Victory over sin cannot start from a denial of its existence in your life. It also is no good to generalize about sin: “If I have sinned, please forgive me.”

When you want victory, you first need to make sure you are a born-again Christian. Once you are sure of that, start your confession by naming that sin (or sins) to God and ask His forgiveness. Call the sin by its real name: lust, greed, pride, pornography, theft, drunkenness, envy, etc.

Once it is confessed and you truly desire to forsake it, only then can you have victory. Proverbs 28:13 says: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

God is more than willing to give you the victory you need. Tell Him you need His help and then believe He will give it. He will, but you may need to take some steps to ensure an ongoing victory. For instance, if drinking alcohol is your sin and getting drunk, get the alcohol out of your house. Avoid friends you used to drink with and stay out of bars and clubs.

If there is a problem in the thought life, God can help you with that, too. Listen to this promise in II Corinthians 10:3-5: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Notice that it is not your strength that gets the victory – but it is His weapons and His power behind them. You know the verse in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

When you depend on your own power for victory, it will only be temporary and probably short-lived. God can give you an ongoing victory, but it must be an hour-by-hour dependency.

When an unbeliever comes to God for forgiveness and salvation, God is more than ready to forgive. The unbeliever only needs to come and be repentant in his heart – sorry for the way he or she lived and wanting to change – and trust Christ alone for a complete salvation.

A “complete salvation” (my term) means that once you have believed and received Christ as your Savior, that no more is needed for salvation. You have become a child of God by a new birth and cannot be unborn. Christ paid the full debt for all time and has given you eternal life.

Although sin cannot undo your salvation, willful sin will limit and prevent your fellowship with God. The relationship becomes strained because God has been wronged. Just like when you hurt a friend, you need to admit the wrong and apologize to heal the hurt. God is a Person, and He is holy.

Although He has forgiven you at salvation, it is necessary to confess sins committed against Him often to maintain a close fellowship. Also, when sins are unconfessed and there is a wrong attitude in your heart, it will seem to you like God has left you (although He promised never to leave those who are saved – He. 13:5). It is also impossible to have the power of the Holy Spirit – or His guidance, victory, or blessing – while you are at odds with God and have unconfessed sin in your heart.

Getting things right with God again is simple. Like the text verse above says, you simply need to come before God in prayer, admit the sin and tell Him you are sorry, ask for His forgiveness and you will have it: “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee” (Ps. 86:5).

Be careful to avoid thinking that God will not forgive you – this is one of Satan’s tricks to keep you without joy and without blessing. Also, do not focus on whether you feel sorry enough or not. Confess it like He said, be willing to forsake it, and He will forgive. Believe it.

Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”