Sin is crouching at the door

2012. One day in.

Sin is crouching at the door.

Most people make resolutions, and we make them for many different reasons. Maybe you’ve made them for yourself; maybe your reasoning for wanting to work hard is to get a promotion, to be recognised for your hard work. Maybe you’ve made them because you think God won’t love you unless you make yourself perfect. Maybe you think nobody will want to date you or marry you if you don’t change. Maybe you  made them to please other people, like your parents. 

But, perhaps after prayer and being convicted, you’ve made them because in your heart you know that your life isn’t glorifying Christ, and you want it to. Maybe you’ve been relying on your boyfriend or your girlfriend too much, or let go of time with the Lord in your busy-ness. Maybe you’ve been distracted and you want to fix your eyes on Jesus again.

I don’t know what resolutions you made. You might have parts of the old flesh that you still need to cut off from the new creation. Perhaps you want 2012 to be the year that you stop procrastinating, gossiping, lusting, binge drinking, self-harming, purging. Perhaps it’s the year you want to let go of the porn addiction. Maybe you know you need to stop falling for the wrong kind of people. Maybe this is the year you want to stop spending all your money on worthless things.

Just know this: sin is crouching at the door.

The enemy hates when you are determined to fight in this battle. The enemy hates when you are determined to let go of addictions and look to the Cross. And he will do whatever he can to stop you.

He will lie to you. He will show you all the “good” of forbidden things. He will bombard you with reasons about why you should keep holding on. You will be more tempted in your determination to let go than before. If you are determined to start being wiser with your money, it may be that in the next few months, there will be potential purchases that you want more than anything else you’ve bought before. If you want to rise early to meet with the Lord, you may wake up feeling sleepier than you anticipated and want to just hide under the covers for a few more hours. If you want to stop falling for those who don’t really love you, you will start finding yourself more attracted to those who don’t love you. If it’s to let go of an addiction, you will find yourself itching to stumble more and more. If it’s to view your body as the LORD views it, beautiful and without flaw, then the enemy will keep telling you that you are ugly - and he will tell you over and over again.

Brothers and sisters, know that I am praying for you. I pray for your protection, I pray for strength, and I pray that you will hear His voice, when He says:

Beloved, let go.

I have bigger plans for you. I want to lead you out of the wilderness, and I want you to lean on Me. But you have to let go. Listen not to the enemy. He lies to you, for he hates you. But I will always speak to you in truth, faithfully, for I am the Truth. He will tell you not to listen. He will tell you that I am withholding pleasure from you. But beloved, know this. I withhold no good thing from you. In My presence, your cup will overflow, and you will lack no joy. Come away, beloved. Come away from the old, for I have made you into a new creation. Sin is crouching at the door, beloved. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. I will give you the strength. You have all you need, and I will be with you always. Just let go, and trust Me.