how to stop sinning

Many people get hung up on what they feel God allows. They live their life “angry at God” because of something that happened to them or around them. However, their perception of God and what He allows is not based on knowledge (Proverbs 19:3).

Most of us believe what people tell us, if it seems reasonable in our thinking. We take preachers at face value, and never check what they say or test their interpretations against other verses (1 Thessalonians 5:21, Acts 17:11). Therefore, we are easily misguided with part truths and part human philosophy (Colossians 2:8).

This is the reason why all of us accept and believe certain things in our Bibles, but we totally avoid other passages of scripture that directly oppose the human wisdom we have come to accept as truth (1 Corinthians 3:19, Luke 16:15). Any Christian who does not take the time to learn what is written for himself is a potential victim, and in some cases a target for the greedy (Ephesians 4:13-14, 2 Timothy 3:6-7).

There are huge groups of Christians who only believe in a positive speaking, loving God, who doesn’t discipline anyone. For them, anything negative has to come from the devil. Their picture of God is that He is always by their side fighting with them to keep the devil off of them no matter how they live, or what they do.

That’s partly truth. However, that is not living by faith, which uses the written evidence of a promise to fulfill a purpose (2 Peter 1:3-4). God so loved the world (John 3:16), and Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), praise God, but if we refuse to live by faith we have a false hope (Hebrews 4:2, 1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

For example, we have evidence written in the Bible that God will provide for our needs if we do a particular thing (Matthew 6:33). What is it, and how do we do it? God may be right there with us, but will He fulfill that promise for us if we do not live by the written conditions?

In the same way, if we do not mix faith with the Gospel message, it will be of no value to us (Hebrews 4:2). The whole Christian life is lived by faith from start to finish (Romans 1:16-17). Check that verse before you speak against it in your heart (Romans 10:6-8) so that the truth may remain in you (1 Timothy 6:20-21, Mark 4:24-25).

Hebrews 4:2

2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. NKJV

We can’t blame God or the devil when everything goes wrong in our life. We need to check to see if we are living by faith. Some people blame the devil for everything, but God offers Christians protection from the devil (2 Thessalonians 3:3, below).

2 Thessalonians 3:3

3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. NKJV

So how can we blame the devil? We may not have experienced that protection, but did God’s Word fail? It could be that we do not believe that verse, since whatever we do not believe, we cannot receive (James 1:5-7). That’s a spiritual principle that all of us need to know. In fact, unbelief can knock us out of a lot of promises.

Belief is a condition that places us in right standing with God (imputed righteousness, Romans 4:20-24). Show me someone who does not believe the Word of God and I will show you someone who cannot be righteous by faith, point, blank, period. Therefore, they cannot receive what is promised to the righteous. They may learn to quote the promises forward and backwards, but they have a false hope and believe in vain (1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

5 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain. NKJV

Our God is able to protect us from the evil one, point, blank, period. However, it is our responsibility to live within the spiritual precepts that position us to be protected. What do I mean by that? Let’s take Paul’s thorn as an example.

Christians have been going back and forth about Paul’s thorn in the flesh for years. The sheer mention of it can keep church people separate. I’m not here to argue whether or not it was a thorn in the flesh (infirmity) or just a pain in the rear.

However, here is my point. The spiritual principle that we should come away with after reading 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 is that if Paul could remain humble, after everything the Lord allowed him to see and do, then he would not have needed the thorn. Check the verses.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. NKJV

The Apostle Paul states the “purpose” of the thorn in his flesh in verse 7 above; so that he would “not be exalted above measure,” and “to buffet him.” He was given the thorn in the flesh to keep him from being exalted above measure, or puffed up, or becoming conceited as some Bibles put it (verse 7 above).

So regardless of what it was or how it came, those are the reasons he got it, and I don’t want one. The Lord has allowed me to see some awesome miracles praise God, but at the same time I had problems of my own that would not go away. Therefore, I would rather boast in my weaknesses.

The spiritual principle that all of us should know is if we exalt ourselves, we will be humbled (Matthew 23:12). God doesn’t even like a prod look (Proverbs 6:17). Imagine that.

 Matthew 23:12

12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. NKJV

Now did God just allow the devil to hurt Paul, or did God’s Word simply come true? Ask yourself that question because I have more verses for you to consider below. You will see that it is far better to know spiritual precepts and promises for yourself so that you can live in such a way as to avoid destruction in your life.

You can only live by the spiritual principles that you have come to accept and believe. If this is the first time you have heard the verses I have covered so far, your understanding of who God is and what He allows has been clouded. That means your life has been filled with needless pain, sorrow, and destruction, but I’m not your enemy for telling you the truth. We have to consider “both sides” of God (Romans 11:22).

 Romans 11:22

22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. NKJV

God’s people are destroyed because they don’t know something (Hosea 4:6). Focus on that. Whoever or whatever is keeping you from knowing the truth is against your very life; be it golf, basketball, advanced basket weaving, or even a place some call church.

Yes, the Lord created the destroyer to destroy as it is written (Isaiah 54:16), but everything that is destroyed is not necessarily destroyed by the devil. The Lord judges His people (Hebrews 10:30, 12:4-13), and disciplines even to the point of lameness for those who do not heed the discipline, and death for those who do not repent of sins that lead to death (Hebrews 12:12-13, Revelation 2:20-24). You may want to check the verses before you disagree with them, or speak against them in your heart (Romans 10:6-8).

