How to Overcome Sin
- Be Aware of the Threat
The first plan of attack as soldiers in Christ's army is the simplest, yet one of the most neglected components of battling sin; recognizing the threat of sin in the first place. Most believers do not recognize the blood thirst of sin and the hatred Satan has for them. As a result, most believers live as civilians, not soldiers, entering the line of battle with no armour or plan of action, while Satan’s fiery darts are hurled at them. The Bible describes sin as a lurking foe, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike (Gen 4:7). Satan, similarly, is a predator, seeking out prey to devour (1 Peter 5:8-9). Using sin, he desires to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10). The threat of sin to destroy your life is very real and thus, to overcome it, the believer is called to be vigilant, alert and sober-minded (1 Peter 5:8; Eph. 6:10; 1 Peter 4:1-7). We are called to be discerning of these schemes and their reality. With such attitudes, it is only then that we can take an active role in fighting sin, beginning with equipping our minds.
- Conform Your Mind
As a people who have been set free from the controlling influence of sin through Jesus death on the cross, God now calls the believer to be set into a new nature (2 Cor. 5:7). We are now enabled to make God’s ways the controlling influence in our life instead of sin’s ways (Romans 12:1-2). What our minds and hearts are set on are indicators of the course we will take (Proverbs 4:23). A mind set on sin will lead to sin, but a mind set on the things of God will lead to the avoidance of sin and a life of righteousness (Romans 8:5-6). The conforming and renewal of the mind is manifold, all based on setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2). Instead of earthly things, we fix our minds on things of the Spirit and His fruit (Gal. 5:13-26; Rom. 8:5-6). Instead of what pleases our flesh, we learn and set our minds on what pleases God and His will for our lives (1 John 2:15-17; Eph. 5:9-10, 15-17). Instead of what is immediate, we fix our eyes on eternity and begin to treasure the things of heaven in our hearts (Mat 6:21). We conform our minds, through the washing of the Spirit and training of scripture by hiding His word in our hearts so that when faced with sin, we recall his principles and reject our evil desires (Psalm 119:11). In conforming our minds, with the power of the Spirit, we make our desires His desires so that we are not led away by our own sinful flesh (James1:13-15). By the renewing work of God’s Spirit, God’s will becomes more desirable and sin less desirable.
- Discipline Your Flesh
Partnered with conforming our minds, scripture calls us to discipline our flesh. The word discipline represents an intentional action on the part of the believer. It is developing a way of living that does not come naturally but through advanced training and regime. Paul in his analogy of disciplining the flesh compares the experience to that of an athlete who puts his own body under severe pressure, doing whatever it takes to not fail in this race towards Christ (1 Cor. 9:24-27). As it is in the gym, in order to get stronger, one must train regularly, challenge themselves daily, and refrain from habits that compromise growth. All believers should adopt a similar attitude when it comes to disciplining the flesh. Instead of training oneself to be more sinful by practicing sinfulness, the believer trains them self to be righteous and avoid sin through practicing godliness (1 Tim 4:7-10; 1 Thess. 4:5-8). Whatever we feed in this life will eventually grow. The more we feed sin, the more sin will come about and the more we feed righteousness the more righteousness will come about (Gal. 6:8). In addition to training in godliness, we separate ourselves from what hinders us by living holy lives (1 Peter 1:14-17). This separation includes distancing ourselves from sinful behaviours, but also disconnecting from sinful environments. This separation may include some of the media you consume, the places you attend, and even the company you keep (2 Cor. 7:1; 2 Cor. 6:14-18, 7:1; 2 Tim 2:22). Anything that is not of benefit to our pursuit with Christ we must rid ourselves of, and we should make whatever sacrifice necessary to live a faithful life in Christ (Col. 3:1-17). We take a radical approach with sin, removing anything that is not of benefit to us even if it’s temporarily costly (Matt 5:29-30; 1 Peter 4:1-7)
- Depend on Christ
In the end, it is only through the power of God that any believer can fight off sin. Too often the believer lives life in ignorance of this fact, attempting to battle sin on their own. If the believer can begin to understand their full need and dependency on Christ, the fight against sin becomes easier. Followers of Jesus should put their full faith in God, offering their lives as instruments of righteousness (Rom 6:10-14), prisoners of Christ (Eph. 4:1), living holy lives in gratitude for what God has done. It is in this submission that resisting the devil and his schemes will be effective (James 4:7-8). The Christian must depend on the grace of God, that not only forgives but gives us the strength to overcome sin (Titus 2:11-14). Further, we must rely on the Holy Spirit who gives us the self-control to resist sin and its temptations when they eventually arise (2 Tim 1:6-7). Finally, the Christian must come to the Lord in prayer, without ceasing, asking the Lord to keep them from temptation and to give them victory over Satan's schemes (Eph. 6:18, Matt 6:13). No amount of self-effort or mental fortitude can help you overcome sin. It is only God who can make this happen.
- Embrace Community
The body of believers is an amazing help that Christ has given to help defeat sin. Believers can look to the saints of the faith, who battled sin, won through Christ, and at this very moment are cheering the Christian on in their race of faithfulness right now for encouragement (Heb. 12:1-3). Not only this but the believer can also find the strength to overcome sin through the local church, in which every individual is walking through the same fight against sin. Together we spur one another on toward good deeds and dealing with sin in our lives (Heb. 10:19-25). Through God’s church we’ll find prayer for strength, wisdom, guidance, and encouragement to push on.
- Fear the Lord
Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10), and this wisdom extends into our battle of sin. Paul calls the believer to live out their salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12-13). The ultimate reality for each person is that one day we must stand before a holy judge to give an account for everything we’ve done. In the same way that a child may avoid disobeying their parents, due to the reverence they have for their parent and the potential judgement that might come from wrongdoing, the child of God should have a similar holy fear of the Father, not wanting to disappoint nor face the wrath of the God who will judge sin.
Conclusion
In our war against sin, we must equip ourselves with the full armour of God to even stand a chance in the battle (Eph. 6:10-20). In equipping ourselves with this armour, alongside the tactics God has given us to defeat sin above, we can be confident that a God honouring life is possible. It should be noted that in our battle with sin, there will inevitably be moments of failure, but we should deeply thankful to Jesus Christ, our advocate, who atones and forgives us for our past, present and future sins (1 John 2:1-2). In all this we can stay strong and fight the good fight of faith!