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Twelve Steps to Conquering Habitual Sins

Genesis 20:1 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh
and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, She is my sister.
Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream one
night and said to him, You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married
woman. 4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?
5 Did he not say to me, She is my sister, and didn't she also say, He is my brother? I have done this with
a clear conscience and clean hands. 6 Then God said to him in the dream, Yes, I know you did this with a
clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.
7 Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not
return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die. 8 Early the next morning Abimelech summoned
all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9 Then
Abimelech called Abraham in and said, What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you
have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be
done. 10 And Abimelech asked Abraham, What was your reason for doing this? 11 Abraham replied, I
said to myself, There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.
12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became
my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, This is how you can
show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, He is my brother. 14 Then Abimelech brought
sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife
to him. 15 And Abimelech said, My land is before you; live wherever you like. 16 To Sarah he said, I am
giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are
with you; you are completely vindicated. 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his
wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, 18 for the LORD had closed up every womb in
Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah.
How do we conquer habitual sins?
Habitual sins are sins that we are especially prone to stumble in. Some people really struggle with
anger, some people struggle with complaining, some people struggle with lust or drunkenness. Habitual
sins are sins that we have a hard time getting over and that tend to linger in our life for years and
sometimes a lifetime.
In this narrative, we see the great man of faith Abraham left the area where he probably had been living for
over twenty years by the great trees of Mamre and moved to the region of the Negev. Negev actually
means dry, parcheda synonym for desert.1 He lived in a city called Gerar, in the western Negev. It was
a fertile plain between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea that had been settled by the Philistines.2
We dont know why he moved, but many suggest that it probably had something to do with the
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God rained down sulfur on these cities and destroyed them. We
dont know exactly how it happened, but Sodom and Gomorrah are now under the Dead Sea. God could
have destroyed them by some type of natural disaster and as Abraham saw the effects he decided to
uproot and move his family.

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When Abraham moved into Gerar, he lied about his wife and said that she was his sister. This was the
same sin he committed in Genesis 12, when he moved from the promised land to Egypt. There he,
similarly, lied about his wife and Pharaoh took her into his harem. Lying was Abrahams habitual sin. It was
the sin that he typically succumbed to when pressured.
How do we overcome habitual sins? Here we will learn not from Abrahams success, as in many of the
other chapters, but from Abrahams failure. We will consider twelve steps to conquering habitual sins.
Big Question: What steps to conquering habitual sins can we discern from Abrahams failure in
Gerar?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must First Recognize What They Are
Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For
a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, She is my sister. Then Abimelech
king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
Genesis 20:1-2
Again, in this text, we see that Abraham had moved his family to Gerar, where the Philistines lived. When
he got there, he lied about his wife, the same thing he did in Egypt.
I think as we consider how to conquer habitual sins, the first thing we must do is recognize what are
our tendencies. Is it lying to keep ourselves out of trouble? Is it depression? Is it gossiping? Here we see
very clearly that Abraham had a habitual sin, a sin that he was prone to fall into, which was lying.
One of the ways, we start to conquer our habitual sins is by first identifying what they are. What is your
habitual sin? What is the sin or sins that you are most prone to fall to?
The writer of Hebrews describes what I would call a habitual sin or a besetting sin. He said,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything
that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race
marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1
He said, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. He did not say sin
that so easily entangles but the sin that so easily entangles. He seems to be referring to a specific sin
that we easily fall into. We all have them; these are our habitual sins, which tend to easily trip us up.
Sometimes these can be hard to identify because they have become part of our identity. For one person
his grandpa had an anger problem, his mother had an anger problem and he has one as well. Everybody
knows him as having a temper issues, and sadly, he just starts to accept that as part of his identity, and not
something to be conquered. Some sins have become socially acceptable, like telling little white lies or
illegal downloading, and if we have become conformed to this world, then again it will be hard to identify
(Rom 12:2).

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What sin or sins easily entangle you? We must first identify them so we can conquer them.
Application Question: What are your habitual sins? When are you most prone to fall to them?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must in Humility Recognize Our Vulnerability

Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For
a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, She is my sister. Then Abimelech
king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
Genesis 20:1-2
I think another thing we must do in order to conquer habitual sins is recognize that we are always
vulnerable. When we look at this narrative, we cannot but be surprised at Abrahams stumble. He had
been walking with God for over twenty-five years. In fact, in the last couple of chapters, he was noted
for his great faith.
In Genesis 17, God told him he was going to have a son in his old age, as he was ninety-nine years old,
and God called him to circumcise himself and his household. Though this would have been extremely
painful, he immediately obeys God. In Genesis 18, God and two angels visited Abrahams
household. Abraham was very generous, as he prepared them a great feast. While there God told him that
he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their great sins. After hearing this, Abraham intercedes
for Sodom. His nephew Lot and his two daughters were saved as a result of his prayers (cf. Gen 19:29).
Abraham had been great in faith.
However, here he falls back into his old sin that he originally committed at the beginning of his faith journey,
back in Genesis 12. I think one of the things that we can learn from this is the fact that we are always
vulnerable. It is when we think that we are no longer vulnerable that we are most prone to fall back
into this sin. Listen to what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:12: So, if you think you are standing firm, be
careful that you don't fall!
If we think that we are no longer susceptible to a certain sin, that we have conquered it, then we are most
vulnerable to it. Certainly, by Gods grace, we can start to have a certain level of victory. However, we
should always be aware that we are still weak and prone to sin. Listen to what Paul called believers in
Philippians 3:3: For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in
Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.
We must put no confidence in the flesh. Paul said that in his flesh dwelt no good thing (cf. Rom 7:18).
Often, I think this is the very reason many Christians fall back into habitual sins. It is because they
start to think they are over it. Proverbs 16:18 says this, Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit
before a fall.
It is when a person says, Im OK. I am no longer tempted in this area, that it often comes back and bites
them. I think people in Alcoholics Anonymous have come to some right conclusions. Even though they
have been sober for ten years, they will still say, I am an alcoholic. By saying this, they are not
recognizing their current practice, but their current vulnerability.

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Some people really struggle with this concept for Christians. Scripture says we are now the
righteousness of God (cf. 2 Cor 5:21), we are co-heirs with Christ (cf. Rom 8:17). Therefore, they would
say that we should never call ourselves sinners. However, the very verses that they quote about being
the righteousness of God and co-heirs with Christ were written by Paul. He is the same man who said, I
am the chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15). He said, In my flesh dwells no good thing. He says, the things
I would do, I dont do, the things I wouldnt do, I do (Rom 7).
I am a little worried about Christians that like to emphasize one part of Scripture without the full picture.
Paul said both. Yes, I have been crucified with Christ and my old man is dead (cf. Gal 2:20, Rom 6). But at
the same time, I have a sin nature and there is a battle between the Spirit and my flesh and
sometimes I dont do what I want (Gal 5).
Abraham had been faithful to God and shown great faith; however, he was still vulnerable and so
are we. If you think you are standing, if you think you have conquered it, you better take heed lest you
fall. In order to conquer habitual sins, we must recognize our vulnerability to it.
Are you still recognizing your vulnerability? This should stand out to us, as Abraham stumbles into the
same sin he committed over twenty years ago.
Application Question: How do we reconcile truths like our old nature is dead and we are now the
righteousness of God, with the fact that we are still sinners? How can we keep a proper balance?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Stay Away from Potential Temptations
Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For
a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, She is my sister. Then Abimelech
king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
Genesis 20:1-2
Again, we see that Abraham had a vulnerability to lying to protect himself in potentially hostile
situations. The question we cannot but ask is, Why move to an area that would then be a temptation
to him? He had been living by the trees of Mamre in safety, but he moves to an area with potentially
hostile people, which tempted him to sin.
Surely, we can learn a great deal from this. If we are going to conquer habitual sins, we must stay
away from any situations that might stir up these vulnerabilities in us. Jesus said this in Matthew
5:29-30:
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one
part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you
to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your
whole body to go into hell.
Christ said if what you are looking at causes you to sin (eyes), get rid of it. If what you are doing
(hand) causes you to sin, get rid of it. We must have such an animosity to sin that we get rid of every
door way or potential door way that might lead us into it.

We see a similar teaching when Solomon talks to is son about the adulterous woman in Proverbs 7:25-27.
He says:
Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought
down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the
chambers of death.
Solomon essentially said, Stop it at the rootthe heart motive. Do not even let your heart turn to her
ways. Dont even entertain the possibility of sin with this woman. Keep her out of your mind and dont
let her get into your heart. Stay away from paths that lead to her. Dont even go to any paths that lead in
her direction. Solomon warned his son so that he would not become a victim like so many men before
him.
In the same way, one of the ways we protect ourselves is by staying away from anything that might tempt
us. If Abraham knew that this was a habitual sin, why is he moving to a dangerous area where the
Philistines lived? If he had fallen previously in Egypt, why is he putting himself and his family in a
dangerous position and one where he will be tempted to lie?
First Thessalonians 5:22 says, Abstain from all appearance of evil. If you have a tendency to sometimes
overdrink, Why do you still go to the bar? If you have a tendency towards falling into lust, Why are
you watching shows with partial nudity? If you have a tendency to cheat on tests when you feel like
you might fail, Why are you waiting to the last minute to study? If you have a tendency towards
depression, Why are you listening to music that makes you sad? If you struggle with cursing,
Why do you listen to music and watch movies with lots of curse words? If you struggle with gluttony, Why
are you at the buffet?
If we are going to conquer habitual sins, we must close every door that might lead to them. Are you closing
all potential doors and temptations to sin?
Application Question: What ways has God taught you to close potential doors towards sin in order to
conquer habitual sins? What doors is God calling you to close so you can be free from a specific sin?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Recognize that They Always Affect
Others
Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For
a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, She is my sister. Then Abimelech
king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
Genesis 20:1-2
Another thing we must recognize in order to conquer habitual sins is that they always affect others.
Abrahams lie about Sarah being his sister led to his wife being taken into King Abimelechs harem. The
king had the right to take any single women into his harem that he wanted and thats what Abimelech did.

