Sin Screen (Part 1)

My shopping list gave me a whole word. One morning I remembered that I needed to get some sunscreen because while I had the spray, I needed to return old school for the thick white cream for better barrier protection. The way my melanin is set up I get toasted real quick and that greasy spray just wasn’t cutting it, though it was easier to put on and less visible. How I got the word I needed was when my finger hit the “i” instead of the “u” in sun. Sin screen. Just hours prior I had been struggling with an area of sin and know it could have only been the Holy Spirit prompting me with a reminder of caution: “Warning, we’ve been here before.”

In the same way I needed to protect my skin from the damaging effects of the sun, I needed to be diligent to put on the things that would protect my heart, mind, body, and spirit from sin. And just like the sunscreen, I needed an effective defense for my soul. It reminded me of a conversation I had with one of my sisters one day. She was planning to visit a friend who just happened to be a guy. It was a solo meet-up at his place and she was telling me all of these things she was about to do before she headed over: pray, call her mentor, make sure she didn’t brush up on her feminine hygiene, and double up on her pants. I told her if she had to do all that then maybe going over wasn’t such a good idea. Her sin response system was shouting “WALKING TEMPTATION, WARNING, WARNING!”

I think so often we deceive ourselves into thinking we won’t fall into sin even though we have plenty of archived records of times we’ve fallen before. This was certainly me in the height of my sexual sin struggles. And it was a broken record I kept thinking was going to be fixed the next time I played it. Wrong. I’d make the same steps and fall into the same bed of sin each time. When I had finally had enough of the guilt, shame, feelings of brokenness and being used, and worst estrangement from my Dad (I’m talking about God), I realized something had to give. I had to give up my pride that “I had this.” That my strategy of trying to keep myself out of sin was actually going to keep me. And instead, I had to look to Scripture for the answer to freedom.

The first thing I needed was to tell myself the truth about sin. And sin always lied. It whispers things like, “you can handle this,” “just one time won’t hurt,” and “you’ll be satisfied and won’t have to do it again if just this once you scratch this itch.” If anyone has ever had a mosquito bite then you know you can’t just scratch once. Sure, you’re relieved at that moment when your nail scrapes across that irritated bump, but just as soon as you move your hand, it’s begging you to come back for more. Sin is the same way. Many people have heard the adage, “Sin takes you further than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you desired to pay.” I’m certain my life is a walking testimony to such. I’m still paying for my sin now and all I have to be mad at is myself.

Now that I knew sin was a liar that didn’t keep its promises, I needed to find out what it actually delivered. One season, my sisters from church and I were studying the book of James. I remember with much tears, anguish, and shock having studied a few of these passages before. Particularly this one: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:13-15 NIV

Did you catch that? “Sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” That’s what it delivers - however so slyly. Notice it says when it’s full-grown. That means sin develops and advances in its nature. It expands until it has reached maturation – our death. It starts as those hidden desires of the heart that if left unbridled become a wild stag that refuses to be tamed. I had always associated this term with an animal, but didn’t realize it had a second definition until I looked it up: “a man who attends a social gathering unaccompanied by a woman.” And isn’t that us? We want to wander into forbidden territory without the company of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.

Back to my opening point about studying James with my sisters. This time when I was looking at the text, I discovered something I hadn’t before. “Trial” and “temptation” were both the Greek word “peirasmos.” Trials were given by God and temptation by the enemy and yet they could have the same presentation. The only thing that makes them different is intent. The sender’s and the receiver’s. I could look at my present flesh challenges as a trial sent to test and strengthen me, or I could view it as a temptation to stumble into until I completely laid down in it. When I’m first presented with a desire and choice, I have the option to give it language. It can be my trial or temptation or perhaps even both.

Many of our desires don’t have a dark genesis. They become that way when we refuse to expose them to the light. When we refuse honesty with ourselves, God, and others about the longings of our soul. I remember coming across a short video by Jackie Hill Perry and she mentioned that much of our lust is at the core a desire for companionship. We start off wanting a God-given need for relationship and intimacy, yet when we don’t surrender this to God it grows into something distorted then deadly. It first appears as unhealthy idealization then lust then the act of fornication or adultery and then full-blown idolatry where we’re now worshipping these two created things – men and sex – instead of the God who created both for good and pleasure in their proper context.

You would think I’d get to the point where I didn’t have a struggle with sin or at least certain sins anymore. But as long as we’re in these earthly vessels, we’re going to be challenged by our flesh, sin, trials, and temptations. I have to remind myself that I’m divorced not dead. I’m delivered and yet being delivered. So I must continue to fight the good fight in each season where new and old challenges will inevitably present themselves. Check back, next week and I’ll tell you what SPF (Sin Protection Factor) I’m using as my defense.

What sins are you battling (or falling victim to) this season? Are you ready to overcome them or are you still enjoying them? Be honest with yourself. Be honest with God. And then ask for help to see sin the way He does.

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