Struggling/Wrestling with sin (my willpower or God's power?)

[seeker2122]

Just a thought that crossed my mind recently.
We all struggle with sins. That is a given.
But some of us may struggle with a more "addictive" sin that is extremely hard or almost near impossible to shake off/get rid of on your own.

Now we know that it is only by the grace of God, through the work of the Cross in Jesus Christ that our sins have been conquered, defeated and we can be set free from it (death) and have eternal life (salvation) in God. So it is not by our own power or might that we can boast we somehow conquered sin or got rid of it but only boast in Jesus (God) who overcame the power and death grip of sin on our lives.

So now comes my question. I struggle with an addictive sin that I've had most of my life (elementary school age). It's something that seems to have started even before I consciously could be aware or understand it and willfully get myself into it. It just seems to have been part of my "nature" or natural instinct built in me to be oriented this way. Of course as I grow up, I gain more wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and the Word of God into my life but by that time, the addictive sin has already gripped me and I have been in an intimate relationship with it that one cannot simply say, "I recognize now this is a sin and I should turn away from it this instance" and then it's just gone. It's hold on me is as natural and instinctual as breathing or eating. It's not like I can just say, "I will stop eating or I will stop breathing by choice".

So if I am supposed to struggle and wrestle with this my entire life and let's say I muster up so much courage, strength, willpower, discipline, commitment, perseverance, endurance, patience, self-control etc like superhuman level and I somehow overcome and beat this addictive sin out of my life once and for all, then wouldn't that be contradicting God's grace/power? It would be me that deserves the credit and accolades that I somehow with my own ability and depth of character that I overcame and defeated this deathgrip of sin in my life. If I made the choices each day and every second of each day to combat and overcome my struggle with sin, then why would we need to give credit to God and say it was only by his strength or power that I was delivered from this sin? I'm the one who is struggling and making every human effort possible to combat and fight against it and if I somehow succeed then the praise would belong to my hard work and actions and not boast that Christ miraculously by his power set me free.

I find that it seems to me I have to do 90% of the work to overcome my sin and not God. Of course, it would be ideal if God miraculously just delivered me from this sin or take away this spirit of "x" sin away from me but this would almost seem like a lazy man's way of copping out and expecting God to do everything and somehow sin will be gone from me.

No matter how much I pray or repent and ask for forgiveness, the sin will keep recurring and it seems that I have to somehow have extraordinary superhuman level of character and willpower to stop this sin from controlling my life....therefore it is by own strength and power that it will be done it seems and not so much a miracle from God who just delivers me from it.

One example I can paint is something like this:

There is door way to salvation. God is the only one who could open this door so that we can walk through it. But it is WE who must walk through it. God did his part in opening that unopenable door so we praise and thank God for it. But he doesn't force us to walk through it. He doesn't possess our bodies and controls our bodies to walk through it. He sits back and observes as he provided the way but we must take the action to walk through the door. But let's also add that you have 1000 kg weights on both ankles chains and balls and you must somehow by your own physical strength or creative intelligence come up with a way to move yourself to take those steps and walk through that door. If I was able to accomplish that, wouldn't that be by my own amazing ability that somehow I figured out a way to do it? Then all credit would go to the human and not God. God would only get credit for opening that door. Or are we saying that God will possess our bodies and somehow gives us superhuman strength to move despite the 2000 kg total weight on our ankles? Or that God would make those weights our ankles just miraculously disappear??? so that I can walk easy and go through that door. Or would God say that I should be willing to cut off my own two legs to remove the 2000kg weight and crawl through that door to heaven? (I'm familiar with that passage where Jesus says better to gouge out your eye or cut off your hand that makes you sin and enter heaven maimed than to be thrown into the lake of fire with your whole body intact).

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Just a thought that crossed my mind recently.
We all struggle with sins. That is a given.
But some of us may struggle with a more "addictive" sin that is extremely hard or almost near impossible to shake off/get rid of on your own.

Now we know that it is only by the grace of God, through the work of the Cross in Jesus Christ that our sins have been conquered, defeated and we can be set free from it (death) and have eternal life (salvation) in God. So it is not by our own power or might that we can boast we somehow conquered sin or got rid of it but only boast in Jesus (God) who overcame the power and death grip of sin on our lives.

