How can I Combat Besetting Sins?

• The source of our sins is our heart.

Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Matt 15:18-20 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the [unsaved] heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the [unsaved] heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

• We can have victory over sins and addictions through our self-conscious and our own will power or through medical help and support groups. But what we need to realize is, that sin is going to come back or some new sin is going to popup. The root itself is evil. You can cut down the branches of a poison ivy but unless the root is plucked out, branches are going to grow back.

Luke 6:43-45 "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Matt 23:25-26 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."

Mark 4:5-6,16-17 "5And some fell on stony ground [unsaved stony heart], where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground [unsaved stony heart]; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."

• What we require is a new heart or in other words Salvation. We cannot give ourselves a new Heart. This new heart can only be given by God. Now you have the root plucked out, the leak plugged in.

Eze 36:26-27 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

1 John 5:18 "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten [born-again of] of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not."

Jam 3:11-12 "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh."

Luke 6:43-45 "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

Mark 4:8,20 "8And other fell on good ground [saved heart of flesh], and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 20And these are they which are sown on good ground [saved heart of flesh]; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred."

• Now God enabled me to battle the Sin by granting Salvation as a gift, how can I combat the Sin? by putting on the whole armor of God, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who combated with the Word of God.

Eph 6:10-18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

Psa 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Luke 4:1-13 "And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread [lust of the flesh] . 4And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.6And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them [lust of the eyes] : for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence [pride of life]: 10For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season."