How can we avoid being seduced by sin this year?
So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap, awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.
Proverbs 7: 21-23 (NLT)
Happy New Year!
A new year provides an opportunity for us to start afresh and, it’s a time when we take stock of the lessons we learned from last year and think about what we would like to achieve in the year ahead.
Just as God has good plans for our lives, we can be certain that the enemy of our souls also has bad plans for us. These plans will come in the form of temptations and sinful traps, which can be deadly, as we can see in the scripture above. Since we are not ignorant of Satan’ devises, how can we avoid the sin that would try to seduce us this year?
- Listen to the Words of God
Firstly, we must be good listeners of God’s Word, and not listeners only, but doers of His Word. When we do this, we will avoid falling into the traps of sin:
So listen to me, my sons,and pay attention to my words.
Proverbs 7:24 (NLT)
- Don’t let your heart follow in sin
Sin begins in the heart as a thought before it is actually committed therefore, we are encouraged not to let our heart stray towards sin.
Remember Jesus said that if a man looks at a woman in the wrong way, he has already sinned in his heart. Therefore, we must guard our heart from anything that will lead us towards the path of sin. The way we do that is to capture the thought as soon as it comes and make it bow down to the obedience of Christ:
Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her.
Don’t wander down her wayward path.
Proverbs 7:25 (NLT)
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
- Simply say no to sin
When we feel so tempted to sin, we must simply say no, and declare we are in the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus and thereby take authority over the sin, so that it does not control us. God told Cain that sin was eager to control him, but he must overcome it and be its master, and you and I can do the same thing:
You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
Genesis 4:7 (NLT)
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please help me to listen to Your Words and live a life of righteousness in 2018 in Jesus΄ name.
Books
How to Stop the Negative Voices in your Head
God bless,
Blessing Theophilus-Israel
Spiritual Life Coach
blessingtheo 