So now comes my question. I struggle with an addictive sin that I've had most of my life (elementary school age). It's something that seems to have started even before I consciously could be aware or understand it and willfully get myself into it. It just seems to have been part of my "nature" or natural instinct built in me to be oriented this way. Of course as I grow up, I gain more wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and the Word of God into my life but by that time, the addictive sin has already gripped me and I have been in an intimate relationship with it that one cannot simply say, "I recognize now this is a sin and I should turn away from it this instance" and then it's just gone. It's hold on me is as natural and instinctual as breathing or eating. It's not like I can just say, "I will stop eating or I will stop breathing by choice".

So if I am supposed to struggle and wrestle with this my entire life and let's say I muster up so much courage, strength, willpower, discipline, commitment, perseverance, endurance, patience, self-control etc like superhuman level and I somehow overcome and beat this addictive sin out of my life once and for all, then wouldn't that be contradicting God's grace/power? It would be me that deserves the credit and accolades that I somehow with my own ability and depth of character that I overcame and defeated this deathgrip of sin in my life. If I made the choices each day and every second of each day to combat and overcome my struggle with sin, then why would we need to give credit to God and say it was only by his strength or power that I was delivered from this sin? I'm the one who is struggling and making every human effort possible to combat and fight against it and if I somehow succeed then the praise would belong to my hard work and actions and not boast that Christ miraculously by his power set me free.

I find that it seems to me I have to do 90% of the work to overcome my sin and not God. Of course, it would be ideal if God miraculously just delivered me from this sin or take away this spirit of "x" sin away from me but this would almost seem like a lazy man's way of copping out and expecting God to do everything and somehow sin will be gone from me.

No matter how much I pray or repent and ask for forgiveness, the sin will keep recurring and it seems that I have to somehow have extraordinary superhuman level of character and willpower to stop this sin from controlling my life....therefore it is by own strength and power that it will be done it seems and not so much a miracle from God who just delivers me from it.

One example I can paint is something like this:

There is door way to salvation. God is the only one who could open this door so that we can walk through it. But it is WE who must walk through it. God did his part in opening that unopenable door so we praise and thank God for it. But he doesn't force us to walk through it. He doesn't possess our bodies and controls our bodies to walk through it. He sits back and observes as he provided the way but we must take the action to walk through the door. But let's also add that you have 1000 kg weights on both ankles chains and balls and you must somehow by your own physical strength or creative intelligence come up with a way to move yourself to take those steps and walk through that door. If I was able to accomplish that, wouldn't that be by my own amazing ability that somehow I figured out a way to do it? Then all credit would go to the human and not God. God would only get credit for opening that door. Or are we saying that God will possess our bodies and somehow gives us superhuman strength to move despite the 2000 kg total weight on our ankles? Or that God would make those weights our ankles just miraculously disappear??? so that I can walk easy and go through that door. Or would God say that I should be willing to cut off my own two legs to remove the 2000kg weight and crawl through that door to heaven? (I'm familiar with that passage where Jesus says better to gouge out your eye or cut off your hand that makes you sin and enter heaven maimed than to be thrown into the lake of fire with your whole body intact).

Welcome to CF.
Your lament touched me.

Repentance is changing your mind. This can not be done by you alone, the flesh is weak. However, the Spirit is willing and through His power, His Holy Spirit. Pray for His Holy Spirit to fill you today. He will make His Home in you and take away your burden.
Blessings

 

[renniks]

Just a thought that crossed my mind recently.
We all struggle with sins. That is a given.
But some of us may struggle with a more "addictive" sin that is extremely hard or almost near impossible to shake off/get rid of on your own.

Now we know that it is only by the grace of God, through the work of the Cross in Jesus Christ that our sins have been conquered, defeated and we can be set free from it (death) and have eternal life (salvation) in God. So it is not by our own power or might that we can boast we somehow conquered sin or got rid of it but only boast in Jesus (God) who overcame the power and death grip of sin on our lives.