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Now Sarah is almost ninety years old in this text, it seems weird that Abimelech would want to take her
into his harem. Even with the long life of the patriarchs, as Sarah lived to be 127, her age was still
equivalent to a woman of fifty-three years old that lived to be seventy five.3 Why does Abimelech take
her?
Well, in Egypt, the text mentioned her great beauty (Gen 12:14) and maybe she still was relatively
beautiful, even at this late age. One commentator, Henry Morris, said this, She had in some measure
been physically rejuvenated, in order to conceive, bear, and nurse Isaac, and possibly this
manifested itself in renewed beauty as well.4 He sighted the possibility of her being physically
rejuvenated by God in order to have Isaac as a reason for her continued beauty.
But in Genesis 20, her beauty is never mentioned. Most likely, the reason Abimelech took her into
his harem was for a political alliance. One of the reasons ancient kings married certain women was for
political advantages. Its probably the same reason King Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh, in
order to strengthen his alliance with Egypt. Abraham was a mighty man and marrying his sister could only
help Abimelech.
Either way, Abrahams lie almost cost him his wife, just as it did while in Egypt. This is something we must
be aware of. Our sins always affect others, even when they are done privately. As the church, we are
the body of Christ, and one part of the body cannot hurt or be infected without affecting the other
parts. Paul compared sin to leaven that leavens the whole lump (1 Cor 5:6). Sin has a tendency to
spread towards others, and the consequences of sin also often affect others.
When Jonah sinned against God, it almost led to the death of all those on the boat with him. When
David sinned by taking Bathsheba, it led to the death of her husband, the death of his child, and
consequently the sword never departed from his home. Sin always affects others, even sin done in private.
We must be aware of that.
In fact with Abraham, we will later see that Isaac, his unborn son, lied about his wife as well (Gen 26).
His lie was even worse because Rebecca was not his sister in any sense. Sin always affects others.
This is important because many times the psychology of one struggling with sin is, Oh this doesnt
affect anybody else but me or I dont care about my life right now. Who cares if I sin? The
psychology of a person in a habitual sin is usually selfish, thinking only about themselves. However, if they
considered the consequences towards others, many times that would help them not sin.
Adam and Eve probably wouldnt have sinned if they had considered that their private sin would
affect their children (i.e. the rest of the world). Abraham, probably, would not have lied if he would
have considered that this would have cost him his wife and, potentially, his unborn child.
And, its the same for us. We must recognize that this habitual sin that we keep fostering will hurt not
only ourselves but others. Understanding this will help us be willing to fight against sin.
Application Question: Why does sin typically manifest itself in selfishness? How can we foster thinking
about the potential consequences of sin on others?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Choose to Live by Faith

Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For
a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, She is my sister. Then Abimelech
king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
Genesis 20:1-2
Another thing we must discern from the narrative is that Abraham was not trusting God. God had told
Abraham that his wife was going to bear him a child and that from this seed all the nations would be
blessed (Gen 17:15-16). God had also told him that those that blessed him, God would bless and those
who cursed him, God would curse (Gen 12:3). In Genesis 15:1, God told Abraham that he was his
shield. Essentially, God had told Abraham that he would protect him.
However, Abraham decided to take things into his own hands by lying about his wife. He didnt trust that
God would protect him. Its the same for us. When confronted with a test that we could potentially fail,
we have the opportunity to believe that somehow God will use our potential failure for good. Or we
can lie and be dishonest in order to try to save ourselves. We often tend to trust the flesh, our sinful
nature, more than we trust Gods mercy and goodness.
Abrahams sin was rooted in a lack of faith and so is ours. Sometimes it is rooted in, God I am
lonely, and I dont trust that you have someone good for me. Therefore, we run off to satisfy our
loneliness because we dont want to wait on God. Sometimes it is rooted in, God you dont care about
me. So, we rebel against God and his goodness. Sometimes it is rooted in, God I have to fight for me
because you are not protecting me. Therefore, we get angry and fight against those who harm us,
instead of believing Gods Word, Vengeance is the Lords, I will repay (Rom 12:19). All sin is rooted in a
lack of faith and a trust in self.
Proverbs 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding. In order to break habitual
sins, we must choose to trust God, instead of ourselves.
What ways are you trusting in self instead of having faith in God?
Application Question: How do we increase our faith, our trust in God?
1. Our faith grows by hearing and studying by the Word of God.
Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (KJV). By getting
in the Word, we start to build our faith. We give fire to our faith logs so it can grow into a greater flame. If
you are not in the Word, your faith will be weak.
2. Our faith grows by prayer.
When Christ told the disciples that they must forgive a person every time he sinned against them, they
cried out, Lord increase our faith (Lk 17:5). Similarly, one of the ways our faith grows is by prayer.
3. Our faith grows by being around a community of faith.

