STEP 1: GIVE UP!
We must first completely and utterly give up trying to not sin, trying to defeat sin, and trying to be good in our own strength. Only until you give up and die to such futile efforts will God be able to move upon you to be victorious. You must first die to yourself before God can resurrect you. You cannot stop sinning and you never will in your own strength. No matter how strong you think your will is, it is not enough. No matter how strong you think your mind is, it is not enough. Jesus said it this way, the only way to stop your hand from sinning is to cut it off (my paraphrase). The flesh is that corrupt.
Many Christians have not come to a place of giving up but they continue to try to be good and to try to not sin. Therefore, God lets them continue in their own strength until they see that they cannot do it. When they truly understand that it is impossible for them, in their own strength, to beat sin, then God can come and show them Jesus. Jesus was the only one that could and did beat sin. He alone will get the glory for victory over sin. None of us will be able to stand before God and say, “look at how good I was.” If we were good, it was the Lord Jesus’ goodness and not our own. But in ourselves we are like filthy rags. We must come to a revelation of ourselves as the Word reveals:
In myself, I know nothing 1 Cor 4:4
In myself, I can do nothing 2 Cor 13:8
In myself, I have nothing 2 Cor 6:10
In myself, I am nothing 2 Cor 12:11
However, the good news is this, if you are born-again, you will never be in yourself again! You will always be in Him and will have access to all of His benefits. We need to rely on Him and let Him help us do it. How? Take the next step:
STEP 2: THE WAY OF HUMILITY AND SUBMISSION
How do we resist temptation, sin, and the devil? Humble yourself before God that He may give you grace.
Jam 4:6, 7 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
The above verse in James really says everything you need to beat every temptation but for now, we will only focus on the humility, submission, and grace parts. The word “grace” refers to God giving you something. He administers or imparts something to you that you did not have before you were born-again. What He gives is of Him and nothing of us. It is unmerited and it is good. Putting the context of this verse into play, God is giving us something specific to resist the devil. He is imparting His ability to resist the devil. How do we get it? By humbling ourselves and submitting completely to Him. If He says to get rid of something we enjoy, like watching TV, then do it. If He says to spend more time with Him instead of doing our hobbies, then do it. If He says stop being around certain people we like, then do it. Complete submission in every area of our lives is the way to victory!
We must leave nothing for our flesh. If you are serious about God and are trying to resist sin, you will leave nothing around that is ungodly. You will leave nothing that would tempt you again. You would cut off the temptation by ridding yourself of the object of temptation or staying away from the environment of temptation. Only the humble that has been completely broken can make such a decision. It is not a light thing. It is done in tears and brokenness on the floor for most people. But you will arise a new person radiant with the presence of God upon you. Humble yourself and give your whole life to Him and He will empower you with the grace or ability overcome temptation. But notice He also says to resist the devil. How do we do that? We take step 3:
STEP 3: RESIST WITH THE WORD OF GOD
When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, how did He overcome every temptation? By God’s Word. He did not argue with the enemy. He did not consider the words the enemy had to say. He just said, “it is written…,”, “it is written…,”, “it is written…” He is our example and He clearly has shown the way to resist the devil. We too often try to fight the devil and reason with the thoughts he brings, but that will never do. We must be full of the Word to put It in his face when he comes with the temptations. It is literally true that man does not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We will not survive temptations unless we know the Word and can use is like a sword against our enemy. The devil must submit to the Word of God when it is used but the Word also does something for us.
Psa 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
The Word of God has the power in itself to resist sin. The more Word we have in us, the less Satan can tempt us. There is something special about the Word that gives us the strength to resist. It is the Word that truly sets us free as we apply It.
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
I am not saying that you have to understand every doctrine in the entire Bible to make the Word work for you. However, you must stay in the Word for It to work.
Josh 1:6-8 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law , which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
We see from these verses that we must meditate in the very Word of God we are to obey for it to work. Meditating in the Word gives you the strength to obey It! Do you see the revelation of it?! God is giving Joshua the secret to obeying the Law – keep meditating on It day and night. By so doing you are obeying the Lord and then He empowers you with the ability to keep It. Obedience shows your submission to God and His Word. As we learned in step 2, submission allows God to give you grace to resist sin. It all works together!
STEP 4: LET THE HOLY SPIRIT HELP YOU AND REST IN CHRIST
Lastly, we must be led by the Holy Spirit of God. In all that we do, we must allow Him to be the leader. In even the smallest things, we must submit our will to Him and let God truly be the Lord of our lives instead of us. The Holy Spirit is the One that will take the Word of God you have obeyed and spoken and put It to work for you. He can see into the spirit realm and will force the devils tempting you to submit to the Word. How do we lead a spirit-led life? Praying in tongues is the key that hooks you up to the Spirit of God. This is the answer to helping you overcome the flesh. Pray in tongues everyday.
We simply need to live a life of faith and enjoy the rest. We rest because we can do nothing. We enter into the rest of Christ because we know we could not help even if we tried. It is this rest that the writer of Hebrews is talking about in chapter four.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
We are to cease from our own fighting of sin and, spiritually speaking, kick back and let the Holy Spirit help us do it by the power of the Word. This is what Paul discovered and spoke of in the book of Romans. It is the Law of the Spirit of Life.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
That very Spirit of Life is in us just waiting for us to believe, act upon, and speak the Word so He can go into action on our behalf! Glory to God! He is all we need for He is God.
1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Is It Really Possible?
I have equipped you with the knowledge to be sin-free. There are many good Christians that do not believe it is possible to be sin-free. However, that only tells me they do not know the Word.
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee : go, and sin no more.
I do not believe Jesus says things just to be saying them. I believe when He told her to sin no more that it must have been possible. To say that God only delivered us from the sins of the past is an injustice to work He did on the cross. He certainly did deliver us from past sins but He also empowered us to resist for future sins.
I do not say it is something you may do immediately. I also do not say you will get to a point where you do not have to resist any longer. But you can be victorious and stay there no matter how often and with what temptations your flesh and the devil may bring. Be encouraged that it is possible and God will bring you there. Do not get discouraged or frustrated if you mess up. Just keep confessing your sin when you miss it, He will forgive you (1 John 1:9), and try again asking God to show you the way. Again, give up doing it in your own strength, humble yourself by completely submitting to God, resist with the Word of God, and let the Holy Spirit help you and rest.
Does that mean we can walk as sinless as Jesus? No, not exactly because we do not know the Word like Jesus. However, to the extent God has given us the Word and knowledge of His will is the extent to which we can walk free from sin. We will never walk in sinless perfection to the extent Jesus did because we do not have His knowledge. But we can walk in the light of what God has give us by His grace.
More Scriptures proving it is expected and possible to live sin-free:
1Jo 5:3, 4 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments : and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith .
By faith is the way to keep His commandments. Because people have been taught it is impossible to live sin-free, they have no faith in such a lifestyle and thus do not overcome. Some may not even try. Who can blame them if that is what they are taught and believe.
Mat 11:28 – 30 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
1Th 5:23, 24 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it .
The Bible teaches we are to be sanctified wholly including our body. How? By God who will empower us to do it!
Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling , and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
We can be faultless spirit, soul, and body.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole : sin no more , lest a worse thing come unto thee.
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Simple question: would Jesus tell someone to do something that they could not?
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
1Pe 1:14 – 17 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Luk 1:74, 75 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
We are exhorted to walk in the light.
1Jo 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Jesus was sinless; we are exhorted to be the same way.
