As we seek victory over habitual sins, we must remember that Jesus taught us to pray that we would avoid temptation.
We like being tempted
We like the feelings of temptation; we just hate the guilt of the sin. If we could have the sin without the consequences, guilt, and shame we would normally choose the sin. We like to walk as closely to sin as possible without actually falling into sin. In doing so we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are righteous and desire holiness. However, the true Christian does not even want to be faced with temptation.
Jesus demands the removal of that which causes us to sin
Jesus consistently in many different places demands the radical removal of our sources of temptation and sin. He even goes so far as to demand a severing of family relationships, the selling of all possessions, and the amputating of body parts. These things seem extreme to us, so we often ignore His very clear demands.
We must love God above everything else
The true issue is love; do we love God or do we love something else more than Him? Do we love our sin, the source of our temptations, or do we love God? If we must part with the source of our temptations or part with Christ, which one would we rather part with? Do we really love God enough to remove sources of temptation from our lives?
Application
What must you part with because you love Christ more than sin?
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