Overcoming sin in our lives is a really big deal; Scripture presumes we’re earnestly striving against sin (He 12:2) and that we aren’t done yet. (Ro 7:21-23) What does this struggle look like and how do we engage in this fight?
Firstly, we must become aware of the specific sins we’re committing, either doing what we shouldn’t (1Jn 3:1a) or not doing what we should. (Ja 4:17) To do so we must start paying attention to what we’re thinking and doing and how we’re feeling. We must take heed and observe how we’re living (Ps 119:9), focusing in on what’s motivating and driving us. We can’t intentionally correct our sinful behavior unless we’re aware of it.
Secondly, we must correctly classify each behavior as holy or sinful, which requires we properly understand the divine moral standard and accept God’s definition: sin is breaking Torah. (Ja 3:4) Whenever we’re sinning, we’re violating God’s Law, and whenever we’re violating God’s Law, we’re sinning. This is how God defines and identifies sin. To even begin to fight against sin, we must first get this straight.
Then we must put these first two steps together: start paying attention to our behavior with a proper understanding of sin. Whenever our behavior violates God’s Law, especially in a repeating pattern, we have a sin to contend with, to strive against and overcome.
Identifying sin is easier when we’re suffering from it, but we’re often blind to our worst sins, the ones we should really be focusing on. We can be asking God to search our hearts, helping us identify our sin (Ps 139:23-24a) and prioritize, showing us what we should be working on. (24b) This is when we can begin to fight, when the struggle begins in earnest.
Then we must do a bit of root-cause analysis: why are we sinning? (Lk 6:46) There’s a reason we’re committing any particular sin; to stop we must find the root cause and correct it, and the root cause is always the same: we’re believing a lie related to this particular behavior. Sin is grounded in deceit (Ro 7:11); believing the truth sets us free from the dominion of sin. (Jn 8:32)
There might be a whole web of lies keeping us in bondage to a particular lifestyle (Ro 7:23), but the Son can set us free by helping us believe the truth. (Jn 8:36)
As we prayerfully and regularly expose our minds and hearts to His Word (Ps 119:11), which is the Truth (Jn 17:17), pressing in on those verses which relate specifically to our struggle (Mt 4:3-4), He can help us believe His words and deliver us from sin. (Ja 1:21) He gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God. (Ga 1:4)
If we aren’t making good progress, try as we might, we should engage spiritual community, confessing where we’re struggling so others can pray for us to be healed (Ja 5:16) and point us to the truth. (Ja 5:19-20) Sometimes we need help from our brothers and sisters, and this is God’s wonderful design.
And we shouldn’t be surprised if it takes time to correct deeply held beliefs. If we’ve been training ourselves to think a certain way most of our lives, it might take some prolonged effort to renew our minds in the truth. (Ro 12:2) Just as it takes time to heal and retrain our bodies when we’re in poor physical health (1Ti 4:7-8), we should be consistent and disciplined in our pursuit of godliness (2Pe 1:4-8), patient with ourselves and thankful for any progress we see.
This is striving to believe (Mk 9:24), a faith-struggle to rid ourselves of all the lies holding us captive and keeping us in bondage. This is war, a fight to the death; we should engage like soldiers in combat (2Ti 2:3-4), not passively expecting to overcome as we watch from the sidelines.
Wherever the enemy has taken us prisoner, Jesus Christ is offering us the key; we shouldn’t be content to remain in our chains. Yeshua has fully committed Himself to this fight (Ti 2:14); He’s all in and will set us free as we cleanse ourselves through Him. (2Co 7:1)