Part Two: The Stranglehold of Sin

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7

We all struggle with sin in our lives, and the Bible says that we have “besetting sins” that challenge us specifically.

“…let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin that so easily entangles us.” Hebrews 12:1

The devil tempts your flesh to participate in sin. How does he know which sin to tempt you with? Well, like a predator he watches your movements to determine your weakest areas, probing to see whether you accept or reject his temptations. (1 Peter 5:8)

If he can get you looking at sinful things, dabbling in sinful areas, and doing sinful deeds that are in disobedience to God, he has gained a toehold into your life. Once he sees you accept that sin, he moves on to the next phase of control.

The stranglehold. If the enemy can get you to develop a taste for sin, you’ll let your guard down and even start to convince yourself that you need that sin. That’s when the serpent starts to wrap your life in defeat.

Have you ever seen a python wrap itself around an animal and squeeze the life out of it?

That’s what the devil does. That’s why he’s called the Serpent.
He tempts us into sins which lead us into repetitive sinful behavior: anger, bitterness, lust, greed, fear, pride, selfishness, drugs, alcohol, etc.

There are scores of Christians (today) who have let a toehold of sin become a stranglehold of bondage, and now the devil is squeezing the life out of their faith and testimony…either privately or publicly.

When sin has a stranglehold on your life, you are now in a battle with the flesh and the serpent.
And you’d better fight hard before that stranglehold moves to the next phase.

Do you know what YOUR weakness is? Can you name YOUR besetting sin? Both God and the devil already know what it is, so be honest and tell God where you’re weak. The Lord is more than capable of delivering you from sin.

Ask the Holy Spirit for specific Scriptures to wield against the tempter of YOUR soul. Ask God for help if you truly want victory over your besetting sins. (Matthew 21:22, Matthew 7:7)

Keep your armor on today…and by all means fight the strangling serpent of sin.