Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding

Dear Reader: This booklet is based on an experience
with backsliding – being lured by an old boyfriend
back into my wordly ways, my old sin nature taking
over and nearly destroying my peace of mind ...
and even my soul. It was hell.
I share the story and the warnings as a “watchman” to
a lost world, hoping that my experience will prevent
you from learning the hard way that the dark side
wants to conquer you. Trust me, you don’t want to
spend one moment with the devil or ever go where he
will spend eternity. With your hand held tight to the
hand of your Savior, Jesus Christ, He can keep you
from the enemy’s soil and from his cold, death-like
grip. He can quickly and lovingly pull you from the
snare if you’re there.
May this booklet be a blessing both to
you and to those with whom you share.
Quotes are from the Holy Bible
and the Spirit of Prophecy.
You may freely share this information in print
or electronically in any way God may lead you.

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 1
The tug-o-war battle for our souls is intense. Have you
sensed it? On which side of the soil are your feet?
How firmly are they planted? If we’re grounded in truth,
faithful and obedient to God and His Word, we win. But
if we place even one toe on enemy territory, we lose our
footing.
My experience with “losing my footing” was hell on
earth, one I wish to spare everyone; and perhaps why
you’re reading this, to prevent you from falling into one
of Satan’s favorite snares – a romantic relationship
designed by him. 1 Peter 5:8 says:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour.”
He knows we often melt when “love” is professed,
forgetting that saying “I love you” is easy, but meaning it
is rare.
In too many cases lovesick sentimentalism
takes the helm, and guides to certain ruin. …
Professed Christians, whose lives are marked
with integrity, and who seem sensible upon
every other subject, make fearful mistakes
here. They manifest a set, determined will
that reason cannot change. They become so
fascinated with human feelings and impulses

that they have no desire to search the Bible
and come into close relationship with God.
Satan knows just what elements he has to deal
with, and he displays his infernal wisdom in
various devices to entrap souls to their ruin.
He watches every step that is taken, and makes
many suggestions, and often these suggestions
are followed rather than the counsel of God’s
Word. This finely woven, dangerous net is
skillfully prepared to entangle the young
and unwary. {Fundamentals of Christian
Education, page 103}
Wow. I was not “young and unwary” but “older and
cautious.” Yet, I was still ensnared! Listening to one old
love song (“just for old times’ sake”) opened my mind to
the bad spirits that inspired the music. Even though the
former beau and I had nothing in common anymore, our
illicit past drew us back to each other and blinded my
eyes to the many warnings and counsels.
“Satan is busily engaged in influencing those
who are wholly unsuited to each other to
unite their interests.” {Messages to Young
People, page 455}
Though determined to “take things slow,” we went from
friends to fiancés to finished in 5 months. Because he
claimed to love me for 30+ years, I didn’t want to hurt
him. How could I possibly shun such “undying love”? I
had put his feelings over God. Tragic. But the enemy
kept whispering that I was doing the right thing by being
the good woman my friend needed in order to make
him a better man. But I am not the Savior. And, as
the saying goes: “The road to hell is paved with good
intentions.”

Test the motives of your actions. Are they truly divinely
inspired? One tiny compromise often leads to another
and another until the conscience is seared.
With the relationship now over, I realize that it was
a counterfeit. The old boyfriend was sent by the
devil to be an “anti-Christ” (in place of Christ) in my
heart and life. Though knowing that secular music is
not something a Christian should listen to, I feasted
upon songs from “Bread” and “The Carpenters” at
my boyfriend’s request. I realized later the hideous
counterfeits: the Bread of death instead of the Bread of
Life; the Carpenters instead of The Carpenter.
Though the enemy was not successful in trapping me
permanently, he continues to laugh at my distress and
misery. Please don’t let it happen to you. You are
precious in God’s sight. Nothing (and no one) is worth
missing Heaven. The race is almost over; we are
almost Home. Let’s not stumble so close to the finish
line.
Here is a poem that is both sobering and encouraging:
If we continue to endure things that are impure,
the very things we first abhor we may one day adore.
Likewise, lies accepted with an apathetic face,
we may one day actually embrace.
So, flee at the first hint of evil,
as if the devil himself is on your track.
Let’s turn from E-V-I-L to L-I-V-E.
And never, ever look back!

