Fighting temptation...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michael on November 26, 2010 at 10:47am

Our sanctification ( which means our holiness or to be seperated to God in righteousness) was paid for at the cross. Romans chapter 6 That does not mean that we will live perfect. But we will not live according to the old nature or sinful nature.
I John 1:6-9 " If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, is in the light, we have fellowship on the another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When we come to Christ we get a new nature so that we do not "walk in darkness" We do not live a sinful lifestyle. We always must go back to the cross for gorivness. This is by design. God wants us to be dependent upon him. The struggle against sin and the old nature builds strength and our relationship with God.

Take courage the Bible is full of imperfect people that God used for His glory. David the King of Isreal committed adlutry and murder. But he was quick to repent when confronted by God's prophet Recorded in II Samuel chapters 11 and 12. And David was a man after God's own heart.

I am not saying that sin is alright. We should never try and justify our sin. David had some horrible consequences for his failure. But God did not through him away either.

Hebrew 4:15-16 For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Chirst did not save us just to let us fail but has made a way of escape when we do fail. And He wants us to depend upon Him at all times.

I hope this helps
Is. 26:3 "Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee."

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ashley Nicole on November 26, 2010 at 9:46pm

You have no idea how much this helps. It seems like there are so many things in my life going wrong but at the end of the day all i need is the lord, andhis son. Thank you for taking the time to reply that means the world to me and i feel so much better and have another insight to whats really going on. May God bless you

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on November 27, 2010 at 11:29am

Romans 7:
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Checkout these verses sis. Sin seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. We were lost in sin, it does not matter if you were a first rate criminal or a person who was trying to live a good life and even thought of your self as a morally righteous person, the truth is before Christ we are all lost and blind. Now that our eyes are open to the reality of this world, that there is a righteous, holy, beautiful God and our nature has been changed. We are new creations in all bodies, we realize that many of our past attitudes, thoughts and actions fall short from pleasing our Lord and King. Sin is crazy though, we are so use to it that it becomes a life time process to become Christ like. Our old flesh which has not been regenerated/made new now realizes that many of the things we use to do we should not do, but being that we by nature are rebellious that knowledge produces all kinds of desires. in a nut shell once we find out that we should not do something our flesh/our sinful nature wants to do it, so the commandments of our Lord which let us know what sin is are used by our sinful nature to wonder how it is to do that which we should not do.

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So Paul continues and says: What in the world is going on, now that I understand those things that are not pleasing to God and beyond that I even understand that the mere prohibition of something is gonna give my flesh a desire to do that very thing I should not do. how do I overcome this condition, because I am being torture here as I continue to mess up, doing what I do not want to do. I no longer want to do those things, I want to serve God but I keep getting beat up by sin.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.

The verses above are the key to our present condition. Paul says, ok after analyzing these horrible predicament I now find my self in this is what I understand. my inner man is born again. I am a new creature in an old body, which is use to sinning and it won't stop sinning until is made new at death and resurrection of the body occurs. but in the mean time he cries out I am a wretched man, desiring to do good I continue to mess up, who will rescue me from this body that likes to sin. And here comes the answer - Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

You first have to believe and grasp that the sacrifice of Christ broke the power of sin in our lives, through Christ we are empower to be free from sin. Paul already established that we will not be sinless ever in this life, but we can through Christ live holy lives. Lives that make us free people. A people who bring glory to God and in those times that we fail God through Paul reminds us in the very next chapter's first verse that -... there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. now if we walk in the Spirit, which is extremely possible if we abide in the word/the bible/in Chits we come to know truths that empower us to be walk in freedom.

Lil sis God has not called us to walk in freedom and not given us the means to do it, that would be insane, but he has giving us 66 books full of wisdom to live out loud for Him and not be a victim of our own nature, but instead cry out with our Lives, He lives and because He lives I AM FREE TO RUN, I AM FREE TO DANCE, I AM FREE TO LIVE FOR GOD, I AM FREE.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Susanne Dunn on January 10, 2011 at 12:12am

Dearest Ashley:  I too had battles every hour of every day after I became a Christian. I was fortunate enough to have a study guide to help me through those first months. The very first chapter was "What is Sin?" I thought I knew, but I was clueless. Throughout the first chapter I had to forgive my enemy's and ask forgiveness from them (hypothetically). Constantly there were thoughts running through my mind that were sinful and I felt I was achieving nothing, until I read a chapter about dealing with demons. Unlike God, demons of any sort cannot read your mind. You have to speak out loud to them and the suggestion was, to raise my voice loudly so they'd be sure to hear me, fortunately I live in a secluded area so the neighbors couldn't hear. I would say. "By the power of the Holy Spirit I command you to leave me" Miraculously they would leave, honest! I did this every time a thought or a picture would enter my mind. Little by little Satan got bored with me and left. Very seldom do I have to repeat those words. Even if you whisper it will work, as long as you verbalize. Try it a few times Ashley I think you'll be surprised. I do talk to God out loud too, it works best when people think I'm talking to myself, and I lov the reactions I get whwen I say I'm talking with God. All of those thoughts and temptations are coming straight from Satan himself, he has no respect for you so show him none. If it feels wrong it probably is and there is no even fight for both sides. You either go with God, and He will help you all the way, or succumb to Satan, and he can be stopped. I want to hear you yelling at him clear over here on the west coast.

I will keep you in my prayers Ashley, the battle can be won by giving it to God. He loves to see a good fight. God Bless you my dear, you have a wonderful world waiting for you. Surround yourself with God's glory, He will keep you in His arms forever. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ashley Nicole on January 11, 2011 at 9:41am

Thank you again Linda Michael David Lb and susanne this has been so helpful sometimes I feel as if im drifting away or not as connected as I should be but sunday my church had an amazing service that truly touched my spirit and with all of your encouragment this is truly helping thank you all so much

• ▶ Reply