Sin. It’s something we all struggle with as fallen human beings. But what does the Bible say about habitual sin – continuously indulging in sinful habits and behaviors that go against God’s commands? As Christians, it’s important that we have a biblical understanding of habitual sin so we can turn from it and live in freedom. In this comprehensive blog post, we’ll dive into Scripture to understand God’s perspective on habitual sin and how He calls us to respond.
Introduction
Habitual sin is a serious issue that many believers wrestle with. It involves repeatedly engaging in sinful thoughts, words, or actions that have become ingrained patterns in our lives. This could include anything from gossip and lying to pornography and substance abuse. The ease of falling into habitual sin comes from the very nature of a habit – it’s an almost subconscious behavior that we slip into without thinking. However, God makes it clear in His Word that habitual sin has no place in the life of a follower of Jesus. It goes directly against His holy commands and keeps us enslaved to destructive cycles.
The good news is that through Jesus, escape from habitual sin is possible. God is able to break any sinful pattern or addiction in our lives as we surrender to His transforming power. He promises to give us everything we need to walk in freedom and righteousness if we’ll submit to His ways. Our hope lies in His unfailing grace, not willpower or personal discipline.
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As we explore what Scripture teaches about habitual sin, here are some key takeaways to keep in mind:
- Habitual sin often takes root when we allow sinful thoughts and behaviors in our lives
- It forms strongholds that lead us into slavery and keep us trapped in shame
- Habitual sin always goes against God’s commands and holy character
- Turning from it requires honesty, humility, and dependence on the Holy Spirit
- God mercifully forgives and washes habitual sin through Jesus’ blood
- His Spirit empowers us to walk in lasting freedom and righteousness
Let’s now dig deeper into each of these truths and see what God wants us to understand about habitual sin. With willing hearts, He can transform us into people who pursue holiness rather than being chained to sin.
- Introduction
- Habitual Sin Takes Root When We Entertain Sin
- Habitual Sin Forms Strongholds of Slavery
- Habitual Sin Goes Against God's Holy Commands
- Turning from Habitual Sin Requires Honesty and Humility
- God Mercifully Forgives Habitual Sin through Christ
- God's Spirit Empowers Us to Walk in Lasting Freedom
- Conclusion
Habitual Sin Takes Root When We Entertain Sin
The warning signs of habitual sin taking root in our lives often begin with allowing sinful thoughts, behaviors, or influences in through the gates of our mind and heart. Scripture frequently speaks about the danger of this. For example:
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV)
“Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)
Part of what makes sin so deceptive and dangerous is that it often starts small. We may casually entertain lustful or impure fantasies, tell little white lies here and there, drift from prayer and Scripture reading, or hang around friends who mock biblical values.
While these sins may seem minor at first, they lay the groundwork for far more serious habitual sins to take root if we don’t ruthlessly eliminate them from our lives. The enemy seeks to lure us into moral compromise step-by-step, not all at once.
That’s why vigilance over our thought lives and influences is so essential. The path to habitual sin often begins by allowing what we see, watch, or mentally dwell on to edge God’s standards out of our hearts.
James 1:14-15 describes how sinful desire if entertained gives birth to sin:
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15 NKJV)
We must understand that sinful thoughts or behaviors we indulge in today can quickly snowball into habitual sins and addictions that wreak havoc in our lives tomorrow.
As Jesus said:
“Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28 NKJV)
Whatever we allow into our minds – impurity, bitterness, deception, or other sins – gains influence over us. That’s why Proverbs 4:23 tells us:
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 NKJV)
Guarding our thought lives is critical to preventing habitual sin from sinking its claws into us. The path to freedom starts with refusing to entertain sinful thoughts or influences and instead filling our hearts and minds with God’s truth.
Habitual Sin Forms Strongholds of Slavery
Once sinful thoughts or behaviors become ingrained habits in someone’s life, they often form what Scripture calls “strongholds.” These are basically spiritual fortresses of slavery to sin.
Here’s how the Bible describes strongholds that habitual sin can create:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV)
Strongholds develop as we repeatedly give in to certain sins and reinforce their influence over us. Like building a fortress brick by brick, the more we indulge a sinful habit, the more impenetrable its grip becomes over our lives.
Here are some examples of potential strongholds habitual sin can form:
- Pride – An elevated view of ourselves and a low view of God and others. Makes us focus on self-glorification.
- Rebellion – A determination to resist God’s ways and do what we want instead. Manifests in stubbornness and disobedience.
- Self-reliance – Depending on our abilities instead of God’s strength. Leads us into anxious striving and frustration.
- Bitterness – Holding on to offenses suffered and stewing over them. Poisons relationships and perspective.
- Greed – An excessive desire for more possessions, wealth, or material comforts. Results in stinginess, envy, and discontent.
- Lust – Perversion and obsession with sex. Defiles relationships and objectifies people.
- Unforgiveness – Withholding forgiveness from those who’ve hurt us. Imprisons us in past wounds.
- Deception – Believing and propagating falsehood and distortion of truth. Destroys integrity and sincerity.
