AN END TO HABITUAL SIN

An End to Habitual Sin

Read | Ephesians 6:10-11

Satan looks for weak spots in a believer’s life where he can set up a stronghold. Once his fortress is established, he knows that the person will justify it, defend it, and keep adding bricks to it, one sin at a time. The appeal can be so strong that we return to a habitual sin even after confessing before God. Satan whispers, “One more time won’t hurt,” and we fall to temptation again. Just as in medieval times when armies warred over high rock fortresses, a sin stronghold is usually the ground for a skirmish. We might expect the fight to be primarily between God and Satan, but that’s not the case—the Lord can knock down the Devil’s walls instantly. Instead, the struggle goes on within our spirit: Do we want God to break our habit or not? Giving up habitual sin is hard. The sinner finds comfort, pleasure, and/or satisfaction in the practice. Hot on the heels of those emotions, however, are guilt, shame, and despair, which drive a person to plead for help. But holy God cannot cleanse unrighteousness until people genuinely repent. True repentance means that a believer sees a sin for the wickedness that it is and turns his back on it. And we turn away as often as it takes—one time, a hundred times, or every single day for the rest of our lives. Just thinking about giving up a sinful habit brings some people to the brink of despair. They want to be free of a stronghold, but the thought of resisting temptation makes them feel weak. Here is good news: the Holy Spirit’s power is enough to enable any believer to walk away. That includes you. Copyright 2011 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only. If we take God’s Word seriously, and believe it all to be His Gospel Truth, the simplest way to end “habitual sin” is to follow this one verse, and not question its applicability in your life,… John 14:15 “ If you love me, keep my commands”. 

"ARE YOU A JUNKIE"?

ARE YOU A “JUNKIE”?

“It takes a “junkie” to know a “junkie”!

“Junkies” come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. “Junkies” are white, black, brown, and yellow, young, old, fat and skinny, male and female, and everything in between! “Junkies” are all ages and faiths, denominations, nationalities, and political persuasions. “Junkies” are anyone who needs to ingest “junk” into their bodies to make them “feel good”! Whether your “junk” of choice is consumed in liquid form, smoked, snorted, injected, or ingested as food, or swallowed as a pill, whether the “junk” you’re consuming is white, black, green, brown, or yellow, if you’re consuming it to get high and escape reality, you’re a “Junkie”! Also known as an addict! Most likely a hopeless addict in a world offering very little hope or help to the millions suffering with addictions who are seeking help from any of the addiction recovery programs that the secular world has to offer! The billion dollar “war on drugs” has proven to be hopeless, most of the 12-step addiction recovery programs have proven to be hopeless, offering little more than relentless ‘relapse”, incarceration has proven to be hopeless, and all of your own personal efforts have proven to be hopeless. And the latest effort, to take away the “stigma” from addictions will most assuredly prove to fail! If we have a conscience, “stigma” will cause guilt, which may lead a few “junkies” to God for forgiveness, and to be set free from their addictions! The only Hope for “junkies” and all other sinners is found in the one true Living God, who sent His Son Jesus Christ as a Sacrifice for our sin and “drunkenness”! If you’re tired of being a “junkie”, and ready to admit it and turn to God for Salvation and deliverance, do so today because time and life are short, and you can be Saved and Sober tomorrow!