Victory Over Sin

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Sin works its way into everyone’s life. And regardless of the form it takes, the goal is always the same: to tempt us to choose our own way over God’s.

The descent into a pattern of disobedience begins in our mind. Once our thinking is involved, the influence extends to our behavior until we are more involved with the sin than we ever imagined. And oftentimes, we deceive ourselves, soothing our conscience by saying, There’s no harm in what I’m doing—after all, other people behave the same way.

Sin’s demands keep increasing, and yet its benefits are short-term. Eventually, we experience emptiness instead of satisfaction, pain in place of comfort, and loss rather than gain. Habitual sin divides the mind and confuses emotions. Our care and concern for others diminish, too. Over time, feelings of guilt can take their toll and lead toward negative results we never anticipated.

Faith in Jesus Christ sets us free from the power of sin in our life. The road to freedom starts with confession, followed by an admission that we cannot stop on our own. Committing to follow God’s direction is next. It’s not always easy, but Scripture promises, “God … gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 15:57.