7 Truths to Help You Triumph Over Sin

What you believe defines who you are and how you live.

Consequently, what you think is true is far more powerful in affecting how you live your life than the actual truth. You are what you think. That’s why if you think wrong, you’ll never live strong.

Question: What do you think about sin?

Do you believe it is inevitable – that even though you’re a Christian, you are going to sin anyway? Do you believe you can overcome every sin you are faced with?

What you think about sin matters because just like the sports team that believes they can never win, in your next head-to-head conflict with temptation, you’re going to lose.

Which sin has you by the throat? Has it been so long since you’ve had victory over your anger, sharp tongue, impure thoughts, covetousness, gossip (you fill in the blank), that you have come to believe real victory – lasting victory – isn’t even possible?

That’s exactly what the enemy of your soul wants . . . a life of defeat based not on The Truth, but on what you believe to be the truth about your struggle with sin. Many Christians have convinced themselves that committing sin is the inevitable fate of their existence.

Is the temptation to sin powerful and sometimes feels overwhelming? Does the habit of sin make forsaking it seem impossible? Yeah, pretty much. That’s what wrong thinking will do. It will get us to believe something that isn’t true. 

However powerful the enemy, the enemy’s victory in your life is not inevitable. You can conquer sin. You can triumph. You can walk in victory.

The only way for a Christian to walk in victory, however, is to believe and take to heart what God has said. Hey, that’s kind of obvious, isn’t it? True, but just because we could get the question right on a multiple-choice exam doesn’t mean we’ll live it.

If we are going to walk in the victory that is ours, we’ll have to be proactive and align our thinking about the sin in our life with the Truth of Scripture.

Here are 7 Truths to help you triumph over sin.

Truth #1: You are not destined to sin.

Many are convinced that they can’t help sinning. We’re all human, right? For the disciple of Jesus Christ, continuing sin is not your fate.

What the Bible Says: Romans 6:14 – “ . . . sin shall not have dominion over you.”

If you’re a believer, believe the Truth. The chains of sin are a choice. God has given you His Spirit, His power, and He has conquered sin and given you the victory. Just say ‘No!’ to the dominion of sin.

Truth #2: You are not a victim of the sin in your life.

Don’t listen to the lie that the sin you just committed is like a change in the weather that you couldn’t do anything about. You chose it. That’s why it happened.

What the Bible says: John 8:36 “If . . . the Son shall make you free, you shall be free, indeed.”

If you are a believer, believe the Truth. The Cross happened – you are free.

Truth #3: God will never do for you what He has already given you the             strength to do.

A friend recently said to me, “I hope God gives me the strength to stay strong.” (to say ‘no’ to sexual sin). Sounds spiritual, doesn’t it? It’s not. It’s destructive because it contains a lie. Standing against or falling into sin is not a measure of the strength God did or didn’t give you. Christian, you already have the strength, the strategy, and the victory.

What the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 10:13 “ . . . God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you will be able to bear it.”

If you are you a believer, believe the Truth. God has provided you an escape route from every temptation you face.

Truth #4: Being tempted isn’t a sin.

It’s very easy to start thinking that because your flesh wants to respond in a sinful way to someone or because wicked thoughts enter your mind that somehow, you’re already guilty. The only sin associated with being tempted is yielding to the temptation.

What the Bible says: Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

If you are a believer, believe the Truth. Jesus faced temptation, just like you. It didn’t make Him guilty and it doesn’t make you guilty. The next time you’re tempted, remember, Jesus has been there . . . he has experienced temptation in every way you have and won. With His Spirit, so can you.

Truth #5: A little bit of sin is not okay.

The habit of unrepentant sin may diminish the guilty feelings but it doesn’t diminish the consequences. That’s a problem because a little unrepentant sin goes a long way . . . in fact, it goes all the way to Hell.

What the Bible says: 1 John 3:6 “Whoever abides in him doesn’t sin (doesn’t walk in unrepentant sin): whoever sins (walks in unrepentant sin) has not seen him, nor known him.

1 John 3:9 “Whoever is born of God does not commit sin (walk in unrepentant sin); for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

If you are a believer, believe the Truth. No amount of ongoing sin is your life is ‘okay’ with God. The only sin God is good with is sin that has been repented of and washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Truth #6: You are able to stand against sin because of Who is keeping you upright.

You are not alone. God said he would never leave you or forsake you . . . and that awesome Truth is true in your moment of greatest weakness and struggle. He’s right there.

What the Bible says: Jude 24 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling . . .”

If you’re a believer, believe the Truth.

Truth #7: You are an overcomer.

The victory has already been won but this doesn’t mean that you get to lay down and do nothing. God gave the Promised Land to the children of Israel but then He said, essentially, go fight for it! The victory was theirs but, they had to walk in that victory.

What the Bible says: Romans 8:37 “ . . . in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

If you’re a believer, believe the Truth. You’re not merely a conqueror (but that’s great, isn’t it?) You’re more than a conqueror, through Jesus Christ.

Reject the lies of the enemy. Believe the Truth and walk in the strength of it. Sin has no power over you.

Will you sin tomorrow? The debate over the answer is a waste of time. Where are you right now, in this moment? You can be in communion with God, right now. And, when we’re walking and communing with God, there’s no place for sin.