How To Defeat Sin and Satan

“Sin is fun, until it isn’t,” recently wrote my facebook friend and preaching colleague Wilson Adams.

Take a minute to read this thought provoking post by Wilson that provides a fresh reminder of sin’s seriousness. And maybe offer a new perspective.

Those who deny that sin contains an element of fun are not to be taken seriously. Scripture acknowledges this truth when it mentions the “passing pleasures” of sin. That says 1) sin is fun, but 2) the fun doesn’t last very long. Like the hook embedded in the bait, the thrill of the moment is eclipsed by the “Uh-oh” consequence when you realize you’ve been had.

Sin thrills and then it kills.

Sin promises satisfaction, then robs us of satisfaction’s most powerful longing: a craving to God-connect. Choosing to sin is choosing to live a less-than life. The less-than life is never mentioned in sin’s advertisement. Yet the pull of sin is strong. No one gets up in the morning and says, “Today, I think I’ll sin and screw up my life!” That’s not the way it happens. It happens because we don’t plan not to.

There’s another option than the two we think: #1: Fight temptation, or #2 Give in. Option #3 Pre-decide.

Satan is coming hard after you. If you think your willpower will be the winning power, you’re naïve. Your willpower will wane and wear out -Satan knows it. He knows you’re not as strong as you think you are. There has to be another way to carry the day. There is.

You have to be ready. If you’re going to defeat sin, it won’t be because you got stronger, but because you got ready. Get ready. Pre-decide. It’s the only way.

Wilson’s post reminds me of a familiar quote which offers this insight. “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay.”

For years many of us preachers have explained the Greek word for sin, hamartia, as “missing the mark.” Apparently, the word was used in archery and spear throwing. When they missed the bulls eye or the target, the word “hamartia” was used.

In application, I’ve heard and said that when we “miss the mark” of God’s Word, we sin. However, one writer pointed out that sin is “worse than simply missing a target or making a mistake.”

These Bible passages point out sin’s seriousness.

• Sin is lawlessness against God’s law (1 Jn. 3:4).
• Sin is rebellion against God (Rom. 13:2; 1Tim. 1:9).
• Sin is unrighteousness (1 Jn. 5:17).
• Sin enslaves us to unholy passions (Rom. 6:12-19).
• Sin separates us from a relationship with God (Isa. 59:1-2).
• Sin sent Jesus to die on the cross (Eph. 1:7).
• Sin results in spiritual death (Rom. 6:23).

Sin can bring a good man down. And while he can repent and return to the Lord, it can leave devastating consequences in its wake. Just ask King David.

I like Wilson’s suggestion. Pre-decide.

Know what you believe. And why you believe it. Choose to remain true to your values. Your morals. Your ethics.  Your conscience. Your God.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman