I don’t know who needs to hear this, but for all those who are committed to following Jesus and ‘walking in the Spirit and no longer fulfilling the lusts/desires of the flesh nature’ (Gal. 5:16)...this does not mean you won’t ever be tempted to sin again. On the contrary...

Nor should one who is ‘walking in the Spirit’ think they will never experience frustration or discouragement. We read where Paul grew ‘greatly annoyed’ with a spirit that was harassing him through a woman, in Acts 16:16-18. You may encounter some strong disagreements with a brother/sister in Christ that can hopefully be resolved in an appropriate manner. You might go through seasons feeling isolated and even abandoned, as Paul often did. In fact, it’s okay to be ‘angry’ at times...provided you don’t ‘sin’ by acting out in that anger (Eph. 4:26).

Have you ever wondered why you seem to run into the same ‘tests’ repeatedly when it comes to certain people or situations? How’s that temper doing when you get in heavy traffic where ‘slow incompetent’ drivers meet you at every turn? Or maybe the slow checkout line that you always seem to pick and have your patience tested...seeing any notable improvement there yet when it comes to patience?

If you think that any of those areas of sin are just something you are always going to have to deal with throughout the rest of your Christian walk...you might think again. God does not give us His Spirit of grace to continue living with these various sin/flesh areas in our lives...He gives us the power to overcome them and put them to death once and for all. But again, that doesn’t mean you won’t be ‘tested’ in those areas after you have overcome them. Even Jesus learned that (Luke 4:13).

If you take your car in to a mechanic to have some faulty brakes repaired, don’t you want them to ‘test’ those brakes to make sure they work correctly before you get back on the road, especially if you have an upcoming trip in the mountains?

Take a look at what James reminds us of in his letter: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

God is ‘using/allowing’ various situations and circumstances that you encounter...to reveal and expose those things in our hearts that need to ‘come off the land’. We do that by ‘repenting’, and then ‘putting them to death’ (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5). Denying those area in your life exists just delays the process; as does making excuses for them. Just ask King Saul who was confronted by the prophet in 1 Samuel 15:13-21.

Are you easily offended by people who may wrong you? Maybe the problem isn’t with all ‘those people’, but something within you... is the issue God is wanting to deal with. “Great peace have those who love God’s law and nothing shall offend them, or cause them to stumble” (Ps. 119:165).

This past weekend, Kathy and I took a rug that has been in our family for years out in the backyard to clean with a shampooer. It was quite the process as she would run that machine with the soapy water over the rug, then rinse and repeat as we continued to empty the tank over and over. Much to our dismay...that reservoir tank was filthy every time we repeated this process. You begin to wonder if we’ll ever get all the dirt out of it; but clearly, a one-time going over did not do the trick. Sometimes...we have to undergo similar testing's in our lives because multiple ‘sin issues’ run deep and has been there for a long time. It's not that God can’t deliver us from some ‘issue’ once and for all, but don’t be shocked over the repeated/occasional testing's we encounter just to ‘make sure’.

A couple of years ago, I had an interesting experience as I was learning about much of what I share here with you here regarding this ‘putting things to death’ in our lives once and for all. I even wrote about it and will briefly reshare with you now. Unbeknownst to me, I use to have a problem with a ‘subtle’ form of self-pity. And it would creep up in my marriage frequently, where I might sense I was being overlooked or set aside because the needs of kids and life in general took precedence at the time. I might get my feelings hurt or feel neglected or ignored...and I would sink into one of those sullen silent modes and withdraw. It’s not that it led to loud clashes of disagreement between us, but it did nothing to help our relationship for sure. Honestly...it was simply a childish and immature response on my part.

One night, through an interesting event, God exposed this area in my heart to me; I mean, He called me out, sort of like how Nathan called out David for his sin. And the moment I recognized what was happening, I fell to my knees in repentance and confessed that I indeed had given in to a ‘spirit of self-pity’ regularly...for years. I mean, it was like a fast-motion replay of multiple incidents where I had succumbed to this area that God revealed to me. I was not only broken in repentance when I ‘saw it’, but I was also overcome with joy and gratitude that God revealed this ‘blind area’ to me. As I confessed, then renounced it before Him, I knew in that moment I was being cleansed and set free by the power of His blood through faith in His name. I mean...I sensed...that ‘thing’ leave me. Then, sure enough...a week or two later God allowed me to be ‘tested’ and I kid you not- I ‘smelled that spirit’ a block away wanting to find access back into my heart/life/thoughts. But this time, I was ready and equipped...bringing ‘every thought into captivity’ (2 Cor. 10:5) as I ‘resisted’ until he fled (James 4:7). This has been an area of complete victory in my life that I point to regularly to remind myself how God does give us victory over all the ‘schemes of the wicked one’. David had to remind himself of the times that God delivered him from the lions and the bears...prior to taking on a ‘new giant’. It’s no different with us today.

God is serious about us ‘overcoming’ and being done with...once and for all...anything that is unlike His divine and holy nature. If we are still struggling with the same old sins, it’s not because God has not done His part, nor is He unwilling to come to your aid to help you do so... even now.