Avoiding sin – Tips for successfully overcoming it

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Man’s sanctification consists above all in avoiding sin and overcoming temptations. Contrary to the popular prosperity gospel, no one can be saved in sin. A few tips for successfully overcoming sinfulness.

First recognize sin as such

Sin is hardly mentioned today, let alone described in detail. When there is language about sin, it is usually only abstract. The fatal thing: Anyone who wants to explicitly research what sin actually means and tries to do this in the former Protestant churches in Germany will receive a completely new definition that is adapted to today’s “reality of life”. (Info). The Bible describes what sin is “briefly and to the point” in 1. John 3:4:

Today, the once protesting churches explain sin as, so to speak, turning away from the “stream of God’s love”. You just need to be baptized and you automatically join the Christian community and receive a ticket to the kingdom of heaven. This is the declared vision of the EKD, the Evangelical Church in Germany (Info).

Misconceptions about sin and salvation

But man is not redeemed from his sin. Anyone who recognizes their sin during their lifetime (effect of the Holy Spirit), repents of it in prayer to God and refrains from it in the future (change in life!) can justifiably hope for the grace of Jesus Christ. The generally widespread “feel-good gospel” tells us something about “abolished laws,” a “universal grace” from God and a “universal reconciliation” with every human being. Which laws? The “10 Real Commandments” here.

The abolition of God’s laws (commandments) is a blatant lie. Here people are kept in a false security of salvation and continue to remain in their sins. This even goes so far that a bad conscience about habitual, sinful actions is dismissed as inspiration from the adversary that only wants to sour your life. It is the Holy Spirit who constantly knocks and makes people aware of this bad conscience so that they can recognize sin. At some point the Spirit of God stops coming and this is final. That would also decide the matter. This person is lost.

Without the Holy Spirit nothing works

cHowever, refraining from any (cherished) sin would be a hopeless effort for a person if this were attempted without faith. It is not man in his fallen, sinful nature that overcomes sin, but rather the work of God with His Holy Spirit. But this only happens if the person expressly wishes and allows this. There is nothing good in fallen man himself that could move him, based on his own “reason”, to live a life that pleases God.
By the way: Any attempt to somehow compensate for sins that have already been committed through “good deeds” is completely pointless. This works righteousness may be a specialty of the Roman Catholic Church, but it clearly contradicts the gospel (Info).

But no one needs to imagine that the sin was caused by the adversary. This is a mistake, because the sin is always committed by the person himself. The adversary can certainly shape the circumstances in such a way that the person is tempted to commit a sin, but the decision and ultimately the act is committed by the person himself. Jesus Christ admonished in Mark 14:38:
“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.“

Here, however, people can be sure that the temptation will never be so great that it cannot be overcome. The Lord Himself has made this clear, 1. Corinthians 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.“

Avoid sin in the future

It is obvious. Man will not be saved in his sin. The pure and spotless garment of righteousness comes from Jesus Christ. However, this is not placed over the dirty garment that is still present. This stained garment must first be taken off or removed through repentance and repentance and the promised forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

The overcoming of sin – Jesus Christ overcame the world – can only be achieved through the Holy Spirit and this because of man’s faith. 1. John 5:4 :
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

Doug Batchelor, pastor and president of International Media Ministry Amazing Facts (Source), has 12 valuable tips on how to resist latent temptations. A guide that can definitely be successful with the help of faith.

Tip 1: Keep your eyes on the heavenly reward

Imagine if a radiant angel suddenly appeared right next to you and shouted “Repent! Jesus is coming soon” say; Would it be easier for you to resist temptation, at least for the rest of the day? I think so, because your belief in a quick and real reward would be strengthened. When you truly believe that you are saved, it is much easier to resist temptation. Anyone who mistakenly thinks that they can work for salvation loses the strength to resist. Hebrews 11:24-26 says:
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.“

Moses was about to rule Egypt at a time when the empire was at the height of its wealth and power. Taking on such an influential position would be a temptation for anyone. But Moses looked to the heavenly reward and resisted the earthly, temporary treasures offered by the devil.

