How can I overcome sin?
The Bible makes it very clear that as Christians we have to live an overcoming life in our battle against sin. And it shouldn’t be that we just barely overcome, no, we should “have complete victory” (Romans 8:37, GNT), and God “always leads us in victory” (2 Corinthians 2:14, GW).
But even though I want to live a life that is pleasing to God, it can be very discouraging when I see how I react to things in my daily life. I think, say and do things that are not according to God’s will. Paul describes it very well in Romans 7:18-19 (GNT): “I know that good does not live in me—that is, in my human nature. For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it. I don't do the good I want to do; instead, I do the evil that I do not want to do.” It looks like this sin in my human nature is just too strong to resist. So, how can I overcome sin?
1. “As I overcame”
Jesus says something incredible in Revelation 3:21: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” All Christians believe that through Jesus’ sacrifice we can get forgiveness and be reconciled to God. But here Jesus is saying that I can also overcome sin as He overcame! This means there must be much more to it than just forgiveness of sins!
To find out how I can overcome sin, I need to look at Jesus, my Forerunner and great example, and see how He did it.
2. “Not my will, but Your will must be done”
When Jesus came into the world, He said: “But you have given me a body to offer … and I have come to do your will, O God.” Hebrews 10:5-7 (NLT). He also said at the end of His life when He faced enormous trials: “… not my will but your will must be done.” Luke 22:42 (CEB).
“My will” is another word for the sin in our human nature which we have all inherited. As a man, Jesus also had this self-will, and was tempted, but He had firmly decided from the start: “Not my will but your will must be done!” For me to overcome as He overcame, I need to make that same decision and faithfully keep to it, no matter what happens or how I feel.
3. Humble myself
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, … being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5,8.
Jesus was in heaven, and equal with God, but He chose of His own free will to become a man for our sakes. You would have thought that this was the greatest act of humility. But it’s written that it was as a man that He humbled Himself, and was obedient. To overcome the inherited sin in the human nature that He had taken upon Himself, Jesus had to humble Himself. He had to take up a battle against sin to keep to His decision that God’s will must be done, and not His own will.
Jesus’ attitude of mind was to humble Himself, and this must also be my attitude as His disciple.
4. Pray with loud cries and tears
”While Jesus lived on earth, he prayed to God and asked God for help. He prayed with loud cries and tears to the One who could save him from death, and his prayer was heard because he trusted God. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he learned obedience by what he suffered.” Hebrews 5:7-8 (NCV).
Jesus really was a man like us. God didn’t give Him any special rights or make things easier for Him, because then the whole work of salvation would have been worthless. Jesus fought against the sin in His nature and needed help. His “loud cries and tears” were heard because they were real, because His only desire was to serve God.
God taught Him obedience and gave Him the strength He needed to say No to Himself, every time. How serious am I to overcome? How serious are my cries to God? How willing am I to obey? Do I want to be saved from death? To overcome like Jesus overcame, I need to follow Him in everything, also in how I pray to God for help. In my situation, the sinful desires in my nature and the pressures from outside can look like a great mountain. The battle can seem impossible. But I am not alone.
5. Grace to help us when we need it
Jesus knows what it is like to be human. We read in Hebrews 4:15 (CEV): “Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!” Before He left the earth, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit, the Helper, who would lead them to the truth. (John 14:16; John 16:13.)
“Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 (NCV). The time when I need it is when I’m tempted, when I see and feel the sin in my nature coming up, when I’m struggling to keep myself pure and not to sin. If I pray for help as Jesus did, in all humility and seriousness, desperate to overcome and be saved from death, then I will get help.
The Holy Spirit will come and show me the way to go. And the way is always: “Say No to sin, like Jesus did!” If I’m humble and willing to obey, He will give me the strength I need to endure in my battle. He will show me how evil sin is, and how great my heavenly calling is. He will give me God’s Word as a guide, help and a weapon. He will give me all power and strength to overcome sin!
6. Using the Word as a weapon
God’s Word is a sword. (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12.) It is the absolute truth and a powerful weapon against the lies of sin and Satan. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, His answer always started with “It is written …!” (Matthew 4:1-11.) But Jesus didn’t only quote the Word; He had authority when He used God’s Word because He also lived by it. In John 1:14 (NRS) we read that “the Word became flesh and lived among us.” Jesus could be described as the “Word on two legs”. His whole life was a fulfilment of God’s Word and will.
When I read the Bible, I fill myself with God’s wisdom. It is the weapon He has given me; words to use against Satan’s lies like Jesus did, words that show me what to do, words of comfort. I must do exactly what I read. Then I’m using the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I expose Satan’s lies and overcome all the sinful tendencies in my human nature. If I live according to these words, it is impossible for Satan and sin to defeat me.
7. Suffer in the flesh, stop with sin
“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased [stopped] from sin so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:1-2 (ESV).
This suffering was not the physical suffering on the cross of Calvary. It was the suffering of daily saying No to His own will, to the sin in His flesh, in His human nature - even when He was tempted constantly by the sin in His own nature. The sin in His nature had received its death sentence when He said “Your will be done, God”, and this death sentence was carried out when He didn’t give in to temptation.
As a disciple who follows Jesus, I must hate my own life, say No to myself and take up my cross. (Luke 9:23; Luke 14:26.) It costs something. It costs my will and my life. I must pray and cry out, and the sinful desires in my human nature have to feel the pain of being resisted. On the “daily cross” they suffer and die. Then I stop with sin.
This is the way the Master went. If I follow Him, I will end up where He is!
“He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 3:21 (WEB).