How To Deal With Sin

by Nancy Paulson

Understand How Sin Operates

(1 John 2:16 KJV) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

• Lust of the flesh
• Lust of the eyes
• Pride of life

Satan uses these three things to influence man. It is how Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is how Satan tempted Christ in the wilderness. It is how Satan tempts you and I today. It in in these specific areas that we must gain the upper hand if we are to gain a victory over sin in our lives.

Repalcement Principal

Rather than focusing our attention on eliminating the sin, we should be focusing on replacing the sin with something else, which is the new man and the life of Christ in us.

(Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; {23} And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; {24} And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

(Colossians 3:9-10 KJV) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; {10} And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The sin of the old man (Adam) must be replaced with the righteousness of the new man (Christ).

How to Replace Sin

The life of the old man remains with us even after we know that Christ died for our sin. So, how can we replace sin with the life of Christ in us?

The life of Christ is not a mysterious, magical, mystical thing. God gave us a visible, tangible, identifiable contact with the life of Christ. We have an objective standard, which is the written Word of God. The Bible, unlike other books, is alive. The life of Christ resides in the words.

(John 6:63 KJV) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

(Hebrews 4:12 KJV) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Where Replacement Happens

In Ephesians 4:23 (quoted above), that location of a replacement happens in the mind. In Colossians 3:10 (quoted above), the new man is renewed in knowledge.

(Romans 12:2 KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

As God's word fills and renews our mind, we replace the old man with the new. As we are filled with the knowledge of God's word, we are filled with the life of Christ.

The Victory Over Sin In Our Lives

God's word provides us with the means to be victorious over sin operating in our lives.

• The Lust of the Flesh - (Galatians 5:24 KJV) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
• The Lust of the Eyes - (2 Corinthians 4:18 KJV) While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
• The Pride of Life - (Philippians 2:5-8 KJV) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

In each of the way is that Satan tries to influence us to sin, God's word provides us with a way to be victorious over it.

• When the attack is through the flesh, the word says that our flesh has been crucified with Christ as as we reckon it dead it has no power over us.
• When the attack is through the lust of the eyes, God's word says we are to be looking at the spiritual things which are eternal. The things we see are temporal and will pass away.
• When the attack is by pride, God's word tells us how to have a humble attitude.

As our minds are renewed to these truths, our focus will be on the solution for the sin, by focusing on a soution we will be able to have a victory over sin.

So instead of focusing on the sin allow your mind to be renewed to the word of God. A renewed mind will manifest the life of Christ in you.