The destroyer can only destroy where he is permitted to destroy. The devil has to “seek” someone to devour, and our job is to resist him by standing in the faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). How many of the devil’s flaming arrows can be extinguished by faith according to Ephesians 6:16? Look it up because those are the sorts of things that we should be learning when we gather together at a place called church.

However, when a Christian decides to fall back in his faith past the point of repentance, it is the Lord who will bring about the destruction (Hebrews 10:36-39, Revelation 2:20-23). Check it below and tell me who is going to do what?

Revelation 2:20-23

20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. NKJV

Did God allow this to happen, or did the prophetess fall away from the faith that she proclaimed? Does she need to have something cast out of her, or does she need to repent of her sins? This is why many try to cast the devil out of long time Christians who are sick to no avail.

Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not declared it to be true (Lamentations 3:37)? If the Lord has judged His people for sins, there is no casting anything out, but repentance is needed. Some may yell, “by His stripes you are healed” all the way to the funeral, but it is written, die to sins and live for righteousness, by His stripes we are healed (1 Peter 2:24). Use the evidence of that promise to fulfill the purpose.

Righteous acts are discussed in John’s Baptism (Luke 3:7-14), and Romans 6:1-22. Every Christian needs to know those verses, and we should be learning them in a place called church.

If we choose not to stand in the faith, is that our fault or God’s fault? Praise God that He doesn’t discipline us according to what we deserve, but at the same time, if we do not submit to God’s ways and resist the devil, he isn’t going anywhere (James 4:7), and the discipline isn’t going to stop (1 Corinthians 11:32). So who can we blame for the destruction (Proverbs 19:3)? Do our instructions say, “just go to church and praise God, but ignore His ways?”

We need to know the kindness and severity of God (Romans 11:22). The Bible is full of spiritual principles that we are supposed to use in order to avoid discipline as well as being the devil’s victim. We need to read our Bibles and allow the Word of God to judge our attitudes and thoughts, which would allow it to tell us what to believe (Hebrews 4:12, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

We should be striving to position ourselves in a place where the devil cannot even touch us (1 John 5:18-19). Check the verses below, and ask yourself why you haven’t heard these before? Doesn’t everyone want to be in a position to where the devil cannot touch them?

1 John 5:18-19

18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. NKJV

 1 John 5:18-19

18 We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him [Christ’s divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him or touch [him]. 19 We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one. AMP

Our own sin removes us from a place of protection, and yet we wonder what God is up to. Wonder no more because this is what God is up to. God is remaining faithful to His Word. His Word says what He is going to do, and we can know His next move just by knowing His Word. Although, I would get it from an older version of the Bible like the King James, New King James, or the Amplified Bible if I were you. Some of the newer Bibles have taken the verses that you don’t want to hear out, like the message bible, new century version, and the updated NIV.

When Christians fall away, they fall away from repentance (Hebrews 6:4-12). In other words, they don’t necessarily stop attending church, but they stop asking for forgiveness of their sins (1 John 1:9). Does that sound like you? It’s not too late to repent.

We have fallen so far that even in the church people say that we cannot stop sinning. Did God say that we cannot stop sinning or did He say that in every temptation to sin, He would provide a way out so that we could stand up against it (1 Corinthians 10:13)? If that is truth, then when we sin, we choose to sin above taking God’s way out. So we choose to leave our place of protection, and yet we blame God. We need to repent of that.

Does the Bible say that there are things that we can do where we would “never fall,” or “never stumble” and receive a warm welcome into the “eternal Kingdom” according to 2 Peter 1:10-11?  How is it that we can attend a Christian function and hear the exact opposite of that today? How did that happen? Did God change His mind and send us the message bible to confirm it? It’s time to wake up before it is too late.

Romans 6:14-18 explains how to be set free from sin, but we avoid it like the plague because it involves dying to the Laws of Moses, which takes away tithing according to the Law, and becoming a slave to righteous acts. Every Christian needs to know that by heart. Why? Can we get saved and remain a slave to sin after being delivered from darkness by Jesus’ blood, and still abide (remain) in the family forever according to John 8:35 (Colossians 1:12-14)? Is there a word somewhere that makes what Jesus promised in John 8:35 fictional? What preacher is willing to testify that Jesus lied?

Therefore, shouldn’t we be learning how to be set free from sin? Is that why it is written to seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness (Matthew 6:33), both of which are explained in the New Testament (Luke 16:16, Romans 1:16)? So why do we spend so much time in the Old Testament? Are the words “eternal life” in the Old Testament?

The New Covenant is filled with better promises (Hebrews 8:6), and the old is obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). I know that this is the first time that most of you have heard this, but test what I am telling you and then be determined to learn it for yourself before it is too late.

Get a good Bible and start reading the New Testament, out loud to where you can hear it in your ears (Romans 10:17). There are so many precepts and promises in the New Testament that we don’t know, and I’m afraid that we will never know them by simply attending church services today because they are hardy ever preached.

You are saved, praise God, but you need to know what the Bible says about eternal life. In the end Christ will weed out of His Kingdom all who continue in iniquity (wickedness, sin, evil, Matthew 13:40-43). Would you bet your life that Jesus lied in those verses? A lot of people do because of the “once saved always saved” movement, which is another false doctrine.

If you do not believe that Christians can stop sinning, please click this link to Amazon where you can read the first chapter of my book “How To Stop Sinning.” You don’t have to purchase it, but just read the first chapter where most of the excuses people use this day and time are explained. I’m Alan Ballou; a servant. No servant speaks to please men (Galatians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:4).

If you have a question about something I have said or anything spiritual, please ask or leave your comments below. Thank you.