So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11 ESV).

By: Scott Schuler

Chalk it up to young and dumb, but bottom line, it was lust. At 31 I knew what was best—buy the sleek new custom van, now! $14,000 was a great deal of money for a vehicle at the time. And I believed God needed me to buy it for the young adult ministry starting to materialize at my home.

Within days of my purchase, however, my spirit was troubled. I couldn’t shake the heaviness, like a dense cloud covering my thoughts. Was God convicting my lust for the shiny object?

The Enemy knows which temptations appeal to us. What catches our eye, consumes our thoughts, whets our appetite.

We often make split second decisions to choose Jesus or fall to temptation and sin.

Moses warned us about Satan’s strategy, “If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7b ESV).

Satan designs his bait for one purpose: to hook and drag us to spiritual death by separating us from the peace of Jesus (John 10:10).

We are most vulnerable to Satan’s strategy when we allow sin to control us––when we do not do well by living according to God’s Word.

But here’s the good news:

Jesus is greater than temptation or sin.

Jesus is stronger than chains.

Jesus breaks bondage.

But how?

Freedom begins when we desire Jesus more than sin.

Satan baited the hook of temptation when I first laid eyes on the showy van with the new-car smell and every bell and whistle. Lust tugged at my heart and in that moment, I wanted the van more than Jesus. Satan reeled me in.

The Apostle Paul counseled followers, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Roman 6:12–14).

Paul’s point is we must choose the path we want to walk every time temptation comes our way.

Sound tiring? It is at first, but through sanctification Jesus gives us stamina to rule over the power of sin through His power.

My got-to-have-it-now decision to purchase the van for future ministry robbed me of present joy and saddled me with debt. When I asked Jesus to reveal the root of my heaviness, he showed me the lust constantly challenging me and drawing me into bad habits. Weeks later, I broke under God’s conviction and sold the van. Within minutes peace flooded over me.

Jesus helps us choose freedom over sin when we share our struggles with Him.

His power can help us change. Break free from Satan’s grip. The bait is no longer appealing and Satan cannot reel us in.

Pray expectantly for Jesus to transform your heart and flood you with peace.

Ask Jesus to reveal sins drawing you back to bad habits. Journal what comes to mind. Detail your struggles and admit you do not have the power to change without Jesus. Then wait expectantly on Him.

---