OVERCOMING SINFUL HABITS

About six out of every ten Christians are having issues with habits that they ‘cannot’ pull out from. Many are too shy to talk about it because they think it’s just them. They feel like the worse sinners in the world. Well, largely because we live in a world full of hypocrisy.

Some pastors preach like they are holier than Jesus whereas they have more issues than many members. In fact, a man that has experienced and understands the grace of God would not condemn sinners; he would present the gospel with love and compassion, but also firmness.

To overcome sinful habits you must understand the mystery that governs their operation and the technology that terminates their reproduction.

This is not a presentation of theory but a revelation from God that has worked for me for years and has helped many others. You can be victorious, there’s no reason to give up on life when you are still alive. I guarantee that what you are about to read would change you if you believe and act on it

THE CONCEIVING OF SIN
Desire must be initiated for sin to be manifested. Sin can never manifest without the fore-running of desire. Desire is like a virus, it would break down every defense. Desire comes self-sufficient having the required skill, power and wisdom to perform (James 1:13,14,15, Mark 7:21-24)

How did the first man fall?

Prior to the deception that came from the devil through the serpent, Adam and his wife lived above sin. Their dominance above sin was not a mystery. They simply had no desire for sin.

God said “…for in the day that you eat from it you will certainly die” Gen 2:17 (Amp). The words created in them repulsion for the fruit, hence they could not desire the fruit. Following, they could not sin having such mindset.

But it wasn’t about the fruit. Deep down all they really wanted was the best and whatever affords them life and dominion. To them, the fruit was inferior to life, and so far as living and growth were concerned, the tree was an unnecessary evil.

So long they thought that way they could not fall into sin. If you don’t need a car, you most likely would never go to a car dealer. That was their case. There was simply nothing the tree had to offer them better, thus an advertisement would have to be made.

This was why the devil did not just tell Eve to eat the fruit but he convinced her by showing her (falsely) the mind blowing benefits. Immediately, desire was formed and sin followed.

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:4-6)

Note that it was when she saw the benefits of the fruit that she fell. But she did not just fall; she became an evangelist of sin to her husband. You would naturally evangelize what you are convinced about. The coldness for evangelism in the church is simply a conviction problem.

Jesus gave us the code for the multiplication of iniquity on the earth,
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” Math 24:12.

The question is; ‘what is the relationship between the abounding of evil and the waxing cold of men?’ It is a coded sentence. It simply means because iniquity would be advertised greatly, sin would result greatly.

Iniquity has been better packaged and advertised by media, celebrities and modes. An excellent advertisement would naturally attract a massive patronage.

On the flip side, the life of Christ has been poorly advertised by so called pastors and Christians. Young folks run away from it considering same as archaic and old fashioned. Naturally, no one wants to be a part of a sect of losers and mediocres who are pushed like pawns in the society.

So a system has made sin appealing for believers. But for sinners it’s not just an advertisement problem, it is also a nature problem; the nature of sin.

But take note that the devil can do nothing to man without his willful participation and consent, whether obtained expressly or impliedly. Well, this is why he is called a tempter. By tempter it means his duty is to suggest actions to man by making some flowery submissions of ‘valid’ proofs. Those factual suggestions create desires which are seeds for the manifestation of sin.

Scriptures advised us ahead of time, “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” Pro 4:23. You manifest what is in your mind. And the gate to your life is your mind. Unfortunately many are careless about this they presume thoughts are harmless.

The reason why you sin or fall into habits over and over again, is not because you were tempted, or because you were in a disadvantaged situation, the problem is that you mind had not been renewed in that area. In other words, you had desire for sin in your heart that was not dealt with.

If you shake a bottle and water comes out, it’s not the fault of the shaking or that the bottle was left open. The problem is that there was water in the bottle. For if there were no water in the bottle in the first place, there would be no issuance of water from the bottle.

What is in your subconscious mind would be played out by your body unconsciously. Reflex is not a mystery.

