be retrained or filled with the word of God. Psalms 119:11

Finally
God has called us to a life of holiness. Without getting rid of that habitual sin, all the promises of God will elude us. We need to immerse ourselves in the truth of the gospel, by prayer and fasting and the conscious effort to live in obedience to God’s word, we will overcome these habitual sins that beset our growth in the God.


Rom. 6:23 says: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.  Let’s seek God in righteousness and eternal life shall be ours. Amen!

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