So now comes my question. I struggle with an addictive sin that I've had most of my life (elementary school age). It's something that seems to have started even before I consciously could be aware or understand it and willfully get myself into it. It just seems to have been part of my "nature" or natural instinct built in me to be oriented this way. Of course as I grow up, I gain more wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and the Word of God into my life but by that time, the addictive sin has already gripped me and I have been in an intimate relationship with it that one cannot simply say, "I recognize now this is a sin and I should turn away from it this instance" and then it's just gone. It's hold on me is as natural and instinctual as breathing or eating. It's not like I can just say, "I will stop eating or I will stop breathing by choice".

So if I am supposed to struggle and wrestle with this my entire life and let's say I muster up so much courage, strength, willpower, discipline, commitment, perseverance, endurance, patience, self-control etc like superhuman level and I somehow overcome and beat this addictive sin out of my life once and for all, then wouldn't that be contradicting God's grace/power? It would be me that deserves the credit and accolades that I somehow with my own ability and depth of character that I overcame and defeated this deathgrip of sin in my life. If I made the choices each day and every second of each day to combat and overcome my struggle with sin, then why would we need to give credit to God and say it was only by his strength or power that I was delivered from this sin? I'm the one who is struggling and making every human effort possible to combat and fight against it and if I somehow succeed then the praise would belong to my hard work and actions and not boast that Christ miraculously by his power set me free.

I find that it seems to me I have to do 90% of the work to overcome my sin and not God. Of course, it would be ideal if God miraculously just delivered me from this sin or take away this spirit of "x" sin away from me but this would almost seem like a lazy man's way of copping out and expecting God to do everything and somehow sin will be gone from me.

No matter how much I pray or repent and ask for forgiveness, the sin will keep recurring and it seems that I have to somehow have extraordinary superhuman level of character and willpower to stop this sin from controlling my life....therefore it is by own strength and power that it will be done it seems and not so much a miracle from God who just delivers me from it.

One example I can paint is something like this:

There is door way to salvation. God is the only one who could open this door so that we can walk through it. But it is WE who must walk through it. God did his part in opening that unopenable door so we praise and thank God for it. But he doesn't force us to walk through it. He doesn't possess our bodies and controls our bodies to walk through it. He sits back and observes as he provided the way but we must take the action to walk through the door. But let's also add that you have 1000 kg weights on both ankles chains and balls and you must somehow by your own physical strength or creative intelligence come up with a way to move yourself to take those steps and walk through that door. If I was able to accomplish that, wouldn't that be by my own amazing ability that somehow I figured out a way to do it? Then all credit would go to the human and not God. God would only get credit for opening that door. Or are we saying that God will possess our bodies and somehow gives us superhuman strength to move despite the 2000 kg total weight on our ankles? Or that God would make those weights our ankles just miraculously disappear??? so that I can walk easy and go through that door. Or would God say that I should be willing to cut off my own two legs to remove the 2000kg weight and crawl through that door to heaven? (I'm familiar with that passage where Jesus says better to gouge out your eye or cut off your hand that makes you sin and enter heaven maimed than to be thrown into the lake of fire with your whole body intact).

I think perhaps there's more to it than either willpower or God doing everything. When we form addictions they put us into a mind groove that's almost impossible to overcome by willpower alone.
What I have learned recently in my studies, is that there is a way to re set the mind, however it's hard to explain.
It partially starts with dropping all judgements. When we label ourselves, we become what we expect to be. If I think an addict, my mind and body will agree. Paul said he didn't even judge himself.
All that should matter is who we are in Christ.
That's the only label we should put on ourselves.
Now we are free to move out from under the thing that controls us because it's not us at all. We are free in Christ. We go to the addiction because one of our key identities is backwards. Most likely our lover is acting like a prostitute because he doesn't feel worthy of true love.
But you are worthy. God says you are.
You aren't your sin. You are the beloved.
Like I said it's hard to explain but I hope this helps. I'm still working on my own journey towards total freedom.

 

[timf]

The trouble for Christians is usually the spirit/flesh contention (Galatians five)

Attempting to control the flesh often compounds a problem because it is often done in the flesh. The bible says to make no provision for the flesh which might indicate starvation rather than conquest.

If you are able to avoid even those things which are preparatory to what you are struggling and perhaps find some substitute, you may find that its power over you beings to decrease.