Always remember what awaits you, 1. Corinthians 2:9:
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.“

Tip 2: Realize the evil of sin

With or without reward, remember how bad sin is. Paul says “that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” (Romans 7:13). You must be fully aware of the terribleness of sin; If you need a reminder, think about what sin did to Jesus 2,000 years ago. As Christians, we cannot condone sin because it is dirty, ugly, and devastating. Sin caused the death of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ.

The Bible says “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” (Job 1:1). We must go further than just loving God emotionally. Part of loving God is hating evil, as Job did. God wants us to hate sin because He hates sin. “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:104).
The devil is a master at making sinful, dirty, and deceitful things look attractive, advantageous, and harmless. Don’t let the beautiful picture mislead you, it will ultimately lead to death.

We must come to the point of loving God so much that we would rather die than willingly sin or grieve Him.

Tip 3: Don’t serve money

In addition to money, there are a number of other things (idols) that people worship. This also includes the worship of “idols”, fanaticism in sports and many other areas. But the topic of money in its complex nature is by far number one in the ranks of “deified trivialities”. Because owning money is one side of the coin, the other side is the position within society, power and influence that can be achieved with this mammon, as well as the many other temptations and sins that come with it.

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (1 Timothy 6:9). I’ve watched people, in order to get rich quick, lose their entire savings in pointless things like gambling. They don’t stop using the slot machine while the devil convinces them that if they insert another euro they will definitely hit the jackpot. They are throwing away money that, by the way, could be used to save many souls.

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24). Serving God and earning money at the same time is not possible. Money is power, although it doesn’t necessarily have to be bad power. Like a double-edged sword, it can serve either good or evil. In church we ask God to bless us financially, but we don’t want to slavishly love money.

Matthew 6:21:
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also..”

Tip 4: Always be ready to escape

Speed ​​records are rarely broken when fleeing temptation. In most cases, people flee at a crawl, quietly hoping that temptation will follow. Sometimes temptation even comes through a door that we voluntarily left open. Let’s say you accidentally doused yourself with gasoline and someone near you was lighting a match. Where would you go? Most likely as far away as possible – and as quickly as possible. This is exactly how every Christian should behave when faced with temptation. Paul says: “Flee fornication” and “Flee idolatry” (1 Corinthians 6:18, 10:14).

So: Flee sin without providing a forwarding address. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” (James 4:8). Remember: When you run away from temptation, you are running straight toward God. When you realize that something is sinful, you should not engage with the devil either through discussions or in jokes, because he is a master at minimizing things – this is how Eve was seduced! It breaks my heart to hear Christians justify their sins. The devil has arguments at his disposal of limitless proportions.

As soon as you realize something is wrong, flee! A courageous person runs away from temptation, a fool flirts with it. Nor would it be advisable to wait until one is old, all false desires disappear of their own accord, and one falsely thinks that one has achieved victory. “and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:” (Ecclesiastes 12:5). Your heart could still be corrupt.

Therefore, do not hesitate any longer and flee now. You must surrender to God while you can still see Him renewing by His grace. Jesus can give enough strength even to severely challenged youth. When Joseph was tempted, he fled from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:12).

Tip 5: Don’t follow the majority

A major argument why Christians easily give in to temptation is: “Everyone does it, so it’s okay.” The devil particularly likes to use this lemming-like method of argument. Peter denied Jesus for the same reason. Just a few hours before his betrayal, he said: “Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.” (Matthew 26:35). Peter was sure of himself. However, when Jesus was brought into the courtroom, belonging to Him was no longer considered a good thing.

Peter gathered around a fire with people who were making fun of Jesus, and the longer he stayed, the easier it became for him to talk and act in the same way as Jesus’ enemies. When we allow the crowd to direct our values, we inevitably become more like them. Furthermore, the Bible says that the crowd is most often wrong. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” (Matthew 7:13).

