Habitual sin can be quite problematic if not dealt with thoroughly. Why? Because it programs the mind to think deceptively, destructively, and selfishly, which in turn compels people to keep on doing the same old thing over and over, thus worsening the problem.
It creates a flawed sense of dependency on a particular sinful behavior by influencing people to falsely believe that they cannot in any way live without it. That’s a lie from the pit of hell but many people happen to believe it out of sheer desperation.
Moreover, there’s also an “influential sinful regret feeling” that accompanies habitual sin lingering in the back of people’s mind. Meaning that they will always feel they will miss out on something really big if they were to completely stop indulging in whatever sin they’ve been struggling with since that sin has become part of whom they are.
The reality is that the longer you get entangled in a particular sinful habit, the more it’s getting a hold on you, the more engulfing it’s getting in your life, and the more enslaving you’ll become as a result (2 Peter 2:19; Romans 6:16).
That’s the very nature of habitual sin. And that’s precisely what it continues to do in people’s lives. Therefore, here are top three reasons why people have succumbed to habitual sin.
1. Lack of reverence for God
When experiencing the process of temptation, people’s mind tends to revolve around just satisfying their own temporary urges at the cost of dishonoring God (James 1:14), which equates to honoring Satan. Why? Because deep down on the inside, they already wanted to do it.
They’ve chosen to place pleasing self ahead of pleasing God. Beloved, nurturing a keen reverence for God is where overcoming habitual sin all starts. Because if you only see yourself when tempted, you will invariably act accordingly.
And with this in mind, if honoring God doesn’t come first when it concerns your response to temptation, you’ll probably remember Him shortly after acting out on your sin when having to deal with the shame, emptiness, and embarrassment you’ll find yourself in.
2. Lack of Willingness to Faithfully And Patiently Rely on God
God is fully capable of empowering people to overcome whatever temptation they are going through if they are willing to trust Him (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Most importantly, He is willing to help people out but something rooted deep within doesn’t want them to fully embrace that reality. They conceive dealing with temptation pertaining to the sin they’ve been struggling with through the lens of doing something falling in line with what that particular temptation is all about, which is just do what you’re tempted to do in order to get yourself out of that sticky situation.
Therefore, they exercise much greater faith in their own desperation than God because of allowing the belief that giving in is the only way they can get out of a desperate situation they find themselves in to dominate their thinking. There’s something holding them hostage in a state of hopelessness by which they become susceptible to falling into temptation.
That creates a lack of willingness in them to rise above temptation due to the hopelessness state they usually find themselves in because they know at some point they might have to resort to going back to that sinful behavior. That alone creates a major pathway for the enemy to make further inroads into their lives.
They’ve become unable to make a decisive decision that comes from the very core of their being to confront that sin because subconsciously they don’t want to let it go.
They find themselves in the midst of an intense conflict. One part of them wants to give up, but there’s another part of them that wants them to continue to indulge deeper and deeper in that sin indefinitely. Consequently, there’s something sensitizing their feelings toward that particular sin.
That lack of willingness people have to trust God all the way is fueled by the desire of trying to release the pressure being built upon the flesh when experiencing the process of temptation. But the problem is that their action will do nothing more than enslave them much further into spiritual bondage.
There’s always something deep within trying to steer their heart away from God. There’s a spirit of rebellion raging within the very core of their being that doesn’t want them to submit themselves to God. That sort of overpowers their desire to resist temptation. As a result, they’ve become powerless. In addition, their free will has become hijacked by the enemy.
3. Strong Demonic Bond Between Habitual Sin And People
Beloved, there’s something quite powerful going on behind habitual sin in the way that it enslaves people.
Having said that, what that bond does is unleashing in people an intense desire to keep on going back repeatedly, regardless of how many times or how long they may have tried to refrain themselves from such sin. It’s the very thing that makes sinful habits so enticing and appealing. That bond is also the evil force driving and holding people captive in sin.
The intensity of temptation you will be facing will be based on how strong that aforementioned bond is. Usually, the temptations connected to habitual sin literally make people become very curious about running back to their old ways.
That demonic bond causes people to become foolish in their thinking as well. As a result, they set themselves up to self-deception time after time even knowing that giving in is not going to help them at all.
The plan of the enemy is to hinder you from breaking through the realm of victory by holding you down in a realm where you’re only subjected to constant defeat.
Thus it takes the power, fear, and wisdom of God to empower people to overcome habitual sin.
People need to learn how to lay a hold on the immense power of God’s holy Word in the midst of temptation by renewing their minds daily to what the Word says, instead of allowing their sinful imagination to get the most of them.
You need to understand that overcoming your habitual sin isn’t going to be based on your strength but God’s power working through you. Therefore, if you’re relying on your own strength, you will fail miserably.
Prayer
May God impart His own hatred regarding sin in your spirit toward that habitual sin you’ve been wrestling with. May that hatred rage within your spirit like an inferno. May God empower you to have such a contemptuous attitude toward that very sin whenever you’re tempted.
May God empower you to have such a fierce vengeful attitude toward that sin through the means of displaying such a bold resistance when tempted to act on it. May God destroy the very sinful thoughts and feelings sensitizing you toward that sin.
May God fill you up with Himself to the extent that you’ll realize that you can surely live without having to depend on sinful behaviors that are robbing you of your blessings.
Lastly, may God empower you to rely on Him alone in the midst of temptation by tapping into the decisive victory Christ has won on your behalf on the cross to set you free from sin. In Jesus’s name, Amen.