I believe snickers was on to something when they created their ad "You're not you when you are hungry”. The Snicker's corporation was able to identify that humans are not themselves when hungry.
I definitely am not myself when I'm hungry. I hate that void I feel in my stomach. The problem with this is that because of the discomfort, I'm willing to do anything to get rid of this feeling rather than using self-control.
When temptation sets in it's like a growling appetite. No matter how many times you come up to this obstacle you find yourself giving in yet again.
We must not treat sin as we do hunger where all you need to do is feed it to satisfy the desire. The consequences are far too great to give into. Your problem is not a health issue but a heart issue.
Habitual sin is a constant repeat of the same sin. Although you may have intentions to stop, however your patterns can showcase otherwise. Due to familiarity, this can lead to content in the act.
Your fear from God becomes passive and what is hard is that you are fully aware of what is taking place but continue to be drawn towards what we know to be wrong.
So how do you do it? How do you starve something you feed every day?
1. Change must be wanted or yearned for
You must first want to change. You can attempt to do something and never actually do it, but it is the person who yearns for change who executes and put their best foot forward to make a difference.
It all starts from your mind, and your intellect. If you speak to yourself from there your action will follow.
"Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. "(Romans 12:2)
2. Pray
"Pray without ceasing." (Thessalonian 5:17)
Leave no cracks, wholes or openings for the enemy to sneak in. Pray constantly. You are at war and you have a patient adversary. He will wait patiently for your defenses to go down to attack you.
Put on the WHOLE armor of God and pray and fast. Even after sinning, pray. Everything in you may not want to pray simply out of guilt, but God sees your broken spirit and contrite heart.
My ability to pray in my fall helped me to shift my desires to God and began to build intimacy.
3. Stop feeding it
This step is easier said, than done. It is not easy to stop something that has now been second nature to you. However, you still must refrain from feeding it.
The less and less you do something the less you have an appetite for it. You may have not completely given it up but your efforts count.
Imagine having a plant you water every day. Once you begin to go days without watering it, it slowly begins to die because the less you give to it the closer it is to withering away.
You will HUNGER GREATLY for it at times, but show will power. Your strength comes from the Lord. Psalm 121:2
4. Figure out your WHY
Why do I want to stop?, Why is it beneficial?, and Why is it wrong? Figure out your why. You want to know these things because your why will be your strength to recovery.
If your why is great enough it will be greater than your knockdown and you will figure out your how. Just like you should know you need to change you must also know why. Your why will give you the push necessary to keep fighting.
5. Do not wrestle
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)
Who are you fighting here, majority of the time you are not battling a physical being but a spiritual one. There are powers in the darkness of this world pulling us into sin.
That's why most of the time we sin in darkness, there is familiarity in the dark cause that's where sin is birthed.
Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 6:18 "to FLEE. Don’t wrestles with sin FLEE from it."
When Joseph was being tempted by Potiphar's wife he fled. You are not a coward if you run; you are doing what is necessary to get out of the situation safe. God makes a way out of temptation for everyone. 1 Corinthians 10:13.
6. Use fighting Words
If you have ever been in fight you know a fight begins with words. Words are used to provoke a fight and show you mean business.
Use the Bible to generate fighting words against the enemy. Get your bullets ready to shoot, gather your scriptures to be ready to speak against the enemy. "Life and death is in the power in the tongue." Give life unto your tongue and fight for your freedom.
7. Replace with nutrients
Now that all the fatty stuff is being removed from your diet it's time to replace it with good nutrients
"You have to feed on the word of God. Develop a hunger and thirst after Righteousness." But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
For Christ is the bread of life, he said if you go to him you will no longer hunger or thirst anymore. Don't believe deliverance is through your works alone. It is by His strength that you are made whole.
Don't try to get right by yourself then go to God. You go to God, so you can get right. None of this, is on your own merits; it will be God who will continue to help you through this journey to recovery. If you need to cut out TV, or social media, do it, you know your triggers. Do what is necessary to STAY AWAY.
8. Will you be my B-U-D-D-Y?
Find an accountability buddy. PSA: Don't be in complete solitude! The enemy is waiting to get you alone. DON'T DO IT! Find a good friend in Christ to help keep you away from temptation.
The enemy loves, loves, loves, people who are not transparent. If you speak to no one about it, no one is getting saved and that includes you.
Find a counselor or someone who overcame your struggle let them pour into your life and help you grow stronger. The bible says, "Sharper knives sharpen knives"; find a good pair of sharp people that can help you. Don't be ashamed, because no one is perfect . God is calling, you to overcome and you can do it.
Paul said I die daily, he made a declaration to no-longer feed his spiritual man garbage. he starved himself from the unsavory taste of sin. Let's hunger for God and starve our sin to death.