Christians must think for themselves. You have to resist peer pressure and consciously act differently. Even if a billion people believe a lie, it’s still a lie. In the end times there will only be two religious groups – one with the mark of the beast, the other with the seal of God. The former will be the larger group. But even a large group that is religious does not have to be from God. In most cases we find in the Bible, men and women stand for the truth while everyone else pursues a false cause.

Tip 6: Hard work is the order of the day

There is a saying: “Idleness is the beginning of all vices.” Although this is not a Bible quote, verses 49 and 50 of Ezekiel 16 mean the same thing: “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not just perversion and sexual debauchery.

The Valley of Sodom was extremely fertile, rich in food, and provided a comfortable life for its inhabitants. The prospect of the same thing even drew Lot to Sodom. However, those who have nothing to do are easy victims of Satan’s suggestions, which are designed to lead the carnal heart to form reprehensible plans. One can almost say that an idle man tempts the devil to tempt him. “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Sin begins in our minds, which in turn are designed to focus on only one thing at a time. So if we always stay active, especially when we do good things like bearing witness or helping those in need, we won’t even think about evil. Someone once wrote, “Strength to resist temptation is best gained through unceasing service.” One way to avoid temptation is to serve Jesus with all your devotion. When God said to Adam after the Fall, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19), it was as a blessing to humanity meant to avoid difficulties from the outset through constant employment.

Tip 7: Always have a plan ready

Sometimes we stumble into a temptation that is approaching us because we want to see what happens when it arrives. It is much better to have made preparations in advance. Proverbs 22:3 gives the advice “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” A wise person is on the lookout for his path for potential thieves. When he spots a gang of robbers, he says to himself: “I’d better hide or take a detour instead of getting robbed!” A stupid person says, “Cool, it seems like there are gangsters at the end of the street. Let’s see what happens to me when I get there.”

Christians often respond to temptation in the same way. We say to ourselves, “Let’s see if I’ll be tempted by watching this show/reading this magazine/drinking this stuff.” Jesus said, “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5:29).

If you have a weakness, and you know in what area you might easily fall into temptation, do all you can beforehand, and fail to make any attempt, no matter how desperate it may seem, and you will not be overcome. If you’re trying to quit smoking, avoid friends who smoke and places where you’re easily tempted. And be sure to come up with an escape plan! If your temptation is to overeat, do the following: Prepare a plate in advance with an appropriate amount of food and resolve not to overeat. Millions of people are getting closer and closer to sin because they don’t think ahead.

Tip 8: Stay honest with yourself

A Spanish proverb translates as: “If your head is made of butter, you shouldn’t be a baker.” You have to admit to being an alcoholic before you can go to Alcoholics Anonymous. Such an admission may be a huge emotional blow because it leads to an awareness of one’s own weakness. Likewise, one of the first steps of a Christian is to admit that one is addicted to sin, just as an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

The Bible says we must not trust our own strength. It is dangerous to say that we have overcome a particular sin, or to claim, “I have overcome this temptation. It will now have no power to harm me.” It is precisely then that we are particularly at risk of falling. There are Christians who are even proud of having overcome a sin; Especially in this state they offer the devil an easy target. On the night Jesus was deceived, he warned Peter, saying “And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.” (Mark 14:30).

Jesus warned Peter not to recognize his own weakness. Even if you help someone overcome a particular weakness, know that you can easily be overcome by the same temptation. Pray for the person. And, like a rescuer helping someone caught in dangerous rapids, be careful not to get pulled in yourself. We must be vigilant to recognize our weaknesses. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

Tip 9: Overcome evil with good

If we do not fill the void left by a broken bad habit with something else, we often find ourselves welcoming compromises with sin with open arms. I have met people who, after getting rid of one addiction, replaced it with another. If they had found a positive replacement, this wouldn’t have happened.

