Ingredients of a “Sin Repellent”

I admit this post might seem strange, but here’s what took me here. My wife and I have flowers around our yard that rabbits love to eat. For that reason, we regularly put deer and rabbit repellent on the blooms. As I was putting stuff on the flowers recently, I thought about what would make a “sin repellent” when temptation hits me (that’s kind of what preachers do — always think about illustrations . . .).

Ultimately, it is the Word of God and the power of God through His Spirit that lead to victory over sin. Jesus modeled for us the power of the Word in temptation (Matt 4:1-11), and the psalmist emphasized that same truth (Psa 119:9-11). The Spirit of God residing in us likewise reminds us of God’s demand that we be holy, points us to the glorious Son of God, and convicts us of sin. Thus, any attempt to fight sin apart from God’s Word and power will ultimately fail. To put it differently, submitting to our glorious God is a non-negotiable step in repelling the enemy.  

On the negative side, here are some ingredients of an effective “sin repellent” that come to mind:

1. Some of the anguish that sin would ultimately produce. We too often fall into sin because we see only the temporary pleasure of disobedience – not the resulting pain of conviction and guilt. I need to remember the latter before I experience it.
2. A look into the eyes of loved ones and friends who would be devastated by my sin. When temptation stares me in the face, I need to remember that none of us sins in isolation. We wound others, too, when we sin.
3. A bit of the grief that would come from bringing shame on the name of Jesus. One of my spiritual heroes, Tom Elliff, prays this prayer among his seven daily prayers: “That I would do nothing that would give the Adversary an opportunity to mock my Lord.” I want to echo that prayer.
4. A sense of the heartache of confession that sin would necessitate. There’s such a difference between thanking God from a position of obedient victory and confessing to Him from a place of disobedient defeat. The latter hurts.
5. The stench of death. After all, that’s what sin does. It kills.

When temptation comes today, may God help us to see His glory and recognize the potential anguish of disobedience. May we run to the Redeemer and push away from sin.