Resisting Sin

Dear Victorious,

I have to confess that after years of being a Christian - I still struggle with sin. Frankly I don't understand how this is possible. I love the Lord, I want to do His will in my life. And of course I agree that His will is best. So why do I still struggle with sin?

Baker O. - Naperville, IL

Dear Baker,

Here's the thing - merely wanting or preferring God's will and way is not enough to stand against the onslaught of temptation that Satan throws at us. We must resolve to obey God. This means being consistently devoted to principle and committed to a specific course of action. Said differently, what will you do instead of sinning? Read Luke 11:24-26, where it explains that we can't just get rid of what's wrong in our life. We must also replace it with what's right. So sinfulness is exchanged for righteousness. If it isn't, sinfulness will return with a vengeance.