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24-26). Anyone who struggles with poor nutrition or food addiction cannot simply stop eating. The secret is to learn to “eat good things”. (Isaiah 55:2)

An example: Are you constantly eating chocolate? Instead, buy fresh strawberries and almonds. Did you just throw away your cigarettes? Instead, buy toothpicks or sunflower seeds (no chocolate, please). “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.!” (Romans 12:21)

If someone has insulted you or taken advantage of you deceitfully, do not repay evil in kind, but respond kindly. When a falcon is attacked by royal tyrants, it does not respond with a counterattack, but instead circles higher and higher until the birds of prey give up. “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” (Romans 12:20)

Tip 10: Pay attention to your own health

It is a characteristic of temptations that they usually come when we are weak. When we are at the end of our strength, our patience, our love or even our health, we are tempted to react in an unchristian way. Jesus’ temptation began not before, but after the 40 days that he fasted. And Peter, being weary, denied Jesus. So be on your guard! Physical things, from lack of physical activity to imbalanced hormones, affect our ability to resist temptation. When we are sick or have exhausted our reserves, we react negatively.

Most marital arguments arise at the end of the day when one or both spouses are tired and hungry. So: sleep enough, eat healthy and at regular times. One of my favorite authors puts it this way: “Those who give in to their misguided appetites lose the power to resist.” Eating large amounts of sweets may taste good in the short term, but it is often followed by depressive thoughts and you become easily irritable. While it’s impossible to completely avoid hunger or fatigue, like a soldier moving through a minefield, you should pay attention to your every step.

Sensitive conversations or demanding tasks should then be avoided. Jesus says: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41). Nevertheless, we cannot avoid doing our best to strengthen our health and therefore our moral resolve. After a good night’s sleep, followed by a bit of physical activity and a nutritious breakfast, I feel like I could even take on Goliath.

Tip 11: Always pay attention to the emergency exit

When I board a plane, I immediately memorize where the emergency exits are. Not because I’m paranoid, but out of caution. Recognizing that God provides an escape route for everyone is, for me, one of the best ways to resist temptation.

Memorize the following text deeply:
“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.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Isn’t this wonderful news? Not on our shaky faith, no, we can rely on God because we know that He is faithful! So, when you are tempted, you can say this: “God is carefully considering how much he can allow the devil to tempt me; by his grace I will be able to do it.” You never have to say things like, “I can’t resist the devil anymore.” That would be calling God a liar. As the Israelites were fleeing the Egyptians, they noticed mountains towering on either side and a sea blocking their escape route. By human standards they were in a hopeless situation.

But the God who promised them faithfulness provided an “emergency exit.” The Bible is full of hopeless situations like this, but God has always been faithful. He will sometimes help you in ways that are hard to beat in terms of drama. When it appeared that the huge crowd that followed Jesus would go hungry, our faithful God, just as he did with Elijah and the Israelites, opened the heavens to provide food. With every temptation, no matter how severe, remember these stories, trust God, and look for an emergency exit.

Tip 12: Get up again after falling!

As Christians, we have the greatest strength to resist sin (Jude 1:24). To dwell in Him is to dwell in His Spirit. In Galatians 5:16 steht: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Noah, Enoch and Abraham walked with God. You can do the same thing today: kneel down and present your request for strength to God. God would rather send every angel in heaven to save you from sin than abandon His child who is pleading for help.

It is up to us to choose to follow Jesus instead of believing the devil’s lies. God gave us free will, not even the devil can force us to sin. So by His grace we can resist every temptation. If you still fall, get back up! Many Christians who fall stay there and think, “Okay, so I’m lost now. So I might as well give in to all the other temptations.” God helps you regain lost ground and saves you from falling again in the future.

Maybe you need to spend three full days searching for Jesus in sorrow, as Joseph and Mary did when they lost Jesus. But he is waiting for you in his father’s house. The devil will try to discourage you with insidious whispers: “I know you well! I tried you and you gave in. You are not holy. Call yourself a Christian, you hypocrite. In reality, you are not saved at all! ” I firmly believe that the life of a Christian never stands still.

The Bible promises: “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:” (1 John 2:1) If you sin, and we all sin, don’t give up! If the devil deceives you and you fall, don’t stay down. Don’t let past mistakes be used as an excuse to compromise with sin. God can give you strength to overcome anything. Just make sure to take it one step at a time.

Bible verses from King James Version