How to Stop Sinning
"How do I stop sinning?" "I keep doing things I know I shouldn't do." "I want to stop, but I don't know how to do it?" "I've tried accountability groups, focusing on God's commandments, going to church, and a number of other things, but I can't seem to stop."
Does this sound familiar? We know certain things aren't good for us. We know they don't honor God. We don't want to do them, but we find ourselves doing them anyway. We try to learn how to avoid sin, and we try what we hear in church or from others online, but it never seems to truly work.
Is there anything we can do? Or are we just poor old sinners who are saved by grace?
The answer might surprise you: the key to stopping sin isn't trying harder—it's understanding who you really are.
The Revolutionary Truth: You Are Not a Sinner Saved by Grace
Here's a truth that you must understand if you want to stop sinning: if you've placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you are not a sinner saved by grace. You are a saint who sometimes sins.
The apostle Paul consistently addresses believers as "saints"—not as an aspirational title, but as a statement of reality. This isn't just flowery language. It's your new identity.
If you believe that you are just a poor old sinner saved by grace, then you believe that your identity is that of a sinner. The most natural thing for someone whose identity is that of a sinner is to sin! If you want to stop sinning, you must know and believe that you are a saint who sometimes sins.
Understanding Your Transformation: From Sin Nature to Godly Nature
You are a saint because you know longer have a sin nature. Before Christ, you had a sin nature. Paul describes this in Ephesians 2:1-3—you were "dead in your transgressions and sins," living according to "the cravings of our flesh." Sin wasn't just something you did; it was who you were at your core.
But Jesus came to fix this fundamental problem. Through His finished work on the cross, He defeated the power of sin and death. When you placed your faith in Him, you didn't just receive forgiveness—you received the Holy Spirit and were born again with a completely new nature.
As Peter explains in 2 Peter 1:3-4:
"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life... he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption."
You have God's spiritual DNA at the core of your being. You are no longer defined by sin—you are defined by your union with Christ.
Why Traditional Sin Management Fails
Most approaches to overcoming sin focus on behavior modification rather than identity transformation. Accountability groups often center on what you're not supposed to be doing, asking week after week: "Did you commit these specific sins?"
But focusing on rules and restrictions ignites what Paul calls "indwelling sin in our flesh." As he explains in Romans 7:8: "Sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting."
It's like being told not to think about a white elephant—suddenly, that's all you can think about. You can’t focus on “not sinning” and expect to have victory. The law wasn't given to keep us from sinning, but to reveal our sin and our need for a Savior.
The Battle Against Deception: Understanding Satan's Primary Weapon
In our daily lives, we're engaged in a spiritual war against Satan's attempts to rob us of the abundant life God intends. His primary weapon? Lies and deception.
Jesus called Satan "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). When temptation comes, Satan whispers: "This sin will give you something you're lacking. You feel like doing it because it's what's good for you. It will make you feel so alive."
But this is always a deception. The promise of life through sin leads to death and bondage, as James warns: "Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14-15).
The truth is that Jesus is your life. You have everything you need in Him. Whatever Satan is tempting you with is less than what you have in Christ!
Five Biblical Ways to Stop Sinning
Know That You No Longer Have a Sin Nature
This isn't wishful thinking—it's biblical reality. In Christ, you died and have been raised up as someone new. You still have flesh and will deal with temptation in your body and soul, but at your core, you have a new nature that desires godly things.
Count Yourself Dead to Sin
Romans 6:11 tells us to "count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." The word "count" means to consider it to be true. It is true that you are dead to sin, so actually count it to be true about yourself!
We live out of what we believe about ourselves. If you believe you're a poor old sinner, you'll act like one. But when you reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God, you'll begin to live as the new creation you truly are.
Stop Focusing on Laws and Rules
Stop managing sin and start focusing on your identity. Rules-based approaches only increase the desire to break them. The law reveals sin but cannot overcome it.
Set Your Heart and Mind on Christ
Instead of focusing on not sinning, fix your eyes on Jesus. As Colossians 3:1-2 instructs:
"Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is... Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
When your mind is focused on Jesus, He will never lead you to sin—it's impossible. He can't sin.
Recognize the Lies and Replace Them with Truth
Temptation always involves deception. The more you focus on Christ, the more you'll recognize Satan's lies and be able to replace them with God's truth about who you are and what you have in Him.
Standing Firm in God's Armor
Paul's description of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 isn't about fighting for victory over sin—it's about fighting from a place of victory. Each piece represents what Christ has already accomplished:
The Belt of Truth: Jesus is the Truth
The Breastplate of Righteousness: Jesus is our Righteousness
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: Jesus is our Peace
The Shield of Faith: Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our Faith
The Helmet of Salvation: Jesus is the Captain of our Salvation
The Sword of the Spirit: Jesus is the Word of God
Remember: you're not fighting for victory over sin. You are fighting sin from a place of victory. Stand firm in the victory Christ has already won.
The Real Answer to "How Do I Stop Sinning?"
When you embrace your identity as a saint in Christ, those sins that once seemed so powerful begin to lose their grip. This isn't through increased willpower or better accountability—it's through understanding who you really are.
As Ralph Harris puts it in his book, God’s Astounding Opinion of You:
"As God increasingly wins you over to His way of thinking about you, you'll increasingly live as you really are because you'll know who you really are."
Satan knows these truths about your identity, which is why he works so hard to keep you focused on sins, failures, and past mistakes. But the solution isn't more sin management—it's focusing on Christ and what He's accomplished.
Moving Forward in Freedom
Does this mean you'll be perfect? Of course not. But it means you don't have to live completely defeated. If you do fail and step into sin, His grace is there to meet you. Then you renew your mind to the truth of who you are in Christ, focus on Him, and keep going.
Stop defining yourself by your worst moments. You are not a sinner saved by grace—you are a saint, holy and beloved, who occasionally sins. Jesus has already won the victory over sin and death.
Live in the victory He has purchased for you. Live from your true identity. Live as the saint you really are.
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