You may want to ask if anyone at an AA group would be willing to share techniques that worked for them that might be applicable.

 

[David's Harp]

Hi seeker, I think your right in saying that we can't do it on our own. For one, it puts our will ahead of our Father's, and two, we simply may not have the strength required to do so.

So this is where I would disagree when you say that there is an expectation of you to supply most of the effort. I presume you have come to this conclusion because of unanswered prayer.

My own experience in overcoming addiction I would say comes from God supplying 100% of the strength required to make the change. I realise I can't do it on my own, because the flesh is weak, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome this. Therefore the only effort needed is to be seeking to submit to God's Will by walking in the Spirit.
From my own experience, it's a continual choice (as soon as the desire arises) to submit to the Spirit and let Him do the work. You may find that when you do this, the desire you had for the thing will disappear because the Spirit is the one doing the work now. This can be accompanied by praise and worship and the Word of God on your mind, heart or lips.
Remember this choice applies to everything in your daily life, outwith the addiction. Whether that's the lust of the eyes, anger, impatience, or anything else that would be contrary to God's Will and the Holy Spirit within you. To continually observe and recognise your thoughts and feelings, comparing and contrasting against what the Spirit and the Word tells you, and making the right choice. This is how you walk in the Spirit, and how you develop your relationship with Jesus Christ also.

I pray God the Father gives you the opportunity to make that choice in the instant of desire, whereby the Power of His Spirit will snatch it from your mind and overcome the desire, replacing it with His Peace and Joy.
In the name of Almighty Jesus Christ I pray for your release from this addiction. Amen

 

[Belinda Cooper]

My opinion is based on how I read and interrupt scripture.

When we live in the flesh we do things of the flesh but when we live by His Spirit, the flesh dies and we live according to His Spirit. All the glory goes to God as we surrender our bodies to him as a living sacrifice.

Maybe you are still living in the flesh because you have not surrendered to God?? I don't know just asking you to examine your thoughts.

We don't do good apart from God.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5

I myself had an addiction and when I gave my life to Christ, my desires changed, my thoughts changed, and I they urge went away, as Satan tries to tempt me I call on Jesus to give me the strength to not fall.

I don't know what your addiction is but maybe it will change when you believe that it is Jesus that has the power to set you free and that all glory goes to Him.

 

[Blade]

I truly understand what your saying. I believe we all in some way or another through out our live have something that just no matter what would not leave. I know when it comes to some sicknesses a simple prayer wont do it. You have to pray fast for hours weeks even. I learned very young there is nothing that can control us unless we allow it. Before Christ even died He told some "go and sin no more". Maybe we just don't fully know understand that "sin" that has been lying to us all this time. Telling us "it had the right and you don't have the power strength the authority because your in sin so it won't work until you stop and are more holy and righteous."

No matter what it us even something where your walking by faith. At first when you start everything seems to fall apart or that desire/sin (wrong one) is more stronger now then ever...you keep pressing in. See we can go anywhere call anyone to help.. we can dive into pray, pray in the spirit in those moments for nothing has the right to control us. Christ can not lie for He said who the son sets free is free indeed. No sin has the right to over power us any more. We are no longer slaves to sin.

So in those moments say out loud I AM the righteousness of GOD! That sin or desire is just lying to you. You have all power all authority over it. OT anyone that calls on the name of the lord shall be delivered. Can GOD lie? Then simply call Him.. then KNOW you shall be delivered. In truth its always HIM. The power the authority is because He gave it to us. The devil never runs from us but runs from the KING OF KINGS LORD OR LORDS with in us. So when we know that we know that we know who and what we are IN Christ Jesus.. ooh what a AWESOME WONDERFUL day that is

 

[Astrifer]

I understand your frustrations on an intimate level. However, I would caution against viewing your struggle with sin as your struggle alone. It is God who triumphs over sin, not man -- without Him we are nothing, even if it might not seem so at the moment. This is your cross to bear, don't let it lead you to pride. Obedience and humility in all things.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time" 1 Peter 5:6

 

[seeker2122]

The trouble for Christians is usually the spirit/flesh contention (Galatians five)

Attempting to control the flesh often compounds a problem because it is often done in the flesh. The bible says to make no provision for the flesh which might indicate starvation rather than conquest.

