Ephesians 6:10-12
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Because we are in a war, it is important to know two things:
First, know your enemy.
Know his schemes and tricks that he uses against you specifically. Know how he targets you for the purpose of getting you to sin.

Second, know yourself.
Know what your tendencies and triggers are. Know where you are most likely to falter.

Satan wants you sinning for a variety of reasons, but mainly so you are separated from God.

Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

The result is that you stay in the sin loop. We’ll dig deeper into that in a moment

There’s a reason darkness strategizes to get us to sin against God.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

There are no “deals” with God. Sin has a consequence…Romans 6:23 - wages of sin is death. When you sow sinful seeds you get deadly fruit.

Satan wants you stuck in sin because he knows what happens if we get free. He knows what is on the other side of repentance and forgiveness.

Repentance: Acts 3:19
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out

Forgiveness: 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God promises us he’ll forgive us if we confess and repent. That is GREAT news! But here is the big idea today that you need to grasp:

Forgiveness is a promise, but God has something FAR bigger for us than having to constantly be forgiven. Will God forgive sin? Absolutely, but God’s plan for us is far bigger than sinning and forgiveness.

Too many people have made forgiveness the main thing. What can be bigger than forgiveness?

Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

John 14:12-13
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

God has a bigger plan than forgiveness and your purpose is so much greater than just a constant cycle of sin and forgiveness.

Satan’s plan was you in a sin loop. God’s plan was you empowered fulfilling purpose.

Believe it or not, you were not created to live forever in sin loops where you sin and ask for forgiveness, and sin and ask for forgiveness, over and over again.`

Jesus said: “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do.” Does this mean I can never do the works Jesus did if I have sin in my life? That I will never walk in authority and power? No that is not what it means, but sin will minimize the impact.
Sin hits different when you realize that your engagement with sin has negative effects on your purpose.

We may need to stop here and define sin. Remember: Sin is missing the mark - I am trying, I just mess up unintentionally. Iniquity is habitual sin or wickedness, intentional sin.

When you sin, you miss the mark, you are not consciously trading purpose and fruitfulness for temporal pleasure and death. Death is the consequence of sin, but it isn’t as if you woke up that morning and said, “I’m gonna die today baby!”

Iniquity is consciously choosing sin. When you do this, you are choosing to trade authority and power for temporal pleasure.

Evidence:
1 Chronicles 21:8
And David said to God, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly. 30 but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

1 John 3:4-9
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

Let me make some really aggressive statements here:
You can have the results of wickedness or the results of obedience, but you can’t have both. You can have lawlessness or power and authority, but you can’t have both.

You have to see the truth here:
When you willfully choose sin, you are willfully forfeiting power and authority.

Why is that such a big deal?
Because you were not made for a sin loop. You were made to walk in his authority and power, to fulfill purpose, for good works. Made so that people can taste and see that God is good.

So this really just boils down to plain old obedience vs disobedience.
Obedience is alignment with God and his direction.
Disobedience is rebelling against God and his direction.

Obedience conditions me to more sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit which translates into more power and authority (Parable of the Talents, Luke 19). Disobedience conditions me to repeat my typical response to temptation which translates into a continued sin loop where I trade away, yet again, the power and authority I should be walking in.

Who does the devil fear more?
Forgiven but powerless people; or people who walk in the authority and power of the King?

You have to connect the dots here between the sin loop and your destiny.

Proverbs 5:22
The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.

If you want to step across that threshold into the unknown of what God has for you, you have to know that it is going to require you to lay down sin and iniquity

Why? Because a sin loop won’t take you where God’s power and authority are calling you to go.

Remember the big idea here: God has more for you than forgiveness.

So if I am in a sin loop, what do I do?

1. Remember who your master is.
Romans 6:16-18
16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

If you haven’t made Jesus Lord of your life, then there is your first step.
It is as easy as Romans 10:9-10 Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

If you have, then what business does a slave of righteousness have in obeying the master of sin?

John 8:34
Jesus answered them, “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

Romans 6:15
15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!

My point is that you are under no obligation to listen to temptation, to sin, to iniquity! Know now that the only purpose sin has is to get you to trade power and authority for death! Satan comes to kill steal and destroy what God has for you on the other side of the sin loop!

How do I do this?
The moment you hear the voice of the tempter, you make a conscious decision to obey God.
- First you call out to God.
- Second you quote Scripture.
- Third, you change your environment.

You are responsible for your thoughts and actions. You either fill your thoughts with righteousness or unrighteousness. “Yeah but I like that show or song.” God gives you a choice. Unfortunately that choice is a sin loop or a purpose.

Stop sinning. It is important.

2. Get better at embracing God’s Word.
If you want a sure fire way to silence temptation and end the sin loop, it starts with the Word of God.

Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

You want to know the way of escape? THE WORD bro!

Ephesians 6 - The Armor of God
Helmet of Salvation, Breastplate of Righteousness, Loins gird about with Truth, Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, Shield of Faith, Prayer. The Sword is the only offensive weapon God gives us. If you want to fight off temptation, you have to know and USE the Word.

You do not have to be a Bible expert, but you do have to be a Bible user.

3. Actually repent.
Acts 3:19-20
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord

Defined biblically, this is more than forgiveness, but it is the act of turning away from sin. This is the abandoning of both evil action AND evil intent. To repent is to turn away from a sin or iniquity and to not do it again.

Theo Von was recently talking about asking God to forgive him knowing that he will probably do that sin again, and how broken that made him feel.
He physically felt in that moment the pain of the sin loop. "God, even as I pray to you right now, there’s a part of me that knows I’m gonna do that behavior again. So can you come into that part of me and help me there?” He didn’t wallow in the shame or try to manipulate God through false contrition. He didn’t even refuse to pray or stay away from God over it. He asked for help in the space sin loops lived the most.

Ask yourself a very blunt question here:
Are you repenting or are you just saying sorry? And one more: are you asking for help or are you just trying to fix it on your own?

4. Want power and authority more than forgiveness.
This one may seem selfish and greedy, but it isn’t at all. Why did God save you? I know I already read Ephesians 2:10, but let’s read the lead up, too:
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The reason you should want more power and authority is not to use it for selfish things, but to use it to move the Kingdom, to see the lost saved, to see orphans become sons and daughters, to help people know God, for the good works he made us for! NOTICE - sin loops was not an option in that list!

What do you want more?
To stay in the sin loop? Or walking in the power and authority God created your to walk in?

So how do I respond today?

If you believe in your heart you are off the sin loop and are walking in power and authority, praise God, then ask the Lord for more so you can do more.

If you believe you are in a sin loop right now, I want to read a verse to encourage you.

Psalm 51:7-12
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Here’s what we do: let’s get off the sin/forgiveness treadmill.

JESUS FIRST - I confess Jesus as Lord and believe he dies and rose again. I repent. Save me.

CONFESSION SECOND - God I confess my sin to you

REPENTANCE THIRD - More than a sorry, I turn away from my sin

RECEIVE FORGIVENESS FOURTH - God I receive your forgiveness and mercy

GET HELP FIFTH - Whether it is more of the Word or enlisting someone to keep you accountable, tell somebody and let them help you.

Sin is a death sentence, but it does not have the final word.
Let’s get off the sin loop and step into God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

For one more encouragement, here’s what happens after you deal with your sin loop:

Psalm 51:13-14
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

You want to sing of his righteousness instead of crying out for forgiveness?
Here’s your opportunity to get off the sin loop and into his purpose for your life.

Whatever you need to do as a response, now’s the time.

Let’s pray