Still Struggling With Sin? Something Isn't Wrong With You | Before You Quit #5
Have you ever looked at other Christians and wondered, "Why am I still struggling? Something must be wrong with me"?
In Day 5 of Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done, Rob Skinner addresses the shame, comparison, and imposter syndrome that can make Christians feel as though they're only pretending to have it together.
Everyone else seems happy.
Everyone else seems spiritual.
Everyone else seems to be growing.
Meanwhile, you're still fighting a sin you thought you should have conquered years ago.
Rob knows that feeling.
In this deeply personal chapter, he shares about his own ongoing battle with sexual temptation and impurity. After years of feeling that he had those sins beaten, the rise of the internet, constant access to screens, and increasingly available temptation changed the battlefield.
Eventually, Rob decided to install internet accountability software.
But even doing something healthy brought another emotion:
Shame.
Why should he still need this?
Shouldn't he be beyond this by now?
Drawing from Romans 7:19–24, Rob points to the Apostle Paul's surprisingly candid description of his own internal battle:
He wanted to do good, yet evil was still there.
There was a war going on inside him.
Paul's struggle didn't mean he was a fake Christian. It caused him to recognize how desperately he needed Christ.
And Romans 8:1 provides the hope:
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
In this episode, Rob talks about:
- Why struggling with sin can make Christians feel like imposters
- The danger of comparing your private struggles with someone else's public appearance
- Rob's own battle with sexual temptation and impurity
- Why he chose to use internet accountability software
- The shame we sometimes feel about needing guardrails
- Why baptism doesn't mean the battle with sin disappears
- Paul's struggle in Romans 7
- Why weakness should push us toward Jesus rather than away from him
- Practical guardrails Rob uses in his own life
- Why he now puts his phone "to bed" at 9 p.m.
- The freedom of accepting that righteousness will remain a battle
- Why there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ
If you're tired of fighting the same battle, ashamed of needing help, comparing yourself with other Christians, or wondering whether your struggle means your faith isn't real, Rob wants you to know:
You are not alone.
You don't have to pretend.
You don't have to be ashamed that you need guardrails.
And you don't have to quit.
Let the battle you're fighting turn you toward Jesus for the grace, peace, and help you need.
This is Day 5 of Rob Skinner's Before You Quit series, based on his new book, Before You Quit: Hope for the Christian Who Feels Done.
If you know someone who has drifted away from church or is struggling in their faith, send them this episode or a copy of the book.
Before You Quit is available on Amazon and at RobSkinner.com.
Rob's goal is to inspire you to live a no-regrets life, make this life count, and multiply disciples, leaders, and churches.