If you are able to avoid even those things which are preparatory to what you are struggling and perhaps find some substitute, you may find that its power over you beings to decrease.

You may want to ask if anyone at an AA group would be willing to share techniques that worked for them that might be applicable.

This. I have always precisely held onto this viewpoint. I realize there are bits in the Bible where people wrestle or struggle with sin or the temptation of it....even Jesus seemed to wrestle with the temptation of sin so he prayed and prayed hard until he bled sweat.

But I also believe that man cannot win if he tries to fight and struggle with sin. Man thinks he can tame the fire and control it but you cannot. The only way to truly overcome sin is to turn away from it (which is the meaning of repentance....turning away, not fighting it until you conquer and subdue it). I have found that when a substitute entered my life I began to spend more time and energy on the things of God or goodness and my heart made room for more good things than the sinful things. It seemed like naturally the sinful habits started to wean or fade away because I had stopped stoking the fires and giving it more fuel. I literally suffocated it by consuming myself with the substitute (the healthier or more godly thing). But of course, once that substitute wore off and was no longer filling my life/heart, the sinful habits started to come back and regain the space in my heart.

 

[seeker2122]

Hi seeker, I think your right in saying that we can't do it on our own. For one, it puts our will ahead of our Father's, and two, we simply may not have the strength required to do so.

So this is where I would disagree when you say that there is an expectation of you to supply most of the effort. I presume you have come to this conclusion because of unanswered prayer.

My own experience in overcoming addiction I would say comes from God supplying 100% of the strength required to make the change. I realise I can't do it on my own, because the flesh is weak, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome this. Therefore the only effort needed is to be seeking to submit to God's Will by walking in the Spirit.
From my own experience, it's a continual choice (as soon as the desire arises) to submit to the Spirit and let Him do the work. You may find that when you do this, the desire you had for the thing will disappear because the Spirit is the one doing the work now. This can be accompanied by praise and worship and the Word of God on your mind, heart or lips.
Remember this choice applies to everything in your daily life, outwith the addiction. Whether that's the lust of the eyes, anger, impatience, or anything else that would be contrary to God's Will and the Holy Spirit within you. To continually observe and recognise your thoughts and feelings, comparing and contrasting against what the Spirit and the Word tells you, and making the right choice. This is how you walk in the Spirit, and how you develop your relationship with Jesus Christ also.

I pray God the Father gives you the opportunity to make that choice in the instant of desire, whereby the Power of His Spirit will snatch it from your mind and overcome the desire, replacing it with His Peace and Joy.
In the name of Almighty Jesus Christ I pray for your release from this addiction. Amen

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and prayers!

 

[seeker2122]

I truly understand what your saying. I believe we all in some way or another through out our live have something that just no matter what would not leave. I know when it comes to some sicknesses a simple prayer wont do it. You have to pray fast for hours weeks even. I learned very young there is nothing that can control us unless we allow it. Before Christ even died He told some "go and sin no more". Maybe we just don't fully know understand that "sin" that has been lying to us all this time. Telling us "it had the right and you don't have the power strength the authority because your in sin so it won't work until you stop and are more holy and righteous."

No matter what it us even something where your walking by faith. At first when you start everything seems to fall apart or that desire/sin (wrong one) is more stronger now then ever...you keep pressing in. See we can go anywhere call anyone to help.. we can dive into pray, pray in the spirit in those moments for nothing has the right to control us. Christ can not lie for He said who the son sets free is free indeed. No sin has the right to over power us any more. We are no longer slaves to sin.

So in those moments say out loud I AM the righteousness of GOD! That sin or desire is just lying to you. You have all power all authority over it. OT anyone that calls on the name of the lord shall be delivered. Can GOD lie? Then simply call Him.. then KNOW you shall be delivered. In truth its always HIM. The power the authority is because He gave it to us. The devil never runs from us but runs from the KING OF KINGS LORD OR LORDS with in us. So when we know that we know that we know who and what we are IN Christ Jesus.. ooh what a AWESOME WONDERFUL day that is

thank you very powerful words and reminders from the Living Word!