Proverbs 13:20 says, He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. The
wisest thing anybody can do is trust God (cf. Psalm 14:1). When walking around truly wise people, your
faith will naturally grow. Their faith will challenge yours. Are you walking with the wise or with fools who
dont trust God or live for him?
In order to conquer habitual sins, we must start to live in faith. When we sin, we are not trusting in God but
in self.
Application Question: In what ways are habitual sins rooted in a lack of faith? What ways is God
challenging you to grow in faith?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Learn From Gods Discipline

Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For
a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, She is my sister. Then Abimelech
king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
Genesis 20:1-2
When God allowed Abrahams wife to be taken by Abimelech, I believe this was a form of Gods
discipline to train Abraham to do what is right. No doubt, Abraham lied about his wife because he
thought that if somebody wanted to marry her, they would negotiate with him, her brother, giving them time
to escape. However, this would only be true, if the king didnt take her. This was probably his logic in
Egypt as well. No doubt, this time he was thinking, That will never happen again. Clearly, God is
disciplining Abraham so he can learn to be righteous.
Hebrews 12:7-8 says,
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his
father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate
children and not true sons.
God disciplines everybody who is a son, if we are without discipline then we are not sons of God.
But, the reason God disciplines his children is not to punish them. It is always to train them to do what is
righteous. Listen to what Hebrews 12:10-13 says:
Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good,
that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on,
however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that
the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Abraham was disciplined in Egypt, when he lied about his wife. God allowed Pharaoh to take her. No
doubt, this left Abraham in a great deal of mourning and repentance until God delivered her.
However, Abraham never learned from his sin, so he had to repeat the discipline.

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The writer of Hebrews said that discipline produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who
have been trained by it (v.11). Discipline should always make us more holy and make us have more
peace. However, when a person is not properly trained by discipline or trials that God allows, it can
actually maim them. They can become spiritual cripples. Thats why God says, strengthen your feeble
arms and weak knees so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed (v. 12-13).
Some people actually leave trials and discipline with a great anger at God, a great anger at people
instead of more peace. They leave the trial saying, I will never trust again. I will never love again. They
leave with a lot of spiritual baggage that hinders them, sometimes for the rest of life. But others leave
the most horrible situation loving people more, loving God more, and trusting more. The discipline produced
a harvest of righteousness and peace in their lives.
When Abraham lost his wife, no doubt, this was a discipline of God. It was meant to train him so he
could become more holy and more like the man God had called him to be.
Are you being trained by your trials, by the discipline that God allows? Or are you becoming more
bitter, more fearful, less trusting, and less godly?
Application Question: What ways have you seen or experienced trials or discipline that produced a harvest
of righteousness and also ones that crippled people? How can we learn from these trials instead of
becoming disabled by them?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Recognize Gods Graciousness

But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, You are as good as dead because of
the woman you have taken; she is a married woman. Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said,
Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, She is my sister, and didn't she also say,
He is my brother? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands. Then God said to him in the
dream, Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.
That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for
you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die.
Genesis 20:3-7
The next thing we see in this narrative is that after Abimelech takes Sarah as his wife, God appeared to him
in a dream. In the dream, God told Abimelech that he would die and, essentially, so would his people
because he had married Abrahams wife. Part of this curse was that nobody in Abimelechs house could
bear children (cf. Gen 20:18).
Abimelech, immediately, began to rationalize with God. Will you kill an innocent man? Did not
Abraham tell me that she was his sister? God agrees and says that it was because of his innocence
that the Lord had kept him from touching Sarah. God told the king that Abraham was a prophet, for him to
return Sarah, and, that when Abraham prayed for him and his house, they would be healed.
What must stand out in this narrative is the grace of God. Abraham had sinned, but God keeps him
from the full consequences of his sin. And now, instead, Abimelech was the one suffering. It almost

