5 Steps to Develop an Unshakable Faith and Protect Yourself From Sin

Life is full of pits. Some pits come as a trial. Some are the result of a crisis. Some pits come as a shelter from the storm. The pits in life help us learn, grow, and cultivate an unshakable faith. But some pits come from our sin - a sin we refuse to relinquish, a sin we love and cherish.

How can we avoid this kind of pit? In Proverbs, we find five ways to prevent these pits and develop an unshakable faith.

Proverbs 4:23-27 (NCV)

23 Be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life.

24 Don't use your mouth to tell lies; don't ever say things that are not true.

25 Keep your eyes focused on what is right and look straight ahead to what is good.

26 Be careful what you do, and always do what is right.

27 Don't turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths.

First step: Guard your thoughts.

Proverbs 4: 23, "Be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life."

Our thoughts dictate the direction of our lives. The fiercest battlefield of life is the mind, and we are constantly at war for its control. Why? Because if we want to live right, we must think right. Our thought lives impact the way we live.

Everything we do or say originates with a single thought. If truth fills our minds, our lives will reflect that truth.

Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!"

"Fixed" literally means "loyal or faithful." It is the same kind of faithfulness found in the marriage vows. We need to be loyal to the truth of God.

I discovered a simple but powerful way to direct my thoughts to God and His truth constantly. Praise music. Scripture-filled praise music. I began playing praise music 24/7 in our home. Sometimes it was just in the background, but when one of my favorite songs came on, I often turned up the volume and sang at the top of my lungs. I soon noticed how much singing God's words back to Him lifted my spirit and filled my thoughts with joy.

The result of faithfulness to the truth of God is peace in our lives. But if our mind is not filled with truth, the enemy will pollute our thought life with lies. Satan is a liar and the Prince of Pollution!

John 8:44 "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (NIV)

Polluted minds produce polluted lives. Pollution of the mind can only happen with our permission. The best way to prevent mind pollution is to run our thoughts through the purification system of God's truth.

The word of God reprograms the brain. The primary weapon in mental warfare is the deliberate deposit of God's word into the mind. What we allow to dwell in our minds will always work its way out in our lives.

We must set our minds and then guard that setting. It's the idea of placing a sentry at the entrance of the mind and giving him the power to determine what comes in and what doesn't.

We lived in South Florida for over twenty years. Ships from all over the world docked in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Before they could dock, an inspection team boarded each boat to ensure there was nothing contaminated. When that inspection team gave the ship a clean bill of health, the vessel was allowed to dock. We must use the same approach regarding what we allow to dwell in our minds.

We are quick to give custody of our minds away to lesser things, wrong desires, or careless thoughts. If it is going on in our minds, it is real. To avoid the pits in life, we need to guard our thoughts.

Second step: Guard your words.

Proverbs 13:3 "Whoever controls his mouth protects his own life. Whoever has a big mouth comes to ruin." (GWT)

Words are power tools! In the right hands and used correctly, words can build beautiful things. But in the wrong hands or misused, words can destroy.

Our minds can go blank, but we must remember to turn off the sound. The eyes may be the soul's windows, but that doesn't mean that the mouth is the door to the brain. But, if God is not in control of our words, He is not in control of our life. The simple fact is that we will be held accountable for every word we speak.

Years ago, I was sick with what I had diagnosed as stomach flu. After four days of being ill, I decided it was time to go to the doctor. She began her examination by asking me to stick out my tongue.

"Why is that always the first thing doctors do?" I asked. I didn't expect an answer, but she surprised me. "Mary, the tongue's health is a strong indicator of how healthy the whole body is."

If there is something wrong with our words, there is something wrong with our hearts.

Matthew 12:34-35 "The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart. Good people have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things. But evil people have evil in their hearts, so they say evil things." (NCV)

When Jesus Christ is the Lord of the heart, He is the Lord of the lips. Therefore, to avoid the pits of life, we need to guard our mouths.

Third step: Guard your eyes.

Proverbs 4:25 "Keep your eyes focused on what is right and look straight ahead to what is good."

Outlook determines the outcome. We need to set our sights on what is right and good. Notice this verse says the right way is always right in front of us – easy to see, find, and follow. Really?

