We are Overcomers
Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:4
Satan never gives up in tempting us, but we fight sin until we overcome through the power of God. ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:2 NASB95) We may yield to sin, but we continue to fight sin until we overcome as we ask the Lord for his power and forgiveness.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) It’s important we don’t condemn ourselves as we fight a sinful habit. We fight with an attitude of victory and we pray for the Lord’s power to change our sinful desires. We fight with the power of the Word, prayer, and fellowship with our Christian family.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5) There is always sinful desires that bring short term pleasures that are difficult to overcome. This verse above tells us, to put to death our earthly nature, however that can be difficult. How we do fight these earthly, sinful desires?
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2) Overcoming a sinful habit starts by changing our thinking. The more we focus on what we are trying to overcome, the stronger it gets. What we think about most takes the most real-estate in our brains because the brain rewires its neural connections based on our thinking. As the brain rewires slowly, changes can be seen in a few weeks.
Changing our thinking, first requires the desire to change our thinking and prayer for the Lord’s love and power to change our thinking. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2 NASB) This verse is telling us to be spiritually minded over being earthly minded. If we see ourselves as the Lord’s servants and ambassadors for Christ, this can become the main reason we live and it will help us to be guided by Christ in everything we think, say, and do. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3 ESV)
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV) We are a new creation in Christ and our worldly nature is disappearing. We pray for a mind and heart of being the Lord’s servants and ambassadors. We can achieve this by reading the Word, getting support from Christian fellowship, through prayer, and by serving the Lord. Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6) The Lord changes us if we pray everyday for his power and we strive to overcome when tempted by calling on the Lord.
Today, keep your thoughts of serving the Lord and put to death any sinful thoughts. Call on the Lord’s power to overcome any temptations and seek victory.
Prayer: Lord, help me to overcome anything in my life that is not pleasing to You. Thank you for your power to overcome. In Jesus’ name, Amen