One Step Forward, Three Steps Back

I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  ~ Romans 7:21-24

Can you identify with the cry from the heart that comes from the apostle Paul?  If you've been a Christian for any length of time, I would imagine that, like myself, the answer is "yes".

From Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free, we find another lie Satan uses to place us in bondage:

Lie 17:  I Cannot Walk in Consistent Victory Over Sin

Even after our salvation, our "flesh" persists in waging war against God's Spirit within us.  We give the flesh more control over us every time we choose to give in and establish behavior and habit patterns that can be excruciatingly difficult to break.......and yet, if we choose to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we give Him greater control over our lives.

When we choose to believe the lie that we cannot walk in consistent victory over temptation and sin, he has successfully enslaved us to the sinful habits we so want to break.  We  can become convinced that "it's no use", or think "what's the point ~ I'm just going to blow it again" and give up.

"Remember that what we believe determines the way we live.  If we believe we are going to sin, then we will.  If we believe we have to live in bondage, then we will.  If we believe that we can't live victorious lives, we won't." ~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

How do we break the bondage of this lie?  We must come to the realization that it is beyond us to change ourselves (1 John 15:5)..... it is beyond us to to set ourselves free.  Relying on our own determination and strength to change our deeply ingrained sinful habits that hold us in bondage leaves us destined to take "one step forward and two steps back (or three, four, five, six.....).

If you are in Christ, if you have experienced the salvation that comes from God......let His Truth set you free:

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness......through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of Life set me free from the law of sin and death." ~ Romans 6:18, 8:2

Every true believer desires to live a life that is pleasing to God.  If  you do not have such desire within you, even if it's deep down and possibly hindered by enslavement to your sin nature and Satan's lies, perhaps you should question whether you have ever been truly converted.  We have all been born into the same fallen, sinful condition and are all under the righteous judgement of God.

Through the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary, we can be forgiven and be reconciled with God and have the power to  live holy lives.  We do not receive forgiveness by being "good", but by faith and repentance.  Satan wants to keep us in bondage to fear, doubt and guilt.  No matter how great a sinner you may have been, his blood and grace are sufficient to cover them all and is the only way to victory and right standing with God.

Whether you are a new believer or have known the Lord for sometime, our prayer should be as that of the Puritans:

"Grant me never to lose sight of

the exceeding sinfulness of sin,

the exceeding righteousness of salvation,

the exceeding glory of Christ,

the exceeding beauty of holiness,

the exceeding wonder of grace."

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Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.

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May we take up our cross daily and follow Him......so that we may have Victory in Jesus over sin and in every area of our lives.

♫ I heard an old, old story, How a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary To save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning, Of His precious blood's atoning,

Then I repented of my sins And won the victory.

Chorus

O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing, Of His cleansing pow'r revealing.

How He made the lame to walk again And caused the blind to see;

And then I cried, "Dear Jesus, Come and heal my broken spirit,"

And somehow Jesus came and bro't To me the victory.

~Chorus~

O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory.

And I heard about the streets of gold Beyond the crystal sea;

About the angels singing, And the old redemption story,

And some sweet day I'll sing up there The song of victory.

~Chorus~

O victory in Jesus,My Savior, forever.

He sought me and bought me With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory, Beneath the cleansing flood. ♫