Thus it’s important to deal with the root of sin. First by Definition and second by Revelation.

*DEFINITION

The fact that you are not taking drugs, , fornicating or committing adultery is no evidence that you have power over same. It is possible that your bottle has not been shaken. The day it is shaken the water in it would spring out.

This is why many go to camp meetings, or tertiary institutions, or appear in certain company, and they are amazed at the things they begin to do, they never thought they were capable of doing same. They thought they had won the victory over it. Oh such great deception!

The uncomfortable truth is that they never truly defined their principles and standards. If you had asked them, five years before their fall, “Do you think sex before marriage is wrong?” “Do you think drugs and alcohol is wrong?”

They would give the following answers-

“I think its morally wrong”
“My parents or church told me not to do so”
“I’m not sure it’s wrong, but I wouldn’t do it”
“They have taught us many times in church, I know it’s wrong”

The above answers appear very sincere but they ensnare. The truth is that if you cannot define in precise and factual terms that make complete sense to your head, and convince your mind, it’s just a matter of time, you will be a victim

Many are not persuaded whether masturbation, sex before marriage, pornography, drugs, among other things is wrong. They don’t do it, but they are not persuaded, they think they are, but when you ask them, they cannot produce strong reasons. When pressure comes, they will fall.

Before the temptation they say, “I will not do it” When the temptation comes with a strong desire, they say “after all I am not sure it’s wrong” “It may not hurt” Then they do it. They regret afterwards and repent, but they don’t work on their minds.

More pressure comes in the future, they fall again, they repent, and so their life rolls up into a vicious circle or regrets and confusion. One day, they give up on trying, and their conclusion usually is “This is not wrong” or “No one can overcome this, all are pretenders”

The truth is that until you define you values clearly (from scriptures), compromise is inevitable. In precise terms, you are living in mirage, like a chicken kept for Christmas; her death sentence is only for a fixed time.

Ask yourself, “Am I persuaded from scriptures that this habit is wrong?” or am I merely holding men’s perception as mine? If you don’t define your values, even God cannot help you, because he has been living inside of you all this while.

The first thing to do is define, and then engage God’s grace.

REVELATION

Many persons made decisions not to indulge in certain habits but they got it wrong at two points
First, they never had a vivid revelation from the word of God why they should not. And second, they fed their minds with what they never wanted to do.

The first step to victory is to study God’s word and bring out clear reasons from God’s word, study many characters in scriptures and get many verses around that area, ensure you have many and strong proofs from the word.

The second step is to change what you feed your mind with. Your revelation would lose its power if you perpetually focus on what you don’t want to do, and this works in two ways.

The first is, focusing on the works of the flesh. You become what you focus on, in fact if you watch cartoon a lot I can look at you and know. When you listen to a lot of sexually provocative movies, songs or you keep your gaze on celebrities contrary to God’s standard who pervert the ways of truth, you would unconsciously become them.

You have to understand how reflex works. Reflexes are those actions your conscious mind do not have control over. But the fact that your conscious mind did not approve it, does not mean it was not performed by you; because you are also responsible for your subconscious mind.

Reflex actions are performed from the subconscious mind. In fact we can determine and create our reflex actions by feeding our subconscious mind with information. How is our subconscious mind fed? Its simple, its fed by meditation and repetition.

This was why God told Joshua to meditate on the word day and night because the word would get to a point where it would control even his subconscious to act accordingly. This is the point where you react unconsciously and unpremeditatedly according to God’s word.

The second problem is focusing on our defeats rather than on our successes. To even make it worse we vocalize them. If you are in Christ you are a new creature, hence you cannot define yourself by your wrong actions.

When you make mistakes and you are convicted by the spirit of God, apologize and move on. It doesn’t take two apologies to get you in order. Jesus has already died for all your sins, just receive forgiveness by simple faith.

Never use your failures as parameters to define you nature. Look at Christ who is your righteousness and define yourself by his righteousness. You have his nature and you are righteous, your failures notwithstanding. With time you will live up to your believe and confessions, and sin would no longer be the problem.

