How easy it is to fall back into old habits
Romans 7. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Lord, today, let me guard my heart and mind.
Let me seek to do that which is good and right and pleasing to you.
For I know that sin is so easily commited.
I can fall into it and it can occur without much thought if I am not aware.
The slanderer will easily slander.
The bitterness can come in without too much effort.
The guilt and shame can creep in and destroy the peace and hope I have in Christ. The self pity and worry can envelop me and I can easily begin to think the thoughts I once thought.
See the enemy wants to pursuade us that we have no worth. He wants to convince us we have gone too far. He wants to confuse us and steal our hope.His objective is to keep our focus off of the truth. We are the Children of God. We are not alone.
We can pray in the affirmative,
You Lord are my shield and my refuge. You call me your child. You say of me that I have been chosen and treasured. You say I am the apple of your eyes.
You call me the redeemed, for you paid a high price on the cross for me. Let me focus on who you are and what you have done for me. Let me not focus on my weaknesses but on your strength that is made perfect in my weakness. I have you dear Lord. I have been set free.
Lord this day let the old nature be crucified with Christ and the newness of your life stand tall in me.
For I need a new focus and a vision clear to see you. Cleanse me afresh and restore my strength. I am yours.
Amen. Let me become strong in the knowledge that you who began a good work in me, are faithful. You are able to see me through. This is my prayer.
Being cognizant of our weakness and our need for constant support from the Lord is medicine to our bones. Knowing we do not rely on our own merits is a strong defense. We rely on the One who calls us His Own.
It is the antidote for failure. It is the pivot on which we can be secure. We cannot live righteous lives apart from Christ. But connected to the Vine (John 15) we have power.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13… For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
The way we succeed is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to endure.
The only way we stand is by humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God.
God has given us the wherewithal to make it. Ephesians 6, tells us to Put on The Whole Armour of God.
Let’s see it, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV
We can win this battle. We can live Holy and be witnesses of the Lord when we prepare adequately.
When we remeber our position and who has called us in to salvation. We are then under tha shadow of His wings.
Jesus is Lord over all. His desire is that we can experience his authority and remember who He has made us.
Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
With this assurance we can weather the storms of life. We can stand and believe that all things will work together for our good. We who love God, we who have surrendered our weaknesses to Him and have been infused with the power only a commitment to Christ brings.
More than Children of God we are also Vicorious in Him. This position ok is us to share the good news that Jesus saves. He restores and gives hope to thehopeless, makes the weak strong. He delivers us from sin and positions us for glory.
Life and Faith By Deb 
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