Breaking the cycle

The cycle of defeat is founded on carefully crafted false assumptions and deception.  It's power is ultimately derived from an emotional attachment to lust that keeps us from surrendering our will to God. 

 

The Bible gives us guidance to break the cycle at every stage.  When we commit to mortifying the flesh through the power and guidance of the Lord we will begin to overcome.  Let's look at each stage a little closer.

 

1. Temptation - we are to flee temptation (1 Cor 6:18, 2 Timothy 2:22).  As Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife so we must realize that temptation is not something to try to resist.  Temptation has a way of working on our minds after the opportunity has past.  We can never believe we are too strong to fall (1 Cor 10:12).
 
2. Lust - lust is the desire of the old man warring within our hearts.  We need to aggressively kill the flesh, making no provision for it (Rom 13:14).  The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God (Romans 8:7).  If we aren't bringing our hearts and minds into submission then we shouldn't expect victory or peace. 
 
3. Sin - we are to learn to hate sin (Romans 12:9), if we truly love God we will learn to hate our sin.  We must break the emotional attachment to sin that we have built up.  This can only be done by walking in Spirit and in truth. 
 
4. Guilt & Shame - After we sin we feel the guilt from our conscience.  We were never created with the capacity to deal with the guilt of our sins (Guilt - a burden to great to bear).  But rather than ignoring the guilt, or soothing it, or trying to escape it, we should be learning from it.  We need to feel the weight of sin and let it drive us to the throne of grace.  We must call out to the Lord and listen for His answer.
 
5. Contrition - When we do come to the Lord we must lay aside our promises, our excuses and our self-pity and confess in true contrition and brokeness.  We must repent of our sin, not determining to do better, but actually committing to being obedience no matter what the cost. 
 
6. Temporary Relief - we know that God is faithful,  when we ask for forgiveness He freely cleanses us because of the work of Christ.  We feel the relief.  But no sooner do we feel that relief then lust begins to work on us again.  It is never satisfied.  This is the time to set the defenses.  We must run to the Lord, we must put on the armor of God, take our thoughts captive, and resist the devil.  Only through God's power can we hope to resist the spiritual forces of evil that seek to devour and destroy us.