The goal of every Christian is to learn how to overcome sin and embrace Jesus. Sin is most simply defined as any thought, word, or action that goes against the moral laws or commandments of God. Whether it’s lying, cheating, stealing, sexual immorality, or indulging in other vices, many of us struggle with sin and find it difficult to overcome its grip.
However, the good news is that it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf and start living a life free from sin. In this post, we’ll explore some practical tips and strategies for how to conquer temptations, overcome sin, and live a more virtuous life.
Whether you’re struggling with a particular shortcoming, or simply want to live a more morally upright life, the tips and techniques discussed in this post can help you on your journey toward spiritual growth and self-improvement. So, if you’re ready to take the first step toward a more Christ-like life, let’s dive in and explore how to overcome the sin that weighs you down.
How To Overcome Sin
How do I stop sinning? That’s a fantastic question.
Truly.
If someone could bottle up that answer and sell it they could become a millionaire overnight!
Before we start answering that question, though, let me ask you one: Why do you want to stop sinning? For what purpose?
Please don’t say ‘because the bible says so.’
I want to know why you want to stop.
It is so you can go to Heaven? That’s a noble reason. Why do you want to go there?
Have you ever asked yourself that question? Go ahead. Think about it for a moment.
Why do you want to go?
If your primary reason for wanting to go to Heaven is anything other than wanting to be with Jesus, you’re probably not going.
Let me explain…
You don’t get to go to Heaven solely because you don’t want to go to Hell.
You won’t be granted access only because you have friends and family that you want to see again.
God will not open those pearly gates to you because you think that Heaven sounds like a nice place to be.
You wouldn’t even gain access if you were somehow able to miraculously learn how to overcome sin from this day forward. There is only one way to gain entry into that glorious place.
Make Jesus The Lord Of Your Life
If you want to spend eternity in the presence of the Almighty God, then you must accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe]. (Acts 16:31 AMP)
When you truly believe in and follow Jesus, your life will change. The ‘old man’ (which is your carnal, fleshly self) dies, and the ‘new man’ (the Spirit of God that enters your spirit at salvation) is made alive inside of you.
The Spirit of God inside you will teach you how to overcome sin and temptation.
That transference will cause you to stop living the way you used to live, and then start living for Christ. When the old man dies, so do his old habits, hobbies, and speech that disobey the commandments of God.
In fact, Jesus speaks directly to that concept:
If you love Me, you will obey My commands.
(John 14:15)
“Now, wait just one second, Pastor Aaron! Are you saying that if I don’t follow God’s commands it means I don’t love Him?“
Well… Yes and no.
On one hand, yes, that’s exactly what I mean.
But no, I’m not the one saying it. I’m just repeating the words of Jesus. He is the one who said it.
“Aaron… That seems awfully harsh. Just because I don’t do what God commands in scripture doesn’t mean I don’t love Him. Of course, I love Him!”
Again, I hate to burst your bubble, but…
If you say you know Him, but you do not live by His Word, you are a liar and the truth is not in you. (1 John 2:4)
Call me crazy, but I think God is saying that if you claim to know Him but don’t obey His commands, you’re a liar and the truth really isn’t in you.
The Beauty Of Grace
My intention here is not to have true believers doubt their salvation.
In the midst of our failed attempts at loving Jesus, His grace still covers us. Each of us has lukewarm elements and practices in our life from time to time.
And therein lies the unbelievable, extravagant grace of it all.
I’m not saying that when you mess up it means you were never really a genuine Christian in the first place. If that were true, nobody could ever follow Christ.
His mercies are new every morning. (Lam 3:23)
His grace is sufficient. (2Co 12:9)
I know you are not perfect. None of us are. But I want to cast down the lie that uses imperfection as an excuse to sin. Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT have to commit sin.
Nobody is forcing you. Nobody’s twisting your arm.
Even Satan himself cannot force you to disobey God without your personal consent.
You CAN obey the commands of Jesus Christ when you have His Spirit living inside you. You CAN overcome sin!
If you don’t know how, ask the Holy Ghost for guidance! He wants to help you do just that!
Romans 6:1-14 (NLT)
1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5 Since we have been united with Him in his death, we will also be raised to life as He was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and He will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
The Other Reason Jesus Died
This may come as a shock to you, but Jesus did not die ONLY to take you to heaven.
That is not His sole purpose, and it was never intended to be.
When Christ died, He not only removed the penalty of sin, but the POWER of sin. The Bible says the same Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside you!
Overcoming Sin Through Christ’s Victory
The same power that gives dead men life will empower you to be victorious over all unrighteousness. In other words, that same Spirit will teach you how to overcome sin!
The Christian life is not about you gritting your teeth and determining to try harder.
It is realizing that the Spirit of God lives inside you. It’s about understanding that He wants to empower you! It is learning to get out of the way and let Him do it!
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You are an overcomer through the power of Christ! You are more than victorious because He lives in you.
When you feel convicted, praise God that His Spirit is in there making you uncomfortable with sin! Begin to walk in obedience to His Spirit and avoid sin altogether.
What Is Sin, Exactly?
In order to overcome sin, you must first understand what it is.
All sin can be defined as disobedience to God’s holy standard. Sin is choosing to keep Self on the throne of your life and refusing to recognize Christ as the one, true King.
Let’s look at the 3 main areas we sin against God, and begin returning to holy living and righteous lifestyles. Once areas are identified, you can begin to right the wrongs.
1. Overcome The Sin Of Thought
All sin begins in the mind.
The mind is the control center of everything you do. If you can win the battle in your mind, you can win every battle against sin.