 

[Joined2krist]

Please read and meditate on all the advice given above my post, they contain all you need to overcome the addiction

 

[NBB]

Sin enslaves, you may need to pray until God breaks those bindings. And you may need healing in your spirit/body by God even after months and years, if its certain 'epidemic' sin of watching stuff.
You could also may need deliverance depending, because sin opens the door for evil spirits.

 

[Brihaha]

Your struggles are easily relatable to me. I was a practicing alcoholic from age 15 to age 27. So I will offer my testimony regarding your addiction.

In AA we learn our first step in recovery is admitting to ourselves we are powerless over the addiction and our lives have become unmanageable. You seem to realize your addiction. Yet you also think your willpower is capable of restraining the addiction. Your willpower is no match for addiction. You need to trust in a higher power to help you in your fight against it.

Some people in AA are atheists so their higher power is usually the group itself. These people desperately need to attend meetings regularly, sometimes multiple times in one day. Meetings seem to be their lifeline, and I can appreciate that.

I am lucky in that God has blessed me with faith. God is and has always been my higher power. I did use the AA meetings in the beginning of my recovery to keep my mind on the program and steps I needed to take to remain sober. I learned to live one day at a time. Then after six months of meetings I began to slack off on attending because I knew God was my higher power and He was now in control over my willpower. Which is one of the steps, turning our will over to our higher power.

God blessed me with the fortitude and wherewithal to avoid taking that dreaded first drink. Whenever I am really anxious or stressed I will go find a meeting that day. It's a wonderful backup for days like that.

I haven't needed an AA meeting in over five years now, with God's grace. And trusting God each day to keep my desire to drink dormant, I have been blessed with sobriety since 1995. If I can just remain sober today life is worth living. God has allowed the days of my sobriety to add up to nearly 27 years now. The same age I was when I got sober.

While your addiction isn't to alcohol, I think some of the steps could be useful to you. I take a moral inventory of myself occasionally and ask God to remove my defects of character. Though I still have flaws, God does take away those defects which cause me to seek alcohol. I'm in no way telling you how what decisions to make, I'm merely presenting things that have been useful in my own sobriety. I believe all of us have something to overcome in our mortal lives. And I sorta feel obligated in trying to help others since by the grace of God I am still alive.

I wish you much luck in your endeavors my friend. Just know you are not alone. I will pray for you to find peace. Have a great day.

 

[ValeriyK2022]

Athos monk Paisios Svyatogorets answered a similar question as follows: "If a person does not have willpower, then he cannot do anything. St. John Chrysostom says: "To want" and "not want" is everything. That is, it all depends on whether a person wants or does not want. Great deal! God is by nature good and always wants the best for us. However, we need to want to. Because a person spiritually flies with the help of two wings: the will of God and his own will. One wing - His will - God forever glued to one of our shoulders. But in order to fly spiritually, we also need to glue our own wing to the other shoulder - the human will. If a person has a strong will, then he has a human wing, resulting in a divine wing, and he flies. If the will of a person is undeveloped, then he wants to take off, but flies somersault. He tries again - and again the same thing!

Let us suppose that a bird has one strong wing and leaves the other neglected. Feathers begin to fall out of this wing, and subsequently the bird cannot fly properly. One of her wings works well, and the other is like a broken comb. The bird moves this wing, but the wind blows through it, and it cannot take off. It bounces a little and flies somersaults. In order to take off, the second wing must also be intact.

I want to say that also a person, if he wants to always fly correctly, spiritually, should be attentive and not leave the human will unattended. What is Tangalashka doing? Little by little, he gets up and pulls out of the human wing, first some tiny feather, then a larger feather, and then, if the person is inattentive, he pulls out a large feather, so that the person wants to fly and cannot." из прп. Паисия Святогорца...Слова. Духовное пробуждение. О том как действует дьявол...

It's called synergy.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Just a thought that crossed my mind recently.
We all struggle with sins. That is a given.
But some of us may struggle with a more "addictive" sin that is extremely hard or almost near impossible to shake off/get rid of on your own.

