The trouble that you are having with sin stems from one of two problems. 1. You are unsaved and therefore incapable of getting victory over sin. 2. Or else, you are saved and don't know the scriptures that you need to believe to strengthen your faith in the battle with this particular sin.
So, if you are unsaved, check out the section on our web site under the tab "Eternal Life." That is a plain presentation of the gospel that will help you get saved. If you need more help in this area, you are welcome to write back and I will try to direct you to the verses that will show you how to be saved.
If you are saved but you are defeated by a particular sin, then we have a different thing to deal with. Following are some verses that should address your particular trouble. Please read the verses very carefully and meditate on them until the Holy Spirit gives you some light. My comments behind the references are only intended to emphasize something in the verses that can help you.
- 1 Cor. 10:13 - your trouble with temptation is a common problem that all people have. They may not do the same sin that you do, but they are all tempted exactly the same way. It's God's faithfulness that gets us through the temptation, not our own resolve. And there is a way to escape every time, if you will trust God to get you through.
- James 1:14-15 - The root of your problem is lust. Lust leads to sin and sin leads to death. So, this is a serious problem.
- Rom. 7:15-21 - Your new birth in Christ didn't get rid of your problem with sin in the flesh. That problem will not go away until you die or are raptured. So, you have to learn how to fight it and win.
- Rom. 6:13-14 - One of the ways to win is "don't yield" to the temptation. People get the idea that they can imagine a thing in their minds without sinning. No way. The least amount of thinking on a particular sin allows the flesh to build a lust that will not be satisfied until you "give in." The way to fight is to not even think about the sin for one second. And then yield to the Holy Spirit instead of to the lustful thoughts.
- 2 Cor. 10:3-6 - Allow Christ to take control of your mind. He will do that as you read your Bible. It takes about 10 pages of reading each day to get the mind under Christ's control. Read from Genesis all the way to Revelation and read it over and over.
- 1 Cor. 6:9-11 - Believe what the Bible says in regard to God's forgiveness. The devil tries to defeat you by getting you to look at your sin. God encourages you by getting you to look at what you are after you get saved. You are washed (that's clean), sanctified (that's set apart as a clean vessel to do something for God - you wash the dishes so that you can use them again - God washed you so that he can use you, if you'll let him), and justified (that's declared "not guilty" at a judgment before God - your sins were judged at Calvary and you are "not guilty."). Look at the sins in the list. They are vile. But the people who committed those things are no longer what they used to be. And neither are you if you will simply believe what God said about it and yield yourself to do God's will instead of your own.
- Heb. 9:14 - Plead the blood. That is, when the thought comes up, cry out to the Lord to put it under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Phil. 4:8 - Occupy your mind with pure thoughts.
- Phil. 3:13 - Forget the past. The devil uses guilt over the past to get you to think about the sin again. It's a clever way to bring up the lustful thoughts and to discourage you. Instead, look at the things that are before you and the things that God wants you to become and to do.
- Col. 3:23-24 - Dedicate your time to serving the Lord. Do everything you can to glorify him.
- Rom. 2:15-16, Heb 4:12-13 - If a thought comes up that you just can't shake, don't hide it from God, because He knows it anyway. Instead, tell Him that you want Him to display it on a drive-in movie screen right in front of His throne. Tell Him, that if he doesn't like the sight, to turn it off. He will!!
- Rom. 6:11-12 - Remember that, as far as God is concerned, you are physically a "dead man." Corpses don't give in to lust - they can't.
I hope this helps. We are not talking about an overnight success and change. These are tools that you will use till you die. Is you follow them, you will find yourself strengthening over time. Be patient and be practical. If you fall, get back up and keep going for God.
Sincerely in Christ,
Pastor Welder
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