How do we deal with memories of past sins?

How does one break free from plaguing thoughts about past sins? The fact of the matter is that everyone has fulfilled the desires of the flesh, and of the mind. As a result, people are plagued by the memory of sins they have committed. However, there is a key that is a sure cure for healing from these wounds.

We are saved by the Word of truth. In Jesus the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) When He spoke, His words were so powerful that evil spirits had to flee.

When you hear God’s Word, the Spirit of truth brings it right into your heart. If you obey this Word, the Word of God, the Word of truth, then it becomes flesh in you as well, and His Word abides in you.

The Word is the seed, God’s seed. (Luke 8:5-15) And when that remains in you, then you cannot sin. (1 John 3:9) So what you have to do, and keep doing, is to keep the Word of God in your heart. Allow it to sink down into that good ground, and then it will grow and bear fruit. When you are obedient to the Word of truth, so that it becomes flesh in you, then you’ll get a whole new thought life, so that you’re finished with the things that plague you, and those evil memories of sin.

That’s why you have to fill your heart with God’s Word. Then you are like a mighty fortress where the enemy cannot penetrate. And you have ammunition, and you have help, and you can strike back at the enemy.

You can see how Jesus took it when the devil tempted Him out in the wilderness. He fought back with the Word of God! The devil came in such a cunning and crafty way, and also used the Word of God, but Jesus fired back at him, because He was the Word of God! The Word of God had become flesh in Him, and therefore He had that kind of power. And the devil has to retreat when those words are spoken; those are the eternal words of God. Words that save us. There is a creating power in those words. And it will also create something entirely new in your heart when you believe in the Word and you stick to the Word. Then it will succeed fully and completely for you. And you’ll come to an entirely new life, a completely new way of thinking, where God works in you so that you long for and you do His will.

This article is inspired by a talk by Kaare J. Smith on February 7, 2018.