Guilt Hinders Confession :: Deeper Devotion

By Glenn Ansley

Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

I am often outraged by the stupidity in which I seem to excel when presented with different temptations. Why do I, as a child of God, continue to do the things I don’t wish to, yet fail to do that which I desire? Even more so, why do I repeatedly commit offenses that the Lord Himself has commanded me to abstain from?

The study of Scripture teaches us that we have an adversary in the Devil. He is continually dedicated to the disruption of communication between the saints and the Lord. On account of this, we must consistently stand firm against him and draw our strength from Christ alone. Much like any battle, you the soldier of Christ, must be aware of the fighting tactics of your enemy. If we fail to understand how Satan works against us, we will undoubtedly fail to withstand His attacks.

Satan’s number one offensive maneuver against you as a Christian lies in his power to deceive. If he can mislead you into believing that the Lord does not wish to hear from you after you sin, he can cut off your communication, and therefore prevent you from experiencing true fellowship with God. It is important for us to understand just how he does this. Satan works through a series of double standards. First he tempts the Christian, “Just do it. You know you want to. It won’t hurt anything. Nobody will ever know. They deserved it anyway!” The list of justifications only grows longer as time allows. The moment we break though, the moment we give into Satan’s lies, his double standard begins. Switching gears, he now lays on the guilt. Almost instantaneously the Christian hears, “I can’t believe you did that. You call yourself a follower of Christ? Do you honestly think you deserve God’s grace? How could Christ possibly forgive you for this? Why would He want to talk to you right now?”

Don’t buy that lie! Don’t allow Satan to hinder your relationship with God. Never forget that the Lord is a loving and forgiving God. 1 John 1:9 teaches, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” The Lord longs to hear from you… especially in your time of need and repentance. Guilt is nothing more than a tool the enemy of our soul uses to form a void between our spirit and the Spirit of God. It is up to us to recognize that lie and claim victory against it. The more we study the Scripture, the greater our defenses will be against the lies of Satan. “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31, 32). Scripture promises that if we will confess our sins to God, He will remove them as far as the east is from the west. Come to the Lord in prayer… He awaits you today.