Let go of the past. One of satan’s most effective tactics in making the Church ineffective is to trap Christians with regret over their past. Therefore, they feel unworthy of accepting God’s blessing and plan for their life.
This feeling of regret paralyzes many Christians and they are unable to move further into the life God designed for them. Instead, they hang back, silently trapped in the misery of what they have done.
How do you conquer this? How do you silence the insistent voice of the accuser of the saints? Why is it so hard to let go of the past?
If you would like to know more about who you are as a child of God, here are my other articles that will help you:
You Are God’s Treasure and Deeply Loved Today
Want to Experience God? How to Know You’re Big in God’s Heart
The Past Is Real
Why is it so hard to let go of the past? Why do we find it so hard to rid ourselves of what we have done? How can satan so easily trap us into overwhelming feelings of regret and unworthiness?
The reason is that our past is real. We did those things in the past that we now regret. They are a part of our memories and emotions.
This is why satan can so easily beat us up over the things we have done. We did those things and knew they were wrong.
The past doesn’t have to be what most people call dramatic, such as a life of crime, addiction, or abuse. It can be poor choices and poor decisions. Things you should have done but didn’t.
It is the very reality of knowing we did what satan is accusing us of that makes it hard to overcome the past. If we don’t deal with our past biblically, we remain trapped in feelings of regret, remorse, and unworthiness.
You Can’t Let Go of the Past Using Natural Human Abilities
It is so difficult to let go of the past because we are not naturally equipped to do so. Our natural human resources don’t have the ability.
This is because human nature resists change. It is hard for us to step away from ourselves and see ourselves for who we are. Instead, we blame everyone else for our problems.
This deflecting blame to another began in the Garden of Eden right after Adam sinned.
The man replied, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12 CSB)
Adam’s first instinct, directly from his new sinful nature, was to blame Eve for what happened. Humans have been blaming others for their problems ever since.
Therefore, we continue to wallow in remorse and unworthiness. This keeps us from being effective in the Kingdom of God.
Paul is Our Example Showing We Can Let Go of the Past
Paul had to deal with the same regrets and feelings of unworthiness we must deal with. He was a great apostle because he dealt with his past spiritually.
Before Paul became a Christian and a great apostle, he was zealous for God in the wrong way. Sure, he didn’t know he was wrong. He thought he was doing God’s work.
Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1–2 CSB)
Saul, whose name has yet to be changed to Paul, intended to bring every Christian he found back to Jerusalem for imprisonment or death. We don’t know how many Christians died because of this future apostle’s actions.
We know the Christians knew of Saul of Tarsus’ reputation and were afraid of him.
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” (Acts 9:13–14 CSB)
This fear continued after Paul’s conversion. (see: Acts 9:21; 26) This continued until Barnabas stepped in and told of Saul’s conversion. Then the Christians accepted the new man, Paul, as one of their own.
Paul’s work against the Christians was so devastating that when he stopped persecuting the Christians, a great peace came to the Church.
So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. (Acts 9:31 CSB)
In Acts, the twenty-second chapter, Paul tells of this time in his life.
I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail, as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished. (Acts 22:3–5 CSB)
Paul testified to the man he once was. There is no doubt satan attacked Paul with feelings and thoughts of regret and unworthiness. How did Paul handle this?
Paul’s Weapon to Let Go of the Past
We know what Paul did when he was Saul. We know he was the instrument that caused numerous Christians’ death, imprisonment, and beating.
Yet Paul rises from all this and becomes a great apostle and author of most of the letters in our New Testament. How was he able to overcome who he once was, when the Church today seems to be filled with Christians paralyzed with guilt and remorse?
We find the answer in two of Paul’s letters. One of them he wrote while in the emperor’s prison in Rome. It is one of the last letters written by Paul. Here is what he says about his past:
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13–14 CSB)
Paul decided to leave his past, both the good and bad parts, and concentrate on one thing – the goal and prize of God’s call in Christ Jesus. He decided to move toward what God called him to do instead of wallowing in feelings of regret and remorse.
How was Paul able to do this? How was he able to silence the accuser of the saints? By applying spiritual principles to his life. He believed God’s truth above all satan’s accusations.
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 CSB)
Paul accepted God’s truth that Saul no longer lived and had died with Christ on the cross. Now he is a new man that lives by faith and his past is the same as Christ’s past. This is how he successfully let go of the past.
How to Let Go of the Past That Happened Before You Became a Christian
As I have said earlier in this article, their lifestyle, and deeds done before they became a Christian haunt many believers. Paul has already revealed to us the secret to handling this.
You must accept as fact the new birth. The old you died on the cross with Jesus. You are now a new creation.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God… (2 Corinthians 5:17-18a CSB)
Second Corinthians 5:17 is the Truth. It is what happened to you spiritually the moment you accepted Jesus as Lord of your life.
Use this scripture to stop satan’s accusations. Open your Bible and read it aloud to him. Tell him the person he is speaking about is dead and buried with Christ. You have risen with Christ as a new person. Tell him the old you is dead and don’t bring it up again.
Do all of this out loud. Let your ears hear what you are saying. Each time you do this, the reality of your new birth will grow inside you.
Then go on and remind satan of his future.
Here are my articles about changing your life through Bible study:
Bible Study for Beginners: The Simple Method for Young and Old
The Importance of Renewing Our Mind: Be Transformed
God’s Word is Final Authority: You Can Be An Overcomer By Faith
How to Let Go of the Past That Has Happened After You Became a Christian
Let’s face it. All of us miss the mark. Sometimes it is a little and sometimes it is by a lot. That is what sin is, missing the mark.
All of us sin. What you need to determine is if your sin was accidental or if you did it knowing it was wrong. Either way, it is sin and can be forgiven.
First, make a quality decision to not do the sin anymore. This is what the Bible calls repentance. After this, use 1 John 1:9:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (CSB)
Once you have done this, accept your forgiveness. Now when satan tries to bring up a past sin, you can read 1 John 1:9 to him. Tell him aloud, so you can hear what you say, that God has forgiven you and cleansed you of all unrighteousness.
Then tell satan to take a hike.
The Secret to Let Go of Your Past is Faith
There is a secret to being able to let go of your past. The secret is faith. First, you must have faith in God’s ability to make you a new creation. Second, you need faith in God’s ability to not only forgive you of sin, but also to cleanse you of all unrighteousness. Third, you need to have faith that God forgets all your sins once you confess them.
How do you develop this faith?
- You find all the applicable scriptures about being a new creation and forgiveness.
- You read them aloud daily.
- You meditate upon them.
- Form the scriptures into daily confessions.
Here are my other articles that will teach you more about faith:
What Is Your Faith? Discovering You Have the God Kind of Faith
What Are the Different Levels of Faith (And Why They Matter)
What Are the Benefits When You Let Go of the Past
When you let go of the past, the first benefit is silencing the accuser of the brethren, satan. Once you learn the truth of being a new creation and of God’s ability to completely forgive you, satan has no hold on you. The truth of God’s Word has broken the chain and you are free.
You then open up to live a new lifestyle of the righteous believer. This brings with it new perspectives and outlooks for your life. You can now forge forward into being the person God designed you to be.
Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV)
This will be your new perspective. You will bury the past and look forward to the new thing God is doing in your life. You can confidently step into the life God created you to live.
If Paul can forget his past through God’s grace, you and I can forget our past through that same grace.
Here are a few other of my articles that may help you:
5 Steps to Change Your Future With A New Bold Life View
Your Promised Land Is Chosen by God for Your Freedom and Success
Daniel: Discovering the Secrets to Your Boldly Living Today Without Compromise
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