Faith is calling those things which be not as though they are. In your spirit you are righteous if you are saved, keep confessing that, and expecting to live that way. If you don’t believe you are righteous you can never live right. Right believing creates right living.

ATMOSPHERE

Every living thing is naturally subject to her atmosphere. Atmospheres make and shape us, and it is madness and deceit to hold the opposite.

The sun, water, wind and temperature affect trees for instance. The future of a tree can be determined by the atmosphere or the atmospheric conditions surrounding it.

But men undermine this law. It is a law older than any man, and as valid as the law of gravity that your atmosphere shapes and makes you with time. For you to say it doesn’t matter is to treat your life like it doesn’t matter.

Observation teaches us that when a husband and wife stay together over the years they begin to look alike. Biology teaches us that when ladies stay together in a room, over time, their menstrual cycle begins to align. Sociology teaches us that men in same company share culture and communications by a system psychology defines as conformity. Yet many persons make light of their company and interactions.

Your association alters your destination; you must value your destiny above your company,

If you want a fish to live long, you put it in the water, take it from there it would die. So it’s simple, if you want a believer to live strong and long, put him in the company of other believers. Nature teaches us basic principles of life if only we would be humble to glean from her wisdom.

It is not sufficient to be in a company of believers, you must verify that the believers hold same perceptions as you do. It is important they prioritize what you prioritize.

Samson and Solomon should teach us life lessons about the snares of engaging the wrong company.

When you put a metal close to a magnet a coming together is the expected result. Similarly to put yourself in a disadvantaged positions is to implicate yourself for defeat. Most times our actions betray our intentions.

An intention would never be birthed without atmospheres that pave room for same.

To interact every day with a drug addict is to present yourself like a metal to the force field of a magnet. When two intending couples decide not to have sex before marriage, their intention is false until their actions portray it. They thus must avoid sexually provocative atmospheres and postures. May the lord give us wisdom.

We undermine greatly the influence of atmospheres.

Your actions should permit way for your intentions, otherwise your intentions would be vain perceptions.

ABIDING

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of God” 2 Corinthians 3:18

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” Romans 12:2

The transformation that God gives is not mere education but regeneration. By faith in the finished works of Christ we were changed into a new nature of righteousness, however, that nature needs to be nurtured consistently by what created it, the word and the Spirit of God.

“If you faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small” Proverbs 24:10

Two natures are contending for dominance in you, whichever you feed better becomes stronger. A believer that hardly reads the word, and prays once in three days would be as light as a leaf in the face of temptation.

It is a big joke to expect to live righteously when you don’t stay with God. Right living is not a consequence of mere right believing, or even right company, as good as they are, the core of righteous living is guaranteed by consistent and rich staying with God and his word.

Two things happen when we stay. First, The love of God explodes in our heart. And Second, the power over the flesh is released into our bodies by the Spirit of God. If you change your culture your habits would change.

Sin is not a problem, it is a result. If you input right coordinates you would arrive at a safe location.

This is why the first thing the devil attacks is your consistency with God. Next he plants a desire inconsistent with God. And when the desire matures, sin emanates. Our priority must be to keep our relationship intact with God.

Many believers operate sensually. When they are physically sick they take leave from work, they stay indoors and they terminate their nominal activities for a while. But when they are spiritually sick, they just keep going until they crash.

A personal retreat should be the natural progression of a believer. Once we begin to see the things we have crucified resurfacing in our desires, we must retreat immediately, staying with the word and engaging God in prayer.

Never forget to always assert who you are in Christ. Submit to God and resist the devil, he would flee.

Now evaluate yourself. Could yours be a definition, or a revelation or an abiding problem? The Lord upholds you.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.1 Corinthians 10:13

You are victorious forever!

Halleluiah!

John Oyinloye
(O8100093154)

Tl;dr I heard playing games with lots of magic helps a lot.