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seems unfair. However, Abraham was a child of God, and even in his failures, the Lord, his shepherd, was
still protecting and having mercy on him.
In fact, we see even more of Gods graciousness throughout the rest of the narrative. When Abimelech
restored Sarah, he gave Abraham sheep, male and female slaves, a thousand shekels of silver (v. 14-16).
Abraham became wealthier after his failure. God even used Abrahams failure to bless him. There is
Gods grace upon Abraham even in his failure. However, God graciousness, even in Abrahams failure,
was meant to make him repent.
Sadly, the graciousness of God to his children is often used as a motivation to sin. I remember
talking to a person I was counseling who was struggling with some rebellion in his life. He admitted that he
was not as concerned about coming back to God, because he knew that God would forgive him.
Sadly, this is all too common. Part of it, is wrong understanding of God. These people see God as a
gracious God, which is true, but they have no understanding of God as a God of wrath and
discipline.
However, even more, it is a wrong understanding of Gods grace and mercy. Its cheap grace. Gods
grace should not be a motivation to sin, but it should be a motivation to not sin. Listen to what Paul said in
Romans 2:4: Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing
that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
He said that the goodness of God should draw men to repentance, not into further sin. Yes, God
maybe patience with us while we are in rebellion and in sin. He may not allow us to feel the full weight of
consequences for our failure because of his graciousness, but this is meant to draw us closer to him in
repentance, not farther away.
In order to conquer habitual sins, we must realize Gods grace. Gods graciousness on Abraham was
meant to make him repent, not encourage further rebellion. But with that said, Gods grace is not
unlimited. Remember what God said to the people living on earth before the flood in Genesis 6:3, Then
the LORD said, My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and
twenty years. God essentially says, My grace is up. You only have one hundred and twenty years
left before destruction.
How do you respond to Gods grace? When you sin and then confess, God forgives you. And, you can
be sure that God many times protects you from the full consequences of your rebellion. He even uses
your sin for your good in some way or another (cf. Rom 8:28). Does that motivate you to stay in your
sin and show contempt for his grace? Or does his grace motivate you to change, to fight to be rid of
your sin?
Gods grace should draw us to repentance.
Application Question: Have you experienced people whose understanding of grace is cheap, provoking
them to continue in sin instead of causing them to repent? How do we get rid of this cheap grace
mentality?

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In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Know Who We Are to God

Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not
return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die.
Genesis 20:7
One of the things that is interesting about Gods reply to Abimelech is that he calls Abraham a prophet,
even though he was the one lying. God does not speak of him on the basis of his sin, but on the basis
of what God had called him to be. While Abraham was living in Ur, worshiping the idols of his fathers,
God called him to be someone who spoke for him. God would minister to Abraham in ways that others
would not experience, and Abraham was called to be a blessing to the nations. Even though Abraham
blew it many times, it didnt change who he was before God.
We see this often in Scripture, when Israel is being oppressed by the Midianites, God approached a man
named Gideon, who was hiding from the Midianites, and called him a mighty warrior (Judges
6:12). This comment didnt make sense. He was hiding. God then called him to save Israel and Gideon
came up with many excuses. He said, My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am least in my family
(Judges 6:15). See Gideon had a different view of himself than God did.
And this is the very reason many of us cannot break certain besetting sins. We feel that the sin is too
great; we have fallen too much; we cannot conquer it. We have a certain view of ourselves that does
not agree with what God says about us and about that sin. Much of studying the Scriptures is really
learning about who we are now that we are saved, now that we are in Christ.
It is important for us to know this so we can begin to conquer sin. I have, no doubt, that when
Abimelech approached Abraham about praying that he was a little surprised. Abraham was walking in
the flesh and thinking in the flesh. He was not operating on who God said he was and the promises of
God. We often do the same. Listen to what Paul said to the Romans 6:
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We
died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism
into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we
too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also
be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that
the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sinIn the same
way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:1-6, 11
These believers were saying, Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase. Paul said, By no
means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer. He began to teach them who they were in
Christ. Their sin died with Christ, meaning it no longer had power over them. They were raised with
Christ to live a new life. He commanded them in verse 11, Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in
Christ Jesus. Count is a thinking word. He says, You have to think about yourself differently. You
are not the same anymore.

12
This is important to understand because of how Satan many times keeps people bound in sin. He
says to them, You will never be free. You will never be the man of God you have been called to be. He
lies, and they adopt these lies and his thinking. But God says, This is not true. You are my prophet to
the nations. I broke the power of sin in your life on the cross. You have experienced a spiritual resurrection.
You are new. Now walk in this newness. Tell the devil to shut his mouth and stop his lies.
Personally, when I use to have a major battle with lust during my college days, it was coming to an
understanding of Romans 6 that changed this battle into a winning battle. I was duped into believing
the lies that Satan told me. I felt defeated. I felt like there was nothing I could do to be free. Then I
started to realize that the battle was already won. When I was tempted to lust, I literally began to speak
the words of Scripture, That is not me anymore. I am dead to sin. I am alive to Christ. And then I would
pray to be filled with the Spirit.
Similarly, there is the story about Augustine, one of the early church fathers. Before he was saved,
Augustine lived a very promiscuous lifestyle. After his conversion, he came into contact with one of his past
flings. When he saw her, he turned around and began to run away. The lady said, But my love, where I
you going, it is I. However, Augustine replied, I know but it is not I anymore.
This is how it is with each of us as well. We must count ourselves dead to sin but alive to Christ. Like
Abraham, though at times we walk below our calling, we are still Gods prophets and we are the
righteousness of God in Christ. We must continue to count ourselves dead, even if we have just fallen.
We must declare like Augustine, It is not I anymore.
Application Question: How have you experienced defeatist thoughts in your battle against habitual sins?
How can we begin to appropriate who God says that we are, even when we are still struggling with our old
nature?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Be Careful of Fear

