Philippians 2:13 …for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Have you ever tried to break a bad habit in your life?
I grew up as a Christian with the teaching that I was responsible for dealing with bad habits in my life – and the truth is we cannot. Jesus reveals the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41) and Paul says don’t put any confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3).
Paul also says the “Law” (producing our own righteousness through our own moral living) was sent so that sin may abound even more (Romans 5:20). In other words, the Law was never meant to make you morally righteous, it was to reveal your inability to produce righteousness through your own efforts and to see the need for a Saviour.
And when it comes to dealing with bad habits, your flesh cannot do it. The best thing you can do with bad habits is to say “Lord I cannot, but you can”. This is the posture that allows the grace of God to go to work in you.
It says that “God works in you…”. it's by the power of His Grace. His grace is the key.
When you hand that bad habit or temptation over to God and believe that God is the One who works within you, you don’t need the willpower to overcome it - the grace of the Lord Jesus will dissolve that thing from your life!
I hand my weaknesses over the Lord two ways:
1. During the time of testing or weakness, I say “Lord I cannot but you can”.
2. Establishing a routine of praying in the Spirit has been significant for me – it literally dissolves the wrong desire within me. Maybe you have tried fighting an uncontrollable urge or temptation – all this does is cause you to think more about the habit or the temptation – it actually intensifies. But looking to God and handing that issue over to Him positions you to receive grace in your time of need.
I know people who have overcome all sorts of habits from smoking and excessive drinking all the way through to hard drug addictions through the power of the Holy Spirit and His grace. This is where the power of the gospel is so attractive to the world.
Philippians 2:13 says that God works in you to give you “the will” and “the ability” to perform what He desires. It's not through your willpower or own abilities, it's through His grace!
Rest in the knowledge that God is the One who is at work within you. Declare daily, “Lord I cannot, but you can”.