05/16/2026
Why is it so hard to stop doing things we know are wrong? Seems like it would be a piece of cake because we want to please God, we know what all He has done for us, and we understand (from our limited human wisdom at least) the endless love He has for us. So why is it so hard sometimes to say “no” to sin?
I don’t know! If you do, please share.. A few observations may help us understand somewhat better, but still can’t explain why we sin, all the while God is gently reminding us we should not.
I’m not talking about people who live lives of sin. I’m talking about people who know God, and desire genuinely to live for Him, yet have trouble letting go of certain things that they know are sinful. Maybe something you struggled with before coming to Christ, or, something that you have allowed to take up residence in your heart after you became a Christian.
If you look any at all into what causes habitual things, ‘the experts’ will quickly focus on how we are wired in our brains. In looking at some facts on habitual behavior as I wanted to write about this today, one author said more or less that instead of relying on conscious thoughts, habits operate on autopilot. The neuroscience behind that is that in our brains, “habits follow a three-step neurological loop: a cue (trigger), a routine (behavior), and a reward. The brain links these together, making the behavior automatic.”. That’s great as we drive a car, but not as we fight sin, yet maybe that helps us understand one of many reasons we repeat our behavior so easily, it’s easier on our brain than thinking something new through.
Science also ties this, and all behavior to some degree, to dopamine releases in our brains. I won’t even attempt to explain what I read about that, but summed up in the article was that the chemical releases in our brain support the cravings of our desires/thoughts, making them even more reinforced as habits each time we do them. Yeah, over my head too, other than the more we do it, the more accepting our brain is of it, and processes it easier.
My article is much shorter and less informative than the one I read, probably good for you and me both, but there were a few points I derived from it. First, some things tend to worsen our attempts to modify our behavior, like stress, boredom, time of day, location, and present company. I think I could see where these would come into play. The suggestion of having a healthier routine when issues arise make sense, albeit easier said than done. But such plans for when the brain gets a trigger are said to help re-train the brain, and alter the dopamine responses.
Scripture also helps us. I think, my opinion, is that the bottom line-where the rubber meets the road is our devotion and love for God. Yes, we have to learn to develop that, and maybe that’s exactly what the above was suggesting. Good behavior can become habit just like bad behavior. I’ve pondered this thought, that if we truly did love God with everything we have (all our hearts, souls, minds and strengths) we all could fight sin like a valiant warrior, killing it. We would discipline ourselves leaving no room for sin in our hearts.
The Bible, full of the help we need, gives us the answers to fight sin. A few of those include telling us not to run with the bad crowd, not to be a drunkard, not to be lazy, not to give in to idle time or gossip, not to lie, cheat or steal, and it’s packed full of things to do to love God and serve His people and warnings of what to avoid. It warns against idolatry, immorality, worldliness, lusts, and the pursuit of dishonest gain, just to name a few.
My recommendation if you are facing the giants of sin, and all of us are to some degree, is to spend more time around people who will have a Christ like influence on you, pray often and make that a frequent habit, spend time in the Word, work on converting questionable habits into productive ones, and limit worldly influence even if they are not sinful in and of themselves. Being consumed with anything, sinful or not, can overtake us, and prevent or at least hinder our devotion to God. Remember that God lives inside of us, His Spirit is always with us. Temptation will come, we can’t hide from it, but having our plan for it ahead of time will drastically affect how we deal with it, rewiring our brain in preparation for when it gets the sinful trigger.
And when all that is said and done, we will still sin from time to time. Fight it. Wrestle with it. And remember, if we are in Christ, His grace will cover our sin, but we need to remind ourselves that His grace isn’t a license to sin.