Now we know that it is only by the grace of God, through the work of the Cross in Jesus Christ that our sins have been conquered, defeated and we can be set free from it (death) and have eternal life (salvation) in God. So it is not by our own power or might that we can boast we somehow conquered sin or got rid of it but only boast in Jesus (God) who overcame the power and death grip of sin on our lives.

So now comes my question. I struggle with an addictive sin that I've had most of my life (elementary school age). It's something that seems to have started even before I consciously could be aware or understand it and willfully get myself into it. It just seems to have been part of my "nature" or natural instinct built in me to be oriented this way. Of course as I grow up, I gain more wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and the Word of God into my life but by that time, the addictive sin has already gripped me and I have been in an intimate relationship with it that one cannot simply say, "I recognize now this is a sin and I should turn away from it this instance" and then it's just gone. It's hold on me is as natural and instinctual as breathing or eating. It's not like I can just say, "I will stop eating or I will stop breathing by choice".

So if I am supposed to struggle and wrestle with this my entire life and let's say I muster up so much courage, strength, willpower, discipline, commitment, perseverance, endurance, patience, self-control etc like superhuman level and I somehow overcome and beat this addictive sin out of my life once and for all, then wouldn't that be contradicting God's grace/power? It would be me that deserves the credit and accolades that I somehow with my own ability and depth of character that I overcame and defeated this deathgrip of sin in my life. If I made the choices each day and every second of each day to combat and overcome my struggle with sin, then why would we need to give credit to God and say it was only by his strength or power that I was delivered from this sin? I'm the one who is struggling and making every human effort possible to combat and fight against it and if I somehow succeed then the praise would belong to my hard work and actions and not boast that Christ miraculously by his power set me free.

I find that it seems to me I have to do 90% of the work to overcome my sin and not God. Of course, it would be ideal if God miraculously just delivered me from this sin or take away this spirit of "x" sin away from me but this would almost seem like a lazy man's way of copping out and expecting God to do everything and somehow sin will be gone from me.

No matter how much I pray or repent and ask for forgiveness, the sin will keep recurring and it seems that I have to somehow have extraordinary superhuman level of character and willpower to stop this sin from controlling my life....therefore it is by own strength and power that it will be done it seems and not so much a miracle from God who just delivers me from it.

One example I can paint is something like this:

There is door way to salvation. God is the only one who could open this door so that we can walk through it. But it is WE who must walk through it. God did his part in opening that unopenable door so we praise and thank God for it. But he doesn't force us to walk through it. He doesn't possess our bodies and controls our bodies to walk through it. He sits back and observes as he provided the way but we must take the action to walk through the door. But let's also add that you have 1000 kg weights on both ankles chains and balls and you must somehow by your own physical strength or creative intelligence come up with a way to move yourself to take those steps and walk through that door. If I was able to accomplish that, wouldn't that be by my own amazing ability that somehow I figured out a way to do it? Then all credit would go to the human and not God. God would only get credit for opening that door. Or are we saying that God will possess our bodies and somehow gives us superhuman strength to move despite the 2000 kg total weight on our ankles? Or that God would make those weights our ankles just miraculously disappear??? so that I can walk easy and go through that door. Or would God say that I should be willing to cut off my own two legs to remove the 2000kg weight and crawl through that door to heaven? (I'm familiar with that passage where Jesus says better to gouge out your eye or cut off your hand that makes you sin and enter heaven maimed than to be thrown into the lake of fire with your whole body intact).

It is a combined work between you and God that brings victory. Firstly the bible tells us:

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Firstly you need to acknowledge that scripture, no sin is too powerful to beat.

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

But it can be a struggle, it requires continually focusing on what God says about the issue, and putting your mind firmly on obedience to that. Like any addiction, you may have withdrawals, but you must fight through it, no matter how painful to your flesh.

 

[seeker2122]

Athos monk Paisios Svyatogorets answered a similar question as follows: "If a person does not have willpower, then he cannot do anything. St. John Chrysostom says: "To want" and "not want" is everything. That is, it all depends on whether a person wants or does not want. Great deal! God is by nature good and always wants the best for us. However, we need to want to. Because a person spiritually flies with the help of two wings: the will of God and his own will. One wing - His will - God forever glued to one of our shoulders. But in order to fly spiritually, we also need to glue our own wing to the other shoulder - the human will. If a person has a strong will, then he has a human wing, resulting in a divine wing, and he flies. If the will of a person is undeveloped, then he wants to take off, but flies somersault. He tries again - and again the same thing!

