It’s a daily walk of believing what Christ has already done—He broke sin’s power—and then training our bodies and minds to live in that freedom.

For many years I thought that if I prayed enough or fasted enough, one day, God would miraculously set me free from sinful thoughts and deeds. I felt convicted most days for any unholy thought I had entertained during the day, or an uncontrolled outburst of anger at my wife or even at a driver that cut me off. A small exaggeration of a factual story convicted me. I felt unworthy and miserable to stand before a Holy God in prayer. I found myself on my knees most nights seeking forgiveness from the Lord for my sins. I recall confessing before God that it was impossible for me to live up to His expectations and that if He didn’t do something to set me free, I would remain useless for His Kingdom. I shed many tears before Him, asking, “Why was I like this? Why can’t I overcome sin? Why am I so weak?”

It was then that the Lord impressed upon my heart that He had already set me free. Sin had no power over me. By His death and resurrection, He had overcome the power of sin. John the baptist introduced Jesus as, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” A flood of bible verses came to my remembrance about Jesus setting us free from the power of sin and death.

I decided to compile a set of bible verses that call us to flee temptation, renew our thinking, set our hearts on things above, and practice self-control by the Holy Spirit.

Training Like an Athlete

Think about an athlete preparing for a big race. They don’t become fit overnight. Instead, they build discipline—saying “no” to junk food, late nights, and distractions, and saying “yes” to healthy habits, consistent training, and focus. Each choice matters because it leads them closer to their goal.

The Christian life is the same. Saying “no” to lust is not about one-time willpower but daily training. Every time you choose to turn your eyes away, every time you replace a tempting thought with God’s truth, every time you invite the Spirit to strengthen you, you are exercising spiritual muscles. Over time, those small choices build strength and freedom.

Key Bible verses for a holy life

1 Corinthians 6:12 – The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Matthew 15:17-20 – Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?  But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.

Acts 15:29 – You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well.

Ephesians 5:3 – But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Galatians 5: 16-19 – So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;

Galatians 5:24 – Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

1 Corinthians 6:18 – Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Genesis 39:10 – The woman talked to Joseph every day, but he refused to have sexual relations with her or even spend time with her.

1 Corinthians 10:8 – We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.

Hebrews 13:4 – Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 – It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,  not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.

Matthew 5:28-30 – But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Mark 7:20-23 – He went on: What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.

1 Corinthians 7:1-2 – Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

1 Corinthians 6:15-16 – Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!  Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”

1 Timothy 1:8-11 – We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

2 Timothy 2:20-22 – In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

Colossians 3:1-5 – Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Romans 13: 13-14 – Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. 

2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:6‬ – We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.

2 Corinthians 7:1 – Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

Titus 2:12 – And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,

Titus 2:14 – He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Galatians 3:22 – But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 4:21-23 – Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

1 Peter 1:13-16 – So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.

1 Peter 2:11 – Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

1 Peter 2:24 – He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

1 Peter 4:1 – So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.

Hebrews 10:10 – For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

I am sure there are more bible verses addressing this issue of sin, but these are some of the powerful bible verses that helped me during my personal journey of faith.

Practical Application in Everyday Life

• On your phone: When an inappropriate ad or image pops up, don’t linger. Quickly turn away, close the app, or set up filters. This is fleeing temptation (2 Timothy 2:22).
• In your thoughts: When your mind drifts, replace lies with truth. Say out loud: “I have been set free by Christ” (Romans 6:18). Meditate on God’s Word until it shapes your inner world.
• In your habits: Practice self-control with what you watch, how late you stay online, or how you spend your free time. Create rhythms that strengthen, not weaken, your walk with God. I have been watching The Chosen off late and it is helping me a lot to stay away from Netflix.

Freedom comes as we consistently align our lives with Christ, not by trying harder in our own strength, but by leaning into the Spirit who empowers us.

Remember, saying “no” to sin is really saying “yes” to something greater—life with Jesus. He has already broken sin’s power; now we walk in the victory He purchased. You are not a slave to your old desires. With the Spirit’s help, you can live free, holy, and joyful.

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)