Fresh Anointing for Overcoming Temptation and Sin

As I was preparing this exhortation, I toyed with the tense of the title. 

I wanted to change it to Fresh Anointing to Overcome Temptation and Sin which is  present tense, grammatically. 

This suggests that the anointing is a continuous and currently accessible power or provision for believers. It emphasizes the ongoing and immediate availability of the Holy Spirit's empowerment to help individuals resist temptation and live in freedom from sin. The use of "fresh" further implies a renewal or continual refreshment of this divine enablement. 

That is great. But I was convicted to keep it as it was given to me originally, recognizing really that they are both saying the same thing. 

The battle of temptation and sin rages on and we will not be able to fully overcome temptation and sin until we are made perfect when Jesus returns. 

This is supported in scripture. 1 John 3:2-3: "Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure."

Of course this does not mean we are perfect in the sense of being without fault or sin. Rather, it refers to a continual striving for holiness and moral purity, actively seeking to live in alignment with God's will, despite our imperfections.

So what then? Family, we must continue to invoke the Holy Spirit for fresh anointing regularly, several times a day, for fresh anointing to overcome for that moment, and the next and the next, until we are totally delivered from the bondage of sin - when Jesus Christ returns.

Romans 8:21-23 (NLT) says “The creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.”

In the meantime, we invoke fresh anointing for overcoming temptation and sin, because:

1. The Spirit’s Anointing Strengthens Believers to Resist Temptation

In Matthew 4:1-11, we see when Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, was led into the wilderness and He was tempted by the devil. Despite the challenges, Jesus stood firm, resisting each temptation by relying on the Word of God. 

Let’s read the scripture: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” 7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” 8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

This account demonstrates how the anointing of the Holy Spirit is available to provide the strength we need to overcome temptation. We do not have to bow, we do not have to give in, we do not have to yield. 

Yes, most times it’s hard, but we do not fight alone. The Holy Spirit is our Helper, empowering us to resist the enemy’s schemes. We have been given, by Jesus Christ Himself, a model of victory when we rely on God’s truth.

We invoke fresh anointing to overcome temptation and sin, because:

2. Fresh Anointing Helps Break the Chains of Sin so we can Live in Freedom

Isaiah 10:27: “In that day the Lord will end the bondage of his people. He will break the yoke of slavery and lift it from their shoulders.”

We have heard this saying often: the anointing breaks the yoke. What does that mean?

A "yoke" refers to a heavy burden or oppression, often symbolizing the control or domination of one over another. The "anointing" symbolizes the presence and power of God, often associated with the Holy Spirit, which brings deliverance, freedom, and empowerment. So when it is said the anointing breaks the yoke, it is a reference to God's power and presence having the ability to break the burdens or oppression in one's life, setting us free from whatever is holding us back or enslaving us. 

Family, this fresh anointing from the Holy Spirit empowers believers to overcome habitual sins, those sins that so easily beset us, the sins we do off the cuff and think well nothing is really wrong with that, that’s what fresh anointing is needed for in this case. To help us to live in the liberty that Christ offers, to break those chains and help us to walk in the fullness of God’s grace.

The 3rd point is that fresh anointing for overcoming temptation and sin will empower us to walk in the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16 (NLT): “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”

This scripture underscores the importance of walking in the Spirit to avoid fulfilling the desires of the flesh. So, it will be no longer what Angela wants to do because it sounds good, feels good, looks good, it will be always  living according to God’s will, resisting fleshly desires. 

All of us can substitute our names there, because this spiritual empowerment is essential for all of us to live a victorious Christian life. And how do we do that? By righteousness and obedience to God, according to Romans 6:16: "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."

Finally, #4, the anointing reminds us as believers of our identity in Christ, giving us confidence to overcome.

Again, here we have an opportunity through this ministry to overcome shyness and be bold soldiers for the Lord. We can deepen our Bible Study patterns, share with like minded Family here, and as a result grow in Christ in 2025.

Scripture reminds us that victory over temptation and sin comes through faith. This assurance empowers us to face every challenge, knowing that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.

1 John 5:4-5: “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Romans 6:14: “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.”

1 Corinthians 10:13: “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

Romans 8:37: ”No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."

Hebrews 4:15-16: “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

aub - 21Jan25

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