Abraham replied, I said to myself, There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me
because of my wife.
Genesis 20:11
While talking to Abimelech, Abraham shared why he lied. He said, I said to myself, There is surely no fear
of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. The implication was that Gerar was a very
ungodly place, and therefore, Abraham became afraid. He thought they would take his wife and so he
had her lie about their relationship. Yes, they were really brother and sister, as they had different
mothers. However, the intent was to deceive.
This is a common doorway to sin. In fact, fear is both a result of sin and a catalyst to sin. If you
remember, after the fall, a new word entered into Adams mind, afraid. After he sinned, he started to
experience fear. Listen to Genesis 3:9-10: But the LORD God called to the man, Where are you? He
answered, I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. When Adam heard
God in the garden, fear made him hide from God. Fear began because of sin, and it also is a catalyst
for it.

13
In the same way, fear still draws us away from God and into sin. We are afraid of what people will
think of us. We are afraid of failure. We are afraid that God doesnt love us or that others dont love us
and this fear commonly leads us away from God and his will into sin.
Abraham was afraid, and therefore, he lied. Adam was afraid, and he hid from God. Fear is a catalyst
for sin. It often incites it. I think that is part of what Peter wants us to understand when he says in 1 Peter
5:8 that Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Why do lions roar? They roar to frighten
and paralyze their prey. After they are paralyzed, the lion can then devour them.
In the same way, Satan works through fear to paralyze and conquer us. Proverbs 29:25 says, Fear of man
will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Often people are led into sin because of fear and then trapped by it, so they cannot be set free. They
say, If I follow God, maybe I will lose everything. If I end this relationship, maybe nobody else will love
me. If I dont cheat on this test, maybe I will fail and not get accepted into grad school. Fear leads us into
sin and it keeps us there. It begins to rule us like slaves.
What is the remedy? How can we break free from fear that enslaves us to habitual sins?
Application Question: How can we be free of fear that enslaves us to sins?
1. We get free of fear by getting to know Gods love more.
1 John 4:18 says, There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with
punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
The more we come to know Gods love, the less we will live in fear. Perfect love drives out fear. When
we are living in fear, it means that we are not living in or acknowledging Gods love. Jesus said to the
disciples when they were worrying about their futures: what they would eat, drink, and wear. Look at the
lilies of the field, how God clothes for them. Look at the birds of the air, how God feeds them. If God cares
for them, wont he care for you? (Matt 6, paraphrase). Christ told the disciples if they really knew how
much God loved them, they wouldnt be so worried.
Wouldnt our fear about the future be removed if we knew how much God loves us? Wouldnt our
fear of how things will turn out be removed if we knew how much God really cares?
Application Question: How do we grow in knowing Gods love?

We grow in knowing this love by being in Gods Word that teaches us about his love and care for
us.
We grow in knowing this love by fostering our relationship with God through prayer.
We grow knowing this love by having godly brothers and sisters who demonstrate his love to us.
We grow knowing this love by having godly brothers and sisters who remind us of it, just as Christ
did for the disciples.

2. We get rid of fear by starting to love others more.

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Part of this perfect love driving out fear has to do with Gods love working through us to love others,
not just knowing Gods love for us. It has been said that love is giving when you dont care what you get in
return. Isnt that what often keeps us from loving? We dont share, we dont care for others because we
are afraid of being rejected or hurt. But, if we just truly loved people then it wouldnt matter what we
got in return. Worldly love is selfish, it cares more about itself than the person or object it supposedly
loves. But Gods love is unselfish. First Corinthians 13:5 says, Love is not self-seeking.
Are you loving others perfectly? If so, it will begin to rid you of fear that often leads us into sin, insecurities,
and strongholds.
3. We get rid of fear by allowing Christs peace to rule in our hearts.
Colossians 3:15 says, Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were
called to peace. And be thankful.
The word rule can be translated decide. It is an athletic word used of an umpire in a competition. The
umpire decides if somebody is safe, if they won, or if they are disqualified. In the same way, instead of
being ruled by fear, we must be ruled by Christs peace. Fear tells us to run away from God, to run
away from others. It drives us towards sin in order to protect ourselves or others. Instead, we must be
ruled by the peace of Christ, which leads us into righteousness. The peace of Christ must decide
our direction.
Application Question: How can we discern where or how the peace of Christ is leading us?
We can ask ourselves these types of questions:

Will going this direction or making this decision bring me more peace with Christ or remove my
peace?
Will going this direction or making this decision bring me more peace with Christs body, believers,
or will it remove my peace?

