In High School we had "Accountability Groups" at our church. Three friends and I were in such a group, and each week we would meet and talk about our "struggles." We struggled with sin quite consistently. We'd go around the circle, roulette-style, and talk about how we were struggling with this or that. For three years this continued, and each week we would struggle with the same sins.
It's become cliche to say "I'm struggling with sin." We perceive any sin in our life to be a struggle. But the nature of struggling involves wrestling, fighting, blocking and sparring, becoming winded and exhausted. Many people claim to "struggle with sin" when all elements of a struggle are not present in their disposition towards that sin and its activity in their lives. It makes us sound spiritual, and it makes it sound a bit easier. "I'm a sinful person, and I'm struggling..." It's quite calming to any guilt complexes we may have. And thus it can become a sort of self-deception. There's this sin in our life, a habitual sin, that we refuse to repent of, and we call it "a struggle." If a person is addicted to pornography, and that person looks at pornography day-in and day-out, then where is the struggle? He may say, "I am struggling with this," but, no, he's not. He's embracing it. Sure, he may feel bad about it. He may feel guilty and even ashamed. But, hell, even Judas felt that after he betrayed Jesus--then he went off and killed himself. He didn't repent. Self-deception is a harsh reality, and we must examine ourselves and our words and our own perceptions of ourselves to see if it is in alignment with reality. If you're struggling with a sin, is there evidence of that struggle? If there's no evidence of that struggle--i.e. fighting the temptation to the point of great strain, fleeing from situations where you know you'll be tempted, etc.--then chances are, you're just embracing your sin and calling it a struggle so you don't lose face before others and even before yourself.
It's become cliche to say "I'm struggling with sin." We perceive any sin in our life to be a struggle. But the nature of struggling involves wrestling, fighting, blocking and sparring, becoming winded and exhausted. Many people claim to "struggle with sin" when all elements of a struggle are not present in their disposition towards that sin and its activity in their lives. It makes us sound spiritual, and it makes it sound a bit easier. "I'm a sinful person, and I'm struggling..." It's quite calming to any guilt complexes we may have. And thus it can become a sort of self-deception. There's this sin in our life, a habitual sin, that we refuse to repent of, and we call it "a struggle." If a person is addicted to pornography, and that person looks at pornography day-in and day-out, then where is the struggle? He may say, "I am struggling with this," but, no, he's not. He's embracing it. Sure, he may feel bad about it. He may feel guilty and even ashamed. But, hell, even Judas felt that after he betrayed Jesus--then he went off and killed himself. He didn't repent. Self-deception is a harsh reality, and we must examine ourselves and our words and our own perceptions of ourselves to see if it is in alignment with reality. If you're struggling with a sin, is there evidence of that struggle? If there's no evidence of that struggle--i.e. fighting the temptation to the point of great strain, fleeing from situations where you know you'll be tempted, etc.--then chances are, you're just embracing your sin and calling it a struggle so you don't lose face before others and even before yourself.
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