Day by day. For those who battle some weakness in their lives where the temptation to sin seems ever present, the struggle is daily, if not hourly, to make good choices. All around these individuals are triggers that can set their minds on a dark path to an action that dishonors their relationship with a Holy God, let alone the potential damage to relationships among family and friends.
It is a war that cannot be won by one’s own strength. In fact, winning this war requires the individual to not only acknowledge his own weakness but to embrace it wholeheartedly. To be victorious over this type of struggle involves laying down one’s pride at the very foot of the cross. For it is pride that keeps man from relying on God, and pride that keeps God from being glorified through man (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
Only God can change a person from the inside out. I’m living proof of a life transformed—a life where darkness was replaced with light. Did I do this on my own? Absolutely not. Can I take credit for this change? No way. The only thing I did was recognize that this world has no solution for those caught in the darkness of sin. I had to let go of my pride that kept telling me I can handle the double life and I can manage all of this. I had to lay my sin down.
No support group, no secular psychology/counseling, and no self-help books can provide the change necessary. Because all of these solutions rely on making the individual stronger, which is the exact opposite of Scripture. You cannot escape darkness wandering in the darkness trying to find a solution born of darkness (Matthew 15:14).
You must learn to hate the sin as much as God does. Instead of focusing on the pleasure the sin brings, shift your focus to how you feel afterward. Let that feeling consume you until you come to a point to see just how much you are grieving your Creator every time you give in to your desires.
God will change you, I promise you. But you have to first take ownership of your own actions and recognize that this struggle is bigger than you. Get rid of what you must so the temptation is less available, but do so bathed in communion with the Almighty, who will bring you out of darkness and into His loving light.
You can have victory, just not on your own. Day by day, replace the darkness of this world with the light of Jesus Christ.