If this decision does not help me have more peace in my relationship with God, then it is not of him. If it will
cause discord with Christs body of believers, then most likely this is not the right decision.
We must be ruled by Christ and his peace instead of fear. This will help us be set free from habitual sins.
Fear often leads us into sin and keep us there. Instead, we must let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts
and not fear.
Application Question: What types of fear commonly try to rule your heart and lead you into some type of
sin? How have you experienced the peace of Christ? How can we let it rule in our hearts?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Truly Confess Our Sins

Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my
wife.

15
Genesis 20:12
In Abrahams reply to Abimelech about why he lied, he begins to make excuses. He said she really is my
sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother (v. 12). Was Abraham telling the truth?
Certainly. Was it still a lie? Yes. Abrahams intent was to deceive Abimelech, and, now he was trying
to soften his culpability. He was saying, I didnt really deceive you.
However, this very reaction, would only keep Abraham from ever truly being set free. Sadly, we will
see that his son, Isaac, also lied about his wife later in Genesis 26. This would give further evidence
to the possibility that Abraham never got over this stronghold. It just got passed along to his children.
This is true of many Christians. The reason they cant break a certain sin or stronghold is because
they keep rationalizing the severity of it. They say, Oh its not that bad. Everybody else is doing the
same thing. Its not a big deal. Because they keep rationalizing it, they never see how bad it is, which
keeps them from confessing it and getting rid of it. And when they do confess it, they only confess
it half-heartedly.
Listen to what 1 John 1:9 says: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness. To confess in the Greek means to say the same thing as.
Who are we saying the same thing as? We are to say the same thing as God. We must declare that
the sin is despicable and wretched before God. We must say, God I have dishonored you. I have lied. I
have cheated. I have stolen. Lord, forgive me and help me turn away from it.
Many Christians continue to rationalize their sin, instead of saying the same thing God says about it.
They instead say the same thing the world or other compromised Christians would say. Everybody
illegally downloads. Its not really sin. Everybody cheats on their tests. Therefore, they can never get
rid of it and never really be forgiven for it. God forgives those who say the same thing about their
sin that he does.
To God all sin is horrible and wretched. His Son had to die for every sin, and therefore, to him, it is
not a little sin. His Son died because of it. Therefore, it is not light or little to him and we must see it the
same way he does.
Application Question: Why do we so commonly rationalize sin? What types of sins do we commonly
rationalize, and therefore, they continue to linger in our lives?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Choose to Not Blame Others

And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, This is how you can show your
love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, He is my brother.
Genesis 20:13
Another thing we must notice about Abrahams excuse to Abimelech about his lie is the fact that he
blames God. Abraham says, God made me wander from my fathers household (v.13). This may not be
as clear in the English, but, in the Hebrew, it stands out much more. Listen to what one commentator
Donald Barnhouse said about the word wander:

16

There is a terrible meaning in this verb wander which Abraham uses. The Hebrew word occurs
exactly fifty times in Scripture and never in a good sense. It is used of animals going astray,
of a drunken man reeling, or staggering, of sinful seduction, of a prophets lies causing the
people to err, of the path of a lying heart. Six other words are translated wander, any one of which
Abraham might have used, but he used the worst word available. (Barnhouse)5
Essentially, Abraham was saying, God put me in a rough spot, as we wandered from my fathers house,
and I had to protect my family. That is the reason I lied. This is all too common for those who are stuck in
habitual sins. They tend to blame God or others, which just further entrenches them in the sin. God is
the only way out of sin. If you blame the deliverer, what hope is there?
But sadly this happens often. Remember what Adam said to God when the Lord asked him if he had
eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In Genesis 3:12, Adam said, The woman you put
here with meshe gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. By implication, Adam blamed God and
then the woman to lessen his culpability.
Typically, Christians get mad at God and say, Why did you allow this happen? or even, Why did you let
me do this? after they committed some sin. There accusations further entrench them in the sin.
Instead of blaming God, we must declare that he is always good and righteous, our only hope for
deliverance, and confess our sins. That is the only proper response to sin.
Be careful of blaming God and also others. Adam not only blamed God but he also blamed Eve.
Some people can never get free from habitual sins because they are focused on others failures
instead of their own. It is their moms fault. It is their teachers fault. It is the milk mans fault. It is
everybodys fault but their own, and therefore, they stay captive bitterness and sin. Because they are so
focused on the spec in somebody elses eye they cant see the plank in their own eye.
Application Question: What ways have you seen the tendency of mankind to blame God or someone else
for their sin? How does this cripple people and keep them from moving on and being set free?