Then why am I always falling into some pit or crying out to God for direction? One reason is that I entertain distractions, or as the psalmist calls them – worthless things.

Psalm 119:37 "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." (NIV)

Sin will keep you from the truth, or the truth will keep you from sin. Not only do we turn away from what is worthless, but we turn to what is worthy.

Satan knows he has won the battle if he can control the mind. The battle of the mind is won by controlling and filtering what we set before our eyes.

Psalm 101:3 "I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar." (NLT)

"Vile" means "evil one or troublemaker." Anything that is not feeding mental truth is depleting mental truth and originates with Satan himself. If it is not of God, it will numb you to what is of God.

We once lived in a small, rural community where cows were familiar neighbors, and lost cows were common. How do cows get lost?

The cow starts nibbling on a patch of green grass. When it finishes that patch, the cow looks ahead to the next patch of green grass. At some point, the cow nibbles on a patch of grass next to a hole in the fence. The cow then sees the green grass on the other side of the fence. It nibbles on that one, and you can see the problem. The cow nibbles itself into being lost.

We do the same thing. We bury our heads in the pastures of everyday living, make a single wrong choice and look around for another lousy option instead of looking up or straight ahead. Before we know it, we find ourselves at the bottom of a pit, wondering how we got there.

To avoid the pits of life, we must constantly check the focus of our lives by guarding our eyes.

Fourth step: Guard your steps.

We are to be living illustrations of God. That is obedience. God calls us to practice obedience consistently.

Proverbs 3:6-7 "Remember the LORD in all you do, and he will give you success. Don't depend on your own wisdom. Respect the LORD and refuse to do wrong."

Obedience is remembering and choosing God in everything we do. We walk in His steps. We follow the path He has set for us.

We guard our steps and ensure they match God's steps! When an immigrant comes to America, he must first renounce his commitments and allegiance to his former homeland and then pledge 100% allegiance to America. Then and only then will the U.S. Government grant him citizenship.

Some of us have come to Christ. We are citizens of Heaven, but our lives still reek of Hell, our old homeland. Christians are to live like citizens of a future world.

We cannot come to Christ and respond to the world in the same way! Everything changes - our lifestyle, our perspective, our behavior, and our standards must all change.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!" (NCV)

Faithful obedience means that we learn and live out His truth daily. God does not want a season of obedience. He wants a lifestyle of obedience. Obedience to God is impossible outside the power of God.

Our son played football from middle school through college. His position was a fullback. Coaches said he was particularly good at that position. One day I asked him what one important lesson had made him a successful fullback. Jered said, "Most players who carry the ball make the mistake of trying to make their path and end up following the wrong guy. I have blockers whose job is to make a path for me. So, the minute I get the ball, I look for my blockers, watch their feet, and follow their steps right across the goal line."

God has already been where He wants you to go. To avoid the pits in life, guard your steps and make sure they match His.

Fifth Step: Guard your heart.

Proverbs 4:27 "Don't turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths." (NCV)

"Keep away" means "to turn aside or drag from." When we turn our lives to God, He sets our feet on the right road. But to stay on that road requires us to continually choose to run from sin.

Solomon warns us to stay away from evil paths. When we see sin or even the opportunity to sin, we should turn around and run!

We end up in a pit simply because we don't pay attention and take a wrong turn. We pray for God leads us not into temptation, and then we deliberately place ourselves in its path.

Do not give away the control of your mind to anyone but God. There is no holding pattern for the believer. We are either being renewed or consumed. Do not relinquish any more territory to the enemy.

Many of us are sitting in a self-made pit formed by sin that is full of life. The question is, what are we going to do about it?

Mary Southerland is also the Co-founder of Girlfriends in God, a conference and devotion ministry for women. Mary’s books include, Hope in the Midst of Depression, Sandpaper People, Escaping the Stress Trap, Experiencing God’s Power in Your Ministry, 10-Day Trust Adventure, You Make Me So Angry, How to Study the Bible, Fit for Life, Joy for the Journey, and Life Is So Daily. Mary relishes her ministry as a wife, a mother to their two children, Jered and Danna, and Mimi to her six grandchildren – Jaydan, Lelia, Justus, Hudson, Mo, and Nori.