Let us suppose that a bird has one strong wing and leaves the other neglected. Feathers begin to fall out of this wing, and subsequently the bird cannot fly properly. One of her wings works well, and the other is like a broken comb. The bird moves this wing, but the wind blows through it, and it cannot take off. It bounces a little and flies somersaults. In order to take off, the second wing must also be intact.

I want to say that also a person, if he wants to always fly correctly, spiritually, should be attentive and not leave the human will unattended. What is Tangalashka doing? Little by little, he gets up and pulls out of the human wing, first some tiny feather, then a larger feather, and then, if the person is inattentive, he pulls out a large feather, so that the person wants to fly and cannot." из прп. Паисия Святогорца...Слова. Духовное пробуждение. О том как действует дьявол...

It's called synergy.

Thank you for your input. I do appreciate it.
From my theology lessons, I believe I was taught actually that we as sinners cannot "want it". It is only by God himself who draws us to him or gives us the "want" in us. As sinners we cannot seek God first. Our nature only flees from God and it is in our flight from God that he encounters us, apprehends us, seizes us, arrests us.

So I am having a hard time understanding how we are supposed to play a part in the salvation. We are not capable of having a part in it. It is 100% by God and because of God alone that we can even come to Him and to seek Him. Otherwise we would be able to boast in ourselves and that we did our part and deserve half the credit or some portion.

I can't will myself to overcome sin and defeat sin and out wrestle it and tame it. There is nothing I can do in of my myself to rescue myself. It is only by the grace of God through faith that it is possible and I think somehow I have to learn how to ask for the HS to do to me what he wants to do through me at the same time.

If I have a part to somehow muster up enough character, will, and self-discipline to overcome my struggles with sin, then it seems to me that I would deserve some credit and boast in myself for being an amazing human being of outstanding character and willpower that people should be in awe of my ability. I can't overcome my sin. I try and I can't. I give a valiant effort at times but I always go back to it because part of me actually desires it. Is there any way God can separate me from my struggle completely or is that only going to happen when I die as a human and transform into the eternal being where all the imperfections will be melted/burned away? It seems like I will live with it for the rest of my earthly days and it will be a thorn in my side until I physically pass away. I just hope that God will somehow still forgive me and understand that while I believe I am saved, I am not living a life of 100% obedience and not even 50% but living in my sin still.

 

[ValeriyK2022]

Thank you for your input. I do appreciate it.
From my theology lessons, I believe I was taught actually that we as sinners cannot "want it". It is only by God himself who draws us to him or gives us the "want" in us. As sinners we cannot seek God first. Our nature only flees from God and it is in our flight from God that he encounters us, apprehends us, seizes us, arrests us.

So I am having a hard time understanding how we are supposed to play a part in the salvation. We are not capable of having a part in it. It is 100% by God and because of God alone that we can even come to Him and to seek Him. Otherwise we would be able to boast in ourselves and that we did our part and deserve half the credit or some portion.

I can't will myself to overcome sin and defeat sin and out wrestle it and tame it. There is nothing I can do in of my myself to rescue myself. It is only by the grace of God through faith that it is possible and I think somehow I have to learn how to ask for the HS to do to me what he wants to do through me at the same time.

If I have a part to somehow muster up enough character, will, and self-discipline to overcome my struggles with sin, then it seems to me that I would deserve some credit and boast in myself for being an amazing human being of outstanding character and willpower that people should be in awe of my ability. I can't overcome my sin. I try and I can't. I give a valiant effort at times but I always go back to it because part of me actually desires it. Is there any way God can separate me from my struggle completely or is that only going to happen when I die as a human and transform into the eternal being where all the imperfections will be melted/burned away? It seems like I will live with it for the rest of my earthly days and it will be a thorn in my side until I physically pass away. I just hope that God will somehow still forgive me and understand that while I believe I am saved, I am not living a life of 100% obedience and not even 50% but living in my sin still.

On the forum you will not get an answer to this question. Here you need to contact someone who professionally works with such things.