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Give Ourselves Fully to Doing Gods Will
Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have
children again, for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's
wife Sarah.
Genesis 20:17-18
Finally, I think there is one other thing we can learn from Abrahams struggle with his habitual sin in the
Genesis 20 narrative. When God confronted Abimelech about his sin of taking Abrahams wife, he also
told him that Abraham was a prophet and that he would pray for him and his household, and they
would be healed. It is clear that one of the forms of judgment on Abimelech and his household was
barrenness. No, one could bear children while Sarah was in the kings harem.

17
When God restored Abraham from this sin, he restored him to ministry. It is only by Gods grace that
Abraham had a ministry to Abimelech. Many times when we are in sin, we actually lose our witness
to the world around us. Nobody will listen to us because our sin is as bad or worse than theirs. When
Abraham lied to Pharaoh while in Egypt, there was nothing he could say. He was escorted out of the city.
However, God, by his grace, still enabled Abraham to minister to Abimelech and his home.
With all this said, one of the great deterrents to being trapped in a habitual sin and a way to be set
free is by giving ourselves wholly to doing Gods will. If Abraham had went into Gerar to be a witness
and prophet to the nation, instead of just a sojourner, it probably would have kept him from lying.
Consider what Paul said in Ephesians 5:15-17:
Be very careful, then, how you livenot as unwise but as wise, making the most of every
opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's
will is.
When Paul said Be very careful, then how you live he was warning them about the evil days. When he
says the days are evil. He meant that the time frame that we live in is full of evil and we have a
tendency to fall into this evil. For this reason, we must know what Gods will is and make the most of
every opportunity to do it. Stop wasting time. Get busy doing Gods will because of our tendency to
fall into sin.
It is very interesting considering the story of Davids adultery. Listen to 2 Samuel 11:1-4:
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the
whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in
Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,and David sent someone to
find out about her. The man said, Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah
the Hittite? Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She
had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
The narrator tells us that it was the spring time and that kings usually went off to war. However, David
chose to stay at home this particular spring. This is significant because the kings of Israel were called
to conquer the promised land. Davids call was very similar to Joshuas. He was called to subdue the
promised land in fulfillment of Gods will revealed to Abraham. However, David decides to not lead his
people.
One of the nights that he stayed back, he was restless and went out on his porch and saw a naked woman
bathing. He lusted after her and then committed adultery with her. If David was making the most of his
opportunities by doing the will of God, instead of wasting time, it would have protected him.
How often do we fall into sin or stay stuck in a habitual sin because we are not serving? We are not going
to small group or church. We are not serving others, and therefore, we fall into sin or our struggle
gets worse.
One of the ways we break our strongholds is by focusing on Gods will and doing it. If Abraham had
went into Gerar to be the prophet he was called to be instead of just a sojourner, it probably would

18
have kept him from lying. Similarly, the more we are redeeming our time and using it to do Gods will,
whatever it is, we will be less likely to fall into sin.
1 Corinthians 15:58 says something similar, Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move
you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is
not in vain.
Paul calls this church to stand firm. Standing firm is warfare terminologystanding against the attack
of an oncoming enemy. How do we do this? We stand firm by always giving ourselves fully to the
work of the Lord. We must battle and break habitual sins by always seeking to use our time to serve
God and do his will.
Be careful of free time, wasted time. Those are usually times that Satan will seek to draw us into
sin. We must conquer habitual sins by always seeking to do the will of God.
Application Question: In what ways have you experienced faithfully serving and doing Gods work as a
protection from sin? In what ways have you experienced not being faithful with Gods work as an open door
to fall into habitual sins?

Conclusion
How can we conquer habitual sins in our life?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Recognize What They Are

In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must in Humility Recognize Our Vulnerability
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Stay Away from Potential Temptations
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Recognize that They Always Affect Others
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Choose to Live in Faith
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Learn From Gods Discipline
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Recognize Gods Graciousness
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Know Who We Are to God
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Be Careful of Fear
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Truly Confess Our Sins
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Choose to Not Blame Others
In Order to Conquer Habitual Sins, We Must Give Ourselves Fully to Doing Gods Will

Swindoll, Charles R. (2014-07-16). Abraham: One Nomad's Amazing Journey of Faith (Kindle Locations
2417-2420). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
2 Swindoll, Charles R. (2014-07-16). Abraham: One Nomad's Amazing Journey of Faith (Kindle Locations
2417-2420). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
1

Cole, Steven. Lesson 42, Besetting Sin (Genesis 20:1-18). https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-42-besetting-sins-genesis-20118 accessed 11/17/14.
3

4
5

Guzik, David (2012-12-08). Genesis (Kindle Locations 3331-3334). Enduring Word Media. Kindle Edition.
Guzik, David (2012-12-08). Genesis (Kindle Locations 3377-3383). Enduring Word Media. Kindle Edition.