You Ask Too Much of Me

 

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners,

and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

James 4:7-8

 

 

As a pastor, counselor, and Christian life coach, I have dealt with many people who have been trapped in destructive habits. Some have been everyday battles like smoking or overeating, and some have been life-dominating sins such as sexual bondage, alcoholism, and other addictions. I have seen these dear people genuinely repent and weep before God, begging for release only to go out and do the same thing over again. The most common question is always," Why doesn't God help me?"

            My response to this is James 4:7-8. The response I get is often the same: "I tried that, and it doesn't work." "You don't understand; it is not that easy." But the truth is I do understand. I come from a very addictive past. I know all too well what it means to feel trapped and enslaved by my habits. I also know what it feels like to read these verses in James and think, "This may have worked in the first century, but it doesn't work today, and it doesn't work for me."

            Here is what we must understand. God desires our freedom from sin far more than even we do. He was willing to die that we could be free from sin. We aren't even willing to be inconvenienced for our freedom. If we look honestly at our sins, one of the main reasons we keep going back is because we like them.

            If we want to live in the freedom that Jesus has won, we must be willing to work for it. I am not saying that we have to earn our salvation. That is free and fully paid for. However, we are still fleshly beings and live in this fallen world. For the true believer, forgiveness is not enough; we want to live for God as well.

            Think about these steps for overcoming the bondage of any sin:

1)      Submit to God: We agree to live by His standards, not our own. We follow His word and do as He says. Too often, we think we know better than God or believe that He doesn't understand who we are. Accept that He is always right; if there is a disconnect, it is not on His part.

2)      Resist the devil: It takes more than just yelling at the devil and telling him to leave you alone. He does not care if you yell at him or if you hate him. You are never going to hurt his feelings. Resisting means that you turn away from the temptation. You do not look, touch, think about or move toward whatever sin is presented to you. The mistake people make is they resist by focusing all their energy on the temptation of the devil. Focus all your energy, thought, and attention on the Lord and His goodness, and the enemy will flee from you.

3)      Draw near to God: Take time to pray. So often, when we are faced with battles in life, we often do everything but pray. Prayer is more important than anything else you can do. I believe in being accountable to those in authority. Pastors, counselors, and the like are great but do not bypass talking to God to speak to humans, no matter who they are. God first, pastors and counselors after that.

4)      Clean your hands and purify your hearts: In short, do not touch the sin you are fleeing. No games of seeing how close you can get without sinning. If you pay attention to it at all, you are sinning. You will find our fall into sin starts long before the temptation is ever before us. It is entertaining a thought, a wrong attitude, or a willingness to compromise in some area. Be alert and on guard. The devil does not play fair.  

 

You can learn more about Personal Development from the author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey. To get his books, training material, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website: www.growthcenter.net.    © 2022 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this material may be reprinted or published without the author's written permission.