7 Steps to Sin

 There is a place of rest for the people of God, but they do not rest because of unbelief or because of getting out ahead of God by fighting their own enemies themselves.  There’s a time to defeat the enemy, but there must be a time of preparation before you take your enemy on.  Before you can defeat sin, you need to understand what is occurring within you.  And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts.  Mark 7:20-21.  So, when you have committed a sin, (and when haven’t you?), this is a reality to set you free.

 There are seven steps to a completed sin.

 

1. Temptation – The first step to sin is temptation.  Temptation is the thought of evil.  Temptation comes in the form of thoughts without exception!  No matter what the sin is, it starts as part of your thinking process.  It can be so strong that it feels as if it has already happened. At times, it can be so overpowering.   Many people sin simply because they had the thought of sin and they therefore think they have sinned already, so they go ahead and actually sin.

 Temptation is not sin.  You do not have to sin just because you feel like doing it.  With temptation, there is always something within us that has nothing to do with anyone else.  But, there may be temptation or evil in another person that hooks up with the temptation or evil in you and the two, start working against each other so both people fall.

Lust is not just a sexual thing.  Even if temptation involves a simple a thing as having a disagreement with your brother or sister in the Lord, the process of lust is there.  Lust includes everything.  We have many examples about lust.  1 Corinthians 10:6 says: Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

 Lusting over evil things includes exalting ourselves over another in every area of our existence, whether from jealousy or envy or bitterness or hatred or whatever.  Your self-exaltation and self-fulfillment is idolatry and pride.  You are king, everything revolves around, and your faith is all about you. Satan has stolen your faith because whatever is not Godly faith is sin.  But without faith it is impossible to please Him.  Hebrews 11:6. 

Every problem and every temptation you have already exists within your spiritual makeup.  Satan comes with his kingdom to exploit your weakness.  You could have a thousand temptations, but there is always at least few or more that you are going to fall into.  Satan will always work on you at your weakest link.  Most of your trials, tribulations, and temptations are already spiritual problems in your life.

 

Job was perfect in a lot of ways, yet he had weaknesses.  He was full of pride and fear.  He tried to be God over his family, making sacrifices for his children.  The thing he feared most came upon him, For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me Job 3:25

There is incorrect teaching that says that when you are tempted, it is God’s way of teaching you something.  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone James 1:13.  Everything that is going on, as a temptation in you, is common in the world, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

You can quit praying for God to remove the temptation, because He wants you to defeat it.  He will make provision for you so you can overcome.  It has to be dealt with because it comes from within and is already in place and already a problem.  The difference between “defeat” and “resist” is this: “defeat” is permanent; “resist” indicates there is still a battle taking place.

God wants you to defeat temptation because, in the day you don’t, it becomes your sin and you are fellowshipping with devils, Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 1 Corinthians 10:20.

All evil in mankind comes from within the heart of a man, woman or child, And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, Mark 7:20-21.

 Jesus was tempted continuously, just as we are, For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15. Every demon of hell was looking for Jesus to trip up so they could have a legal right to come into His Spirit and cause Him to become sinful.  Once we succumb to temptation leading to sin, the enemy has a legal right to work in us.  Satan personally tempted Jesus at the highest level possible.

 There is a blessing in the midst of temptation, Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12. Every temptation you face is an open door to God’s blessing.  Every trial you overcome is a stepping-stone to victory.

2. Being Drawn Away – We become preoccupied with a thought.  To be drawn away is to have a strong imagination about a temptation, to start to view it and to let your mind be drawn to it.  At this stage, sin is starting to form a reality in you.  It is not just an idle thought; it is starting to take form.  Being drawn away is still not sin.

3. Personal Lust – This is the forming of the sin, But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires (lust) and enticed. James 1:14. You have a strong imagination and you start to take pleasure in watching what is in your mind and in your thoughts.  It is no longer an idle thought.  First you had the thought and then you had the strong imagination.  Next you sit back and turn your mind’s TV on and start to take pleasure in watching what is in your mind and your thoughts.  This is still not sin.  It is an evil spirit integrating itself with you and you are starting to weaken and fall into agreement with it simply because you are entertaining the thoughts.

An evil spirit is like a projector; it projects images in you because of its nature and it wants to fulfill its nature and make you a sinner in that area.  You think it is you because you have fallen into agreement and started becoming one with it, which is the process of you becoming prepared to sin.

4.  Enticement – The forth step to sin is enticement.  Enticement is the weakening of the will.  You can have every feeling and seemingly enjoyment of a lustful thought in any area of your life.  The object is to weaken your will because Satan wants you to act it out.  The ploy is to get you to start weakening, to get you to yield your will to what the temptation is. If Satan can break down to a point where you are no longer resisting him, then he has you in motion to commit a sin, ...Resist the devil and he will flee from you  James 4:7.

 5.  Lust Conceived – You cannot have sin until you have lust conceived.  Lust conceived is the birthing of something not in place yet.  The entire weakening of the will is occurring and you are about to come into agreement with it so it can be birthed within you.  It is also a yielding.  Lust conceived is the entrance into the physical of what is spiritual.  At this stage, it is very difficult not to sin because your total will has yielded to what the temptation represents.

6.  Actual Sin – There are many people who say something with their hearts but not with their mouths.  They still have a completed sin in their heart because they are one with it and in full agreement with it.  It is your choice to reject a thought or dwell on it, But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28. Any person in agreement with a thought in his or her heart will eventually act on that thought.

 7.  The Consequences of Sin – The results and consequences of sin is death, Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death James 1:15.  Sin not repented for brings spiritual and physical death.  It opens the door to curses in your spirit, soul and physical body.  It opens the door for sin to rule you, to reign in you, to destroy you, and to have dominion over you.  Unless it is repented for, dealt with, and cast out, it will be continually there to tempt you until you are destroyed.

 If a person has fasted prayed, cried out to God and done everything they could to get rid of a sin, but they keep doing it, they need deliverance because it is no longer just temptation, it is an evil spirit tormenting your soul.

When temptation comes, you can now see the process.  You can find yourself in the seven steps so you will recognize temptation is not sin.  You can start dealing with Satan and your adversaries according to the knowledge of God.  Seek God, His Word (Jesus), the Helper, and fellow believers who can come to your aid in the name of Jesus Christ.

Casting down imaginations (and temptations), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV.

 Prayer:  Father God, we thank You and we thank You for Your Word.  God, I trust that this teaching has set things in place to assist us in becoming more mature in overcoming temptation and sin.  God, I do not ask You to deliver us in spite of the evil.  Rather, we ask You to deliver us in the midst of the evil so we may be victorious and that You may be glorified. 

 And we all said……. Amen!!!

Tony Sanchez 5-9-17