How can I say no to sin?
You are a Christian; you pray before meals, you go to church and you even put money in the offering plate. But you just can’t say no to a sin that you have been committing. Why isn’t God helping?
Yes, you can do all the things that Christians are supposed to do, but no, those things usually don’t help you resist temptation. Okay then, you say, what will help?
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.
James 4:7-8a
First sentence: “Submit yourselves, then, to God.” Are you willing to put yourself under the authority of an almighty God? Is He your sovereign Lord? Too often we want to be our own boss, nobody is going to tell me what to do.
“Resist the devil.” If Satan is your enemy you can resist him. You can, with God’s help, say no to temptation.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” God loves us and is near us. The question is, are you aware of His presence? God has a deep passionate love for you. He absolutely adores you. You will never fully comprehend His love for you. The problem is this; your love for God is so shallow and weak that you can’t say no to sin.
How do we love God?
First – Be truly thankful that an all -powerful creator God sent His Son to take the punishment for your sin.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:9-10
Second – Recognize God’s greatness. Read chapters in the book of Psalms, memorize a favorite verse.
Third – Be obedient to God through learning His Word. Study the Bible.
Fourth – Develop a deep relationship with your God through prayer. Learn how to pray better. Study prayers in the Bible and plead with God to help you say no to sin. Knowing some Bible facts will not help you say no to sin, a deep love and reference for God will.