Sin Screen (Part 3)

I’m not the kind of girl who wants to know the ending before the beginning. Well, at least when it comes to movies and books. For my life, I’d much prefer to know what God’s up to way in advance, though He often doesn’t afford me all such details. I share this because if you haven’t noticed, this is Part 3 and the final blog in my series on SPF (Sin Protection Factor). Feel free to keep reading though – no spoiler alerts here. But no harm in heading back to blog one and two before proceeding if you’d like to know how I got here.

To not make this one too lengthy, I’m just going to jump right in where I left off. How have I been fighting against the never-ending cycle of sin in my life over the past weeks? One of the first things I typically do is reach for my Sword – the Word of God. And I do this in several ways. I’ll specifically revisit texts of Scripture that shed light on how ugly that sin really is and gain an understanding of God’s perspective about it. A good way to go about this is a Google search or using that handy dandy concordance at the back of your Bible. Sin comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the Word has something for each of us no matter what the struggle may be.

Another way I tool for battle is by listening to various teachings about my specific sin (or sins – they usually come in package deals). This reminds me of biblical truths and practical ways to arm myself. And the best teachings will always point you to fruitful answers. Here are three SPF measures I'd like to highlight for you now.

One: Make No Provision

This comes from a passage of Scripture I’ve learned to keep at the forefront of my mind many moons ago – you know because of my constant slippage and laying down in it. Romans 13:14 NKJV says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” The NIV puts it like this, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” And the NLT adds a measure of understanding by stating, “…clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

When I look at this one passage in different versions, I gain insight into what I can practically do about battling sin in my life. The first is not to allow for an opportunity to sin. That may look like me not going to the place I’m likely to fall into that sin or having the thing that tempts me to sin come to me (i.e., him or her). If we refuse the location of sin, we can avoid the trapping of it too. This isn’t limited to physical locations, but mental, verbal, and emotional ones too. What do I mean? As another version of the text states, I don’t allow myself to think about how to gratify the desires of my flesh. If you’ll recall, this is how I got here in the first place. My thought life. Allowing that screening to keep rolling and me adding fanciful details along the way.

Just as dangerous as our thoughts can be, so can our words. Women are naturally more verbal creatures. We’re intrigued and enticed by what we hear. It’s important to guard against spaces where I’m hearing things that entice my flesh to sin. That could be anything from certain media like books, music, or shows, or even conversations I’m having with lady or guy friends. With all that thinking and talking, my heart is not too far behind, usually taking me further than I wanted to go, making me stay longer than I wanted to stay, and costing me more than I wanted to pay.

I really love the Word of God. Right here in Romans 13:14, I can appreciate that it says for me to “clothe myself.” Sin is good at undressing us, but terrible at helping us cover ourselves after it’s had its way. So instead of taking my clothes off, which is the typical precursor to a lot of sexual sin, I’m reminded to put on Christ. What does that mean? Whenever I want a deeper understanding of a text, a couple of things are always helpful. I make sure to read the passages around it (before and after, perhaps even the full chapter or book), so I’m getting the right context. I’ll sometimes look at text commentaries to gain perspective. The Blue Letter Bible has numerous authors (David Guzik usually appears in my Google searches). I’ll also use the Blue Letter Bible to search for a passage and then detail in to see each word in its original language and the definitions attached to it.

The last nugget I get from Romans 13:14 is to practice the presence of God. This means I’m intentionally spending time with God in prayer; worship (worship is something we do with our whole lives but I’m using it in this context to talk about worshipping through song, dance, and praise); or meditation on God and His Word (a variety of Bible apps will read the text to you).

Two: Remember the Gospel

I was listening to a conversation between Jackie Hill Perry and her mentor, and one of the most profound things she said her mentor had taught her when she was struggling with sin was to remember the gospel. She was looking for steps and strategies and couldn’t understand why she wanted her to think about how Jesus had died and risen from the dead. The gospel message isn’t just a memorized set of statements, but it's the power that makes us new creations and overcomers of sin. It reminds us of what Christ did and in effect, what that did for, in, and through us – breaking the bondage and hold of sin over our lives, setting us free, and keeping us free by His grace and power. My pastor has been teaching in Romans and highlighted this powerful truth we often forget. Instead of adding five more paragraphs (or pages) to help you grasp the greatness of this news, click on the links to hear their messages.

Three: Love God More

If I’m honest, sometimes the only thing that keeps me from sinning is my love for God. Because my flesh wants to sin. At times I find sin enjoyable. I know sin's just for a season, but as forgetful sheep, we often remember all the good of that pasture but forget all the danger. So even though I'm aware of the bountiful headaches and heartaches on the other side of my momentary pleasure, my flesh is always telling me my sin's worth it. But I’m so glad that I have the truth nestled in my heart – God is worth it. I recall how He was the only one who was there to pick and clean me up after all my messes. I recall how He was the only one who ever laid down and sacrificed His life so I could be free. And I think about how His love for me is pure, unrelenting, and unconditional. With all this in mind, I can’t help but to want to love Him back in just a measure of the way He’s loved me. As a lover who longs to show affection and honor to her beloved, I seek to love my sin less and love my God more. I stumbled across a message where Jackie Hill Perry sums this up as one of our greatest tactics against sin. Check it out here.

Well, I tried, and still not sure how I got here – the blog was long. But hopefully, you found valuable insight to help you in your defense against sin. Be sure to follow Unveiled61 on social media for another gem nugget while you’re waiting on the next blog. And don’t forget to subscribe to be notified a new blog is available.