Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Nothing is more dangerous to you than your own heart–how you think—what you allow to influence your thinking. Nothing is more damaging to you than sins of the heart because they can’t be contained just to yourself. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as a man thinks within himself, so he is.”
If we’re going to see ourselves separated from sin, we have to understand that the separation has to happen deep inside of us way before we try to conquer it on the outside. It’s a discipline of training ourselves for righteousness in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Sin is a matter of the heart, and we must allow God’s Spirit to recreate our hearts.
So what do we do if we want to live a life free from the power of sin’s reign? This is what Scripture indicates to us. Number one, first confess and forsake the sin to the Lord (Ps. 139). Don’t look inside for your cleansing. You can’t clean yourself up just by willpower. If you’re the problem, you can’t be the solution as well. Look out and look up. Rely on the Lord. He alone has brought you justification in our salvation. Let Him bring you through sanctification. Today is always a good time to reflect and repent of your sins. Flee to the Lord and He will have compassion and He will abundantly pardon.
Next, ask Him for the strength to refuse to entertain sinful thoughts and to think on things that are true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and of good report. Ask Him to cleanse your mind, take away the attraction of sin, by His power alone through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:2 says we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The best way to train yourself in sanctification is to feed on the Word of God daily. Psalm 119:11, “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” Saturate yourself in the Word every day.
Jesus is our ultimate example in fighting sin. Remember how Jesus dealt with Satan’s temptations while in the desert. He countered them point by point with the Word of God (It is written). It is our sword.
Saturate yourself with God’s Word so that Christ becomes so magnificent, so glorious that He’s all you want. He’s all you desire. And He captures all your love. When you love God deeply, the things of the world just don’t have the same pull on you that they once did. When you understand Christ’s beauty, there is nothing else that compares to Him and His glory, and you will gladly give up your sinful ways.
