im finding myself doing things i shouldnt be and then feelling so bad after that i dont want to face me in the mirror. Guilty. i want to get my spirit clean and keep it clean, what can i do? why is it so hard to resist the devil, how can i stay on track?

First sis everyone struggles in some way... NO ONE IS PERFECT. But most folks like to portray themselves as Super Holy so they don't let anyone know that they are struggling, but they are just like you. And when I say everyone... I mean everyone. You just can't see most people while they are struggling, so it's easy to think you're the only one... you're not. Sin and temptation attack everyone, they ain't no punks.

The Bible says the "enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy." (John 10:10) Sin, temptation, and the devil are also characterized in 1 Peter 5:8 "as a roaring lion, [that] walketh about, seeking whom he may devour". That’s serious…

The battle of sin is so powerful in fact that our only hope was for Jesus himself to die and pay the penalty of sin to break its hold on humanity. It’s because of Jesus we are saved... but we are not sinless. I’m actually really happy to hear that you are feeling guilty. This means that the Lord is speaking to your heart… and you’re listening. You see sis, it's actually because of the unconditional Love of Jesus that you are currently feeling any guilt at all. It’s because Jesus loved you enough to die so you wouldn't have to be a prisoner to temptation, that you now feel guilty when you do give in.

Think about it… Why feel guilty if it wasn't already resolved? Why feel guilty if there was no way to overcome it? You feel guilty because you know in Him you have the power to do better; to make better decisions and to ultimately be better. You want that, I want that, and Jesus wanted it so bad he died for it. I assume because you are feeling such a high degree of guilt you are already saved… is that a safe assumption? You have already confessed your belief that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He died for your sins, and rose again? I hope so… If not, let me know, we can take care of that too.

But if so, there’s good news sis. You want to get your spirit clean and keep it clean? You can! As you know, your spirit is the inner being that loves God and wants to do the will of God. To “clean” that inner being, your spirit, you must repent for your actions to date, accept God’s forgiveness, and claim your liberty.

I know when people say repent folks get all cross eyed, but all it really means is that you get to a point that you are so sorry for what you’ve done that it hurts… You cry about it and wish it would have never happened. You decided you never want to live that way again and you ask God to forgive you and honor your commitment to never go back. “Repent” is just the super spiritual word some people use to describe that process. That’s what it takes to clean away all the mess and guilt of your past… and your future. As long as your heart is sensitive to the quiet conviction of the Lord’s truth you’ll continue to grow and you’ll learn how to clean up the messes you might create.

Don’t get me wrong it’s not easy, but it is simple. The hard part is actually learning to forgive yourself and stop caring what other people think… This is difficult because we often lose the battles and have to keep going back to God for the same things. The Apostle Paul spoke about this battle most eloquently in chapters 7 and 8 of the book of Romans. And that’s actually where I would recommend you start reading and studying if you really want to get on the right track and stay there.

I say start there because the most important thing you need to understand is that some of the temptation will never go away. It will be your cross to bear on a daily basis. But it’s that same temptation that will eventually teach you to lean entirely upon the Lord. Because sis, if you’re like everyone else you’ll keep messing up and you’ll keep going back in repentance for forgiveness. Then when you conquer an issue in the spirit, you’ll find another challenge and start the process all over again.

This cycle is actually by design. As we grow we endeavor to become more like Christ… So as we learn more about Him we recognize more about ourselves that is displeasing to Him. Working on those things is how we work out our faith and become mature Christians; never perfect, but sincerely repentant, ever improving, and always forgiven. I pray that this helps you get moving again.

Hit my Inbox sis. I’m happy to help you and point you in the right direction.

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