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. (Pro 23:7)
Here’s the thing… You can only be as full of God as you are willing to be empty of yourself.
What is your mind full of?
Work? Family? Fear? Anger? Lust? Anxiety?
If anything begins to become higher than God it has just become a sin. Whether we exalt a job too highly, or anger forces itself to the top, we can not allow anything to hold a higher position than God.
Remember, it’s not a sin for an ungodly thought to enter your mind!
We can’t help which thoughts come in. But we CAN decide which ones are allowed to stay.
Scripture says we are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2Co 10:5). We are to cast down every thought that attempts to exalt itself above God. Throw it out of your mind as often as you have to throw it out. If you can master this, you can learn how to stop sinning with your thoughts.
Feed Your Spirit When It’s Hungry And When It’s Not.
“But brother Aaron, I have no desire…. I do not feel like seeking God…”
That is a sign that you are dying Spiritually! When people are sick they do not want to eat.
Here’s a good example:
What would you do if your loved one was in the hospital and wasn’t eating? With each passing day, they get weaker and weaker. The doctors say that if they do not eat something they will not have the strength to continue.
Eventually, you’d sit down across from them and say, “Open your mouth. You are about to eat whether you like it or not. I’m not asking if you’re hungry. Eat. Now!”
The same is true in your walk with God.
Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of God’s mouth (Matthew 4:4). Make yourself feast on God’s Word and He will renew your strength.
Tweetable moment: If you’re not eating spiritually, you’re dying spiritually.
2. Overcome The Sin Of Commission
Any sin that is the result of an action is a sin of commission. Literally, it’s something that is committed.
No genuine Jesus follower willfully participates in sin.
Anyone is subject to making mistakes, but Christians do not participate in active, willful sin.
In other words, if you are okay with committing sins, you are NOT following God. John writes it as bluntly as it can be written.
No man who is born of God continues to practice sin. (1 John 3:9)
Basically, if you’re committing actions that you know to be wrong on a regular basis, you need to be born again!
Our Culture Is Disgusting
Society is utterly depraved. It hungers for wickedness and feasts on it daily. What’s worse, we are conditioned to accept pure filth as entertainment. God help us!
We put forth our hands to participate in the most ungodly things. These hideous acts of rebellion are continually aired on TV, radio, social media, etc. None of those things are sinful in themselves, but all of them host horrid, rebellious acts of sin because so many people seek it out regularly.
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It is so readily available because people love it.
They seek it out because they crave it.
God’s Standards Have Not Changed
Not only have they not changed, they will never change. That’s a promise we have from God Himself.
I am the Lord. I change not. (Malachi 3:6)
Primetime TV today would have been rated R a few years ago. Our standards may have changed, but God’s have not.
Embrace the cross. Die to sin. Turn from unrighteousness.
Until you do you will never experience the fullness of what God intends for you to experience. This is the answer to discovering how to stop sinning by acts of commission.
Tweetable Moment: Stop trying to convince yourself that your pet sins are okay when God says they are not. Come clean before the Holy God!
3. Overcome The Sin Of Omission.
Sin is not always something you DO. Sometimes it is something you do NOT do.
Sins of omission often go ignored and unnoticed, but are no less deadly. The more you know the more is required.
To him who knows to do right and does not do it, to him it is a sin. (James 4:17)
It is impossible to walk in holiness without connecting to God on a daily basis. Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I will abide in you (John 15:1-8).” You cannot produce fruit without being connected to Christ.
According to scripture, Those who do not produce Spiritual fruit will be gathered together and cast into eternal fire.
In other words, failing to connect with Christ will keep you from heaven. What’s more, without daily connection, there is no daily cleansing. There is no daily growth.
Unfortunately, many have believed the unbiblical notion that 2-3 minutes of prayer and devotion a day is enough.
Tweetable Moment: Prayer and personal devotion are the heart of your relationship with God! You will never grow beyond the strength of your quiet time with God.
Commands Of God That Many People Do Not Keep
Scriptures command us to seek God, to witness, to tithe, to love our enemies, and much more! They speak against gluttony, pride, gossip, and putting anything in our lives above God.
How are you doing with those things?
Do you remember what we talked about at the beginning? Jesus said that if you loved Him you would keep His commandments (John 14:15).
You cannot pick and choose which commandments you like or dislike. To give God less than 100% is to give Him nothing at all. He is uninterested in the lukewarm Christian (if there even is such a thing).
Conclusion
“Pastor Aaron, how can I do this? This sounds impossible.”
Hey! Now you’re getting it! It is impossible!
You cannot live the life of a Christian on your own, nor are you expected to.
The Holy Ghost lives inside you to empower you! As a born-again believer, you have everything you need to live a godly lifestyle (1 Peter 1:3).
Here’s How You Do It
This is the simplest answer to all your questions:
Do you remember when you were saved? How did that happen? The moment you received salvation, it happened by faith alone in Christ alone.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
Here it is! The big reveal…
In the same way that you received Christ, continue to follow Him. (Colossians 2:6)
Every single day of your life, you are to walk in the same faith you had on the day you were saved.
You trust Him fully. Place all your dependence upon Him. Walk through life with your faith wholly in Christ.
If you are curious if He is able to help you, remember that He has never once failed and He never will.
You must understand that your salvation through Jesus Christ provides the victory of sin’s power AND penalty.
Salvation is received by faith in Christ. That’s how you continue: By faith in Christ. Do not let the day of Christ’s return catch you unaware!
In His immeasurable love and grace toward us, the Lord sent the Holy Ghost to empower His followers. With the help of the Holy Ghost who lives in you, you CAN overcome sin!
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