Much obliged
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I will try as much as I can
Remember it is Christ who works in us.
In our strength we cannot do it, we need to submit to the will of the Holy Spirit to work in us, teach us, reveal the things of God to us.
We are called to submit to the will of the Father.
It's not a sit back and he will do everything, we have to be willing.
One thing to remember is that as a believer who wants to grow in Jesus there is one who will do everything he can to stop it or stunt it.
He is the one who brings guilt and condemnation.
But the truth is he who is in us I greater than he who is in the world.
Satan is a prowling lion but he had no teeth.
This may sound weird but I believe God even works in our sin.
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
I had a severe gambling problem and I was like you in my thoughts.
I felt guilty, condemned every time I did it.
I resolved every day not to do it.
I even gambled and didn't know I was doing it at times.
Sat at my desk one minute then an hour later haven blown an awful lot of money I realised what I was doing.
Then Satan would use his tactics, you sinner, how can God love you after that, infact if God really loved you he would stop you doing it.
I had even got to the stage where I asked God to kill me so I would know where I was going, heaven or hell. And I was married with 4 young kids and knew God would provide.
God through his grace and mercy took it away.
But he had to heal me of the causes of effect.
When he did that I stopped gambling just like that.
Now I walk with people who suffer the same but as I know the cause I can walk in a deeper level with them.
So out of this situation God has worked good, he healed me, conformed this part of life to the image of Jesus and now he is using it for good to help others.
Is the sin you are talking about a pattern of sin?
If so you made need to seek discipleship and help.
As we grow in Jesus, we make more room for him, as we do he increases and we decrease.
We become aware of the schemes of the devil, we start to sin less but more importantly we start to love more.
So we have a helper
John 16:7
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
It's not us helping ourselves, is the Holy Spirit helping us to help ourselves.
I believe firstly he doesn't say "just stop sinning" because if we could we would not need him, secondly I genuinely believe he wants to get to the root of our problems that cause us to sin, a sin pattern.
He doesn't condemn us.
I would just like to say though when you stumble, confess straight away.
Do not ever feel you can't.
God is waiting to hear it.
He knows it anyway and I would say he's not surprised either.
If we draw close to him then he can and will draw close to us.
Finally I will finish with what JJ said below.
Praise God, you have confessed to being in the battles with things unseen. This means you ae a soldier of God because of your faith.
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