Victory Over Sin

Hey everyone!  Today, I want to encourage you with a website that I found on the internet about getting "victory over sin"  I have made a condensed version of it below, but if you would like to read the entire version, The link is at the bottom of this post.

I know that almost everyone made decisions at Chill-Out on the little sins in your life.  So did I!  If you are reading this post and you were not at Chill-Out, I am sure that you are battling some sin in your life, because Satan is on the move.  This "message" is something that we all need.  I hope that this is an encouragement to you, and that it will encourage you to keep serving the Lord.


#1 When you sin, it is because you want to

"The devil made me do it," is a fallacy. The only thing that Satan can do is tempt you in order to draw out the lusts that are already resident within your wicked human heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Jesus himself talked about the heart in Matthew 15:19:

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: You need to say this out loud:

"Dear Lord, I LIKE to ________________________ (fill in the blank with your sin). This is sin Lord. I willingly do it because I like it. Father, I feel so guilty when I do this but I keep doing it over and over again anyway. I have insincerely prayed for this sin to cease. Please forgive me in accordance with 1 John 1:9."

#2 When you are tempted to sin, you have a decision to make

What decisions are set in front of you?

• "I am going to do it."
• "I am not going to do it".

The decision rests with you alone. No person and no devil MAKES you to sin. No one puts a gun to your head. You need to admit that you sin of your own evil volition. Your own lust leads you to commit sin.
James 1:13-15 is very instructive concerning how temptation turns into actual sin. Man takes his own silly, evil self into sin. Temptation is not sin, sucumbing to it is.

James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: You need to...

Realize that when temptation to sin comes your way you have a choice to make. You are not helpless. Jesus died to redeem you from the curse! There is victory in Jesus! Don't keep sinning and then asking God to deliver you. It is up to you to say, "No!" when the sin comes your way. We are going to talk about some things to decrease the number of times you are tempted as well as how to get out of those times you are about to sucumb. You can pray something like this-- "Father God, I am so weak and gutless and disobedient. Please forgive me. Please help me to stop going as an ox to the slaughter when it comes to sin. Even a simple bird will not fly into trap that it can see. In the past, I haven't had the sense of a bird. I see a trap and keep on walking right into it. A wild animal has more sense than I have had. I've been ridiculous, please drive this point home to me Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."

 #3 How to actually get victory

Ask God's blessing on everything you do

This is an extremely important point. Get in the habit of asking God's blessing on the different activities in your life. When you feel tempted to sin, say out loud, "Lord, be THOU exalted" and then take the proper course of action. You need to say that OUT LOUD. Many times your flesh will tell you not to say it because you want to do the evil, but if you are a Christian and you say this OUT LOUD I do not see how you can go ahead and sin.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: You need to pray...

"Father God, please give me remembrance to ask your blessing on ALL that I do. If I cannot ask your blessing on it, it is SIN. Please convict me. Please increase my desire to do Thy will, O God. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Stay away from bad influences and keep your mind on God

When we think like this old wicked world, our minds are alienated from Christ. The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. The battle here is NOT really over your particular sin. The battle is for YOUR MIND. There are all kinds of minds in the scriptures. Where are you in this list?

1. There are pure minds: II Peter 3:1...your pure minds...
2. There are corrupt minds:
   I Timothy 6:5 and II Timothy 3:8... men of corrupt minds...
   II Corinthians11:3 But I fear, lest by any means...your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
3. There are weary and faint minds Hebrews 12:3 ...lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds...
4. There are minds kept by God: Philippians 4:7 ...the peace of God...shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
5. There are blind minds II Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. (see also II Cor 3:14)
6. There are minds that have been made evil affected by wicked men. Acts 14:2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.
   PRACTICAL APPLICATION: You need to say this out loud:
   

   "Lord I need a change of mind. I've been letting my mind wander and meditate on evil things. I have not read your word like I should and I have not obeyed like I should. As a result, my life seems out of control in some areas. I hereby confess that the Bible is true and that I will discipline myself to read it and obey it continually. Please increase my desire for Thee. In Jesus' name, Amen."

   
   Get rid all things that cause you temptation

Jesus said if thine eye offend thee pluck it out! In other words, remove from you that which causes you to offend.


Fill your life with serving the Lord

The Christian life is not about warming a pew bench on Sundays, it is about serving the Lord. Because many professing Christians DON'T serve the Lord, they have a lot of idle time on their hands and they fill up their time like the world does. This is unacceptable to the Lord. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. We have an article on spiritual gifts and the characteristics of people that have various gifts.

Here are several ideas:

Memorize Scripture
Fast and Pray
Serve in your church
Help others with their problems




#4 Remember that we have the victory THROUGH CHRIST

Never forget that our Lord and Master Jesus Christ is powerful! If He could raise the dead, make the deaf to hear, heal the blind man and the leper--He can handle our needs.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: You need to say this out loud:

"Lord Jesus, I know that you CAN DO ANYTHING and that I have the victory through your blood, I am sorry for my spiritual slothfulness and lack of discipline."

MEDITATION VERSES: I Corinthians 15:57 and I John 5:4

There is only one reason we exist, to exalt the name of Jesus Christ and His doctrine. This life is not about you in any respect. It is about Jesus. When a man truly gets ahold of this, he has stepped into a whole other spiritual realm...you will feel peace, purpose, understanding, wisdom and knowledge. Your life will truly be hid in Christ. Not just in word, but in fact. 



http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/victory.htm