- Addiction – Being ruled by compulsions for drugs, alcohol, pornography, or other vices. Ruins health, finances, and relationships.
These strongholds enslave us to sinful habits and prevent us from living as God designed. That’s why we must identify and tear down any sinful strongholds by God’s power if we want to walk in freedom. As Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV) urges:
“…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us…”
Through the Holy Spirit, God equips us to pull down the fortresses of sinful habits brick by brick as we pursue holiness. But if we allow them to remain and strengthen through habitual sin, they will wreak havoc in our lives.
Habitual Sin Goes Against God’s Holy Commands
At the heart of what makes habitual sin so deadly is that it always goes against God’s clearly revealed commands and holy nature. 1 John 3:4 puts it bluntly:
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4 NKJV)
In other words, sin by definition is rebellion against God’s law. It’s saying we know better than He does about right and wrong. And when we engage in habitual sin, we’re living in open, ongoing defiance of our Creator and His standards.
That should be a sobering thought. God defines what’s holy and righteous, not us. He sets the moral standards we’re called to obey if we’re in relationship with Him. To brazenly disregard His commands through habitual sin is utter foolishness.
Now that’s not to say His laws are arbitrary or heavy-handed. As Romans 7:12 (NKJV) explains, God’s commands are:
“…holy, and just, and good.”
They’re designed for human flourishing and freedom, not to stifle us. He cares deeply about every detail of our lives because He knows what leads to joy and fulfilment.
When God says to avoid lying, drunkenness, greed, immorality, or other sins, He does so to protect us from harm, not deprive us. As Isaiah 48:17-18 says:
“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” (Isaiah 48:17-18 NKJV)
Tragically when we disregard God’s commandments through habitual sin, we end up hurting ourselves and others. We miss out on the peace and fulfillment He wants for us.
Some believers try justifying their habitual sins, but that never aligns with Scripture. Nowhere does the Bible condone or excuse repetitively practicing things like sexual immorality, lying, drunkenness, abortion, occult practices, greed, pride, or theft just because “that’s who we are.”
Instead God’s Word clearly reveals His standards and calls His people to obey them. He wants us to pursue holiness in response to His incredible grace, not remain chained to habitual sins. The beauty of the gospel is that He forgives, transforms, and empowers us to live uprightly through the Spirit. But it always begins by agreeing with Him that habitual sin has no place in a Christian’s life.
As Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV) warns:
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
Turning from Habitual Sin Requires Honesty and Humility
Breaking free from the trap of habitual sin begins by humbly acknowledging we’ve allowed it to entangle us. Coming to a place of godly sorrow and honesty about our condition is essential. As long as we remain in denial or justification, habitual sins will keep their hold over us.
King David provides a powerful example of how responding rightly to habitual sin requires humility and honesty. After his dramatic moral failure with Bathsheba that included adultery and murder, David was confronted by the prophet Nathan.
Notice David’s response in Psalm 51:3-4:
“For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight…” (Psalm 51:3-4 NKJV)
David owned his sins before God. He didn’t rationalize or blame others. He simply acknowledged the gravity of his rebellion against the Lord – that was the starting place of finding freedom.
In the same way, our path to victory over habitual sin starts by:
- Facing the reality of our condition before God
- Confessing the depth and pattern of sin ruling us with humility
- Taking full responsibility without excuses or deflection
- Expressing heartfelt repentance for grieving God’s heart
- Asking Him to search our hearts for any area that needs exposure
As James 5:16 (NKJV) reminds us:
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
Coming into the light through honest confession is so liberating. It robs habitual sin of its power over us. As long as we cover up and pretend, the enemy keeps us in chains through deception and shame. But humility sets us free.
We also need to ask God to reveal any root sins or lies beneath our habitual sins. Often a surface struggle points to underlying heart issues that need divine surgery. For example:
- Insecurity can drive perfectionism and people-pleasing addictions.
- Rejection can cause a craving for escape through pornography or substance abuse.
- Trauma can lead toirmed emotional dependencies and compulsions.
- Pride can fuel workaholism, living beyond our means, and other excessive behaviors.
Asking God to excavate our hearts is crucial to finding true freedom from habitual sins. As David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24 NKJV)
Dependence on the Holy Spirit While honesty and humility start us down the path of freedom from habitual sin, victory requires ongoing dependence on the Holy Spirit. He alone has the wisdom and power to retrain our sinful hearts and minds.
In Romans 8:13, Paul warns:
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13 NKJV)
“Putting to death” habitual sins requires the enabling of the Spirit, not just self-discipline. He strengthens us to resist temptation, replaces sinful lies with God’s truth, and convicts when we start slipping back into old patterns.
An essential key to walking in freedom is learning to rely on the Spirit’s power and resources daily rather than operating in our own strength. Here are some practical ways we can depend on Him rather than resorting to habitual sins:
- Praying – Begin each morning asking the Spirit to fill and lead you. Pray through temptations.
- Reading Scripture – God’s Word equips us to resist sin’s deception. It renews our minds.
