How can I overcome a habitual sin?
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How can I overcome a habitual sin? Why are habitual sins so difficult to defeat?
overcome habitual sin
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- How do I overcome a habitual sin? We're going to answer that question.
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- The first thing to consider in how to overcome a habitual sin is to note the change that takes place when a person is saved.
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- The Bible describes the natural man as dead in sin and trespasses. As a result of Adam's fall into sin, man is born spiritually dead.
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- In this state, man is unable and unwilling to obey God, and habitual sin follows naturally.
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- When a person is saved, a transformation takes place. Paul refers to this as the new creation.
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- From the moment we place our faith in Christ, we are in the process of sanctification.
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- Sanctification is the process in which those who are saved are conformed by the
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- Holy Spirit into the image of Christ. Sanctification in this life will never be fully complete, meaning that believers will always struggle with sin.
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- Paul describes this battle with sin in Romans 7, 15 -25. He does the evil he doesn't want to do and fails to do the good that he wants to do.
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- Here, he is describing every Christian's struggle with sin. James says we all sin in many ways.
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- Experience tells us that we all struggle with sin differently, perhaps one sin being more of a tripping point for one believer than another.
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- We refer to a sin that is particularly difficult for us to overcome as a habitual sin.
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- These besetting sins are often, but not exclusively, habits that we developed during our lives as unbelievers and require more grace and discipline to overcome.
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- Part of the process of overcoming these habitual sins is recognizing the transformation that has taken place within the believer.
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- Paul writes, So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ.
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- Paul is telling us to remember that, in coming to Christ, the power of sin has been broken in our lives.
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- As Christians, we are set free from sin's mastery over us. Therefore, when a Christian sins, it is no longer out of the necessity of his nature, but because he has willfully submitted himself to sin.
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- For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
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- The Christian struggle against sin is one in which our ability does not match our desire.
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- That is why we need the power of the Holy Spirit who works sanctification in the people of God.
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- Habitual sin is overcome as we submit to God and refuse the temptations of the flesh.
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- Another part of the process of overcoming habitual sin is to change the habits that facilitate it.
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- A relevant story is that of Joseph and Potiphar's wife. We must take every effort to run from the things that tempt us to sin.
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- This means removing the things that tempt us even when we enjoy them. In short, we have to change the habits that lead to habitual sin.
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- Finally, we need to immerse ourselves in the truth of the gospel. The gospel is not just the means of salvation, but also the means by which we are sanctified.
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- If we think we are saved by grace, but sanctified by our own efforts, we fall into error.
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- Sanctification is as much a work of God as justification. The promise we have from scripture is that he who began a good work in us will complete it on the last day.
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- That answers the question, how do I overcome a habitual sin? Research this question further on our website,
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