A Step Backward

After experiencing the wonder of the new birth through Jesus Christ—and the peace and hope that come with it—it is difficult to understand why anyone would choose to take a step backward toward the life they once lived.

As I reflect on the “why” behind it, I believe that when a person fails to keep their eyes on Jesus, their spiritual vision can become blurred and unfocused.  Their thinking may begin to justify unwise actions, causing them to become spiritually unstable, like someone standing on sinking sand without a firm foundation beneath their feet.

When a simple glance over one’s shoulder at past pursuits becomes a lingering stare at the life they lived before knowing the Lord, it is time to stop and take notice.  Such a person may be standing on the edge of stepping away from the grace that once set them free from sin.  A shift in desires can slowly impair godly judgment, placing them on dangerous ground.

The truth is, past pleasures can still seem appealing because they once satisfied fleshly desires—if only for a moment.  Yet they never brought anything lasting or fulfilling.  This gradual movement in the wrong direction is known as backsliding, and it rarely happens overnight.  It often begins when a person allows their mind to wander instead of disciplining it to dwell on godly things.

Satan presents enticing distractions that appeal to the senses.  He tempts people to wonder what they might be missing and entices them to touch, taste, listen, look, or indulge “just for a moment.”  But a backward step is already forming on the horizon when we fail to reject what is being presented to our fleshly desires.

Dwelling on past experiences without remembering the heartache and emptiness that accompanied a sinful lifestyle can lead to poor choices and self-justification.  The things of this world can easily entice an undisciplined heart.  When the desire for worldly entertainment outweighs the desire to remain faithful to Christ, it is as though one is trampling underfoot the precious blood Jesus shed on the cross for our redemption.

Yet we need not live in fear or anxiety over these things when we walk in the Spirit.  God gives us the strength to resist temptation when we “present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.”

A step backward does not appeal to believers who continue walking by faith.  Their hope rests in Jesus Christ, who is faithful to sustain us and provide a way of escape in times of temptation so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

In Him, we stand firm whenever Satan attempts to deceive us and lead us astray.  A step backward becomes unthinkable when we are standing upon the Solid Rock—Jesus Christ Himself.  He alone is our sure and steadfast foundation.

Written by,

Papa Boyd