- Christian fellowship – Authentic connection provides crucial support and accountability.
- Redirecting thoughts – When tempted, shift focus to praise and Kingdom purposes.
- Avoiding compromise – Eliminate influences that open the door to habitual sin.
- Resting in grace – Remember your identity and acceptance in Christ.
The Spirit lives within every believer. As we yield control of our lives to Him, He enables us to destroy habitual sin’s power so righteousness prevails. Our part is to rely fully on His provision rather than trying to fight in our own power.
God Mercifully Forgives Habitual Sin through Christ
One of the enemy’s most effective weapons to keep people trapped in habitual sin is shame and condemnation. Because we’ve failed over and over and sinned against the light, it’s easy to lose hope and think God could never forgive us.
But Scripture offers such hope and assurance of God’s willingness to cleanse us from all habitual sins and free us to walk forward in newness of life.
1 John 1:9 gives this beautiful promise:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NKJV)
Notice several powerful truths in this verse:
- God is “faithful” to forgive – He will never turn away a humble heart.
- God is “just” to forgive – Jesus already paid the penalty we deserved.
- He forgives “all” unrighteousness – Even the worst habitual sins.
- He cleanses us from its stain – Our slates are wiped totally clean.
The sinless blood of Jesus is more than enough to atone for all our failures, even sins we’ve committed over and over. Hebrews 7:25 declares:
“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25 NKJV)
No matter how ingrained or long-standing our habitual sins are, Jesus’ sacrifice covers them all. When we repent, God remembers them no more.
As Psalm 103:12 assures:
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12 NKJV)
We can hold our heads high as redeemed sons and daughters, not slink in shame. The Accuser wants us trapped in guilt over sins God has forgiven fully. Don’t let shame keep you from embracing the new life Christ purchased for you.
At the cross, Jesus broke sin’s power so habitual patterns of unrighteousness no longer have to define us. We can walk in the light as He is in the light when we confess our sins and receive His cleansing (1 John 1:7). By His grace, a new path of holiness opens before us.
God’s Spirit Empowers Us to Walk in Lasting Freedom
The final foundational truth about habitual sin is that through the Holy Spirit, God gives His people everything required to walk in lasting freedom and righteousness. We never have to fight sin’s pull in our own strength.
The Spirit works within us to nurture spiritual fruit like self-control as we submit to His work. Paul describes the battle taking place in every believer in Galatians 5:16-17.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:16-17 NKJV)
The flesh (our sinful nature) continually pulls in the direction of habitual sins we’ve indulged in the past. But as we walk surrendered to the Holy Spirit, He replaces our fleshly compulsions with His holy desires. Sin loses its grip through the Spirit’s empowering.
Key to experiencing this freedom is fixing our minds on Christ through prayer, God’s Word, worship, and obedience. As we behold Jesus, the Spirit transforms us into His image. Staying focused on Him breaks sin’s allure. As Hebrews 12:1-2 urges:
“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV)
Furthermore, God promises to provide a way of escape from every temptation we face if we’ll lean on Him. 1 Corinthians 10:13 offers this hope:
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV)
Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have supernatural power to break free from habitual sin. God faithfully provides what we need to walk in righteousness if we rely fully on Him.
Of course, this doesn’t mean freedom happens overnight. There will be many battles and setbacks along the way as we cooperate with the Spirit’s work. But over time, sin loses its grip as goodness, self-control, and purity become our new normal through the Spirit’s empowering.
The key is not trying to white-knuckle our way to holiness, but learning to surrender continually to the Spirit’s leading as He frees us from habitual sins and transforms us into Christ’s image. Our part is simply to yield our wills to Him in faith and obedience.
As Romans 6:6-7 promises:
“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7 NKJV)
Freedom from slavery to habitual sin is found in our union with Christ’s death and resurrection life. As we yield control to the Spirit, He frees and transforms us by grace.
Conclusion
Habitual sin is a very real issue that many followers of Jesus wrestle with. Whether it’s patterns of lying, sexual sin, substance abuse, or other behaviors, sinful habits can feel impossible to break and keep us trapped in shame.
But praise God, through Jesus there is always hope of freedom and new life! Scripture makes it clear habitual sin has no place in a Christian’s life. It forms strongholds that lead to spiritual slavery rather than the holiness and joy God desires for us.
As we humble ourselves and depend fully on the Holy Spirit’s empowering grace, He equips us to tear down every sinful habit brick by brick. Lasting righteousness comes not through self-discipline but through partnering with Him in His transforming work.
If you’re caught in the chains of habitual sin, take heart that you can walk in freedom through surrender to Christ. He mercifully forgives all our failures and offers us newness of life as we lean into Him. We have so much to look forward to as we cooperate with the Spirit’s work of making us like Jesus!
I hope this overview equipped you with a comprehensive biblical perspective on habitual sin – one that points us to the splendor of the gospel. No matter what patterns have ruled over us in the past, God is able to do a mighty work of deliverance through His Spirit. May we walk confidently in the victory Christ purchased for us.