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 2
“Prevention is better than cure.” I share these thoughts
to help you avoid falling into the enemy’s relationship
traps:
• First, to be careful who you give your heart to. Even
the most innocent-looking man could be demonic.
The only safe person to give your heart to is Jesus.
He knows what each of us needs. If it’s His will that
you have a life partner, He will bring the right person
for you in His perfect timing. But rushing ahead of
Him, determined to have your own way, like I did, is
disobedient, and the results are devastating.
• Second, don’t even date someone with a
questionable character. Choose character over
cuteness and compatibility over chemistry.
• Number 3: Don’t fall for those 3 little words: “I love
you.” Remember that even the devil can say those
words convincingly.
• Follow principle rather than feelings. If you think
you’re in love, ask yourself, is it true love, pure love,
love that will endure throughout life, or is it simply
infatuation?
• Actions speak louder than words. Watch every
action to see if the person has a Christlike
character. Especially watch how he treats his
mother and other women.
• Don’t let a human become your God, the center of
your life.
• Ask yourself if this person will draw you closer to

Christ or pull you away. If not, it could actually lead
to your ruin, and to losing out on heaven. It’s that
serious.
God Forbids Believers Marrying Unbelievers—
Never should God’s people venture upon
forbidden ground. Marriage between believers
and unbelievers is forbidden by God. But too
often the unconverted heart follows its own
desires, and marriages unsanctioned by God are
formed. Because of this many men and women
are without hope and without God in the world.
Their noble aspirations are dead; by a chain
of circumstances they are held in Satan’s net.
Those who are ruled by passion and impulse
will have a bitter harvest to reap in this life, and
their course may result in the loss of their souls.
Those who profess the truth trample on the
will of God in marrying unbelievers; they lose
His favor and make bitter work for repentance.
The unbelieving may possess an excellent
moral character, but the fact that he or she
has not answered to the claims of God and has
neglected so great salvation is sufficient reason
why such a union should not be consummated.
{Adventist Home, page 63}
• “Unbelieving” doesn’t mean merely “non-Christian”
– it encompasses the realm of whether they are as
devoted to God as you are … and believing present
truth.
• Don’t sell yourself on a cheap market. You have
high value. You’re a princess of Jesus.
• Never care more about what people think than
about what God thinks. Never care more about
hurting a person’s feelings than about hurting God.

Temporarily hurting someone, when it’s best to
break up, is actually doing them a favor. It is the
most loving thing you can do, rather than leading
them on.
• Don’t even contemplate forbidden fruit. If God says
something is a sin, take Him deadly seriously. He
is not joking. If He calls something an abomination,
avoid it like the plague. It is not worth the pain, and
perhaps losing your soul and eternal life to dabble
and experiment with sin. Satan has ways of luring
us in, and then we’re ensnared and can’t get out.
So stay as far away from evil as possible.
• Don’t compromise your Christian standards for even
one second – not even in conversation or jesting, let
alone major transgressions (for nothing, nothing, no
matter how pleasing, is worth being separated from
God for even one second, nothing and no one …
no matter how charming). Remember that it is God
before whom we will stand in the Judgment, not
people.
• Beware of even “innocent” touch. The oxytocin rush
that comes with any kind of touch, but especially
romantic, alters your thinking and sometimes steals
your reasoning. And soul ties are created -- bonds
that are very hard to break. We are counseled to
allow no touch until the relationship is in the serious
state of engagement. Some even reserve it for the
altar.
• Even the exchange of love notes and gifts should
be avoided until the relationship is serious. These
bond people. Each day spent together and each
dollar spent on each other makes it harder to sever
the relationship when you come to your senses.
• Don’t let the relationship linger, thinking it will get
better. The minute you see something that you
couldn’t live with the rest of your life, address it or

flee. That may sound harsh, but it’s better to be
safe than sorry. It is God who we need to please.
• Heed warning signs, don’t discount a one of them.
Flee even the appearance of evil.
• Ask God to help you let go of selfishness and pride.
• Someone suggested to me (unfortunately too late)
to make two lists before considering a relationship
with someone: one list with 10 things that you
simply have to have in a mate, and the other listing
10 things you simply could not tolerate.
• Give God your whole heart, not just part, and then
never depart.

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 3
More warnings about relationships:
• Pray pray pray.
• No matter how sad you might be over losing
somebody, it is nothing in comparison with what it
would feel like to lose God, your soul, and eternity.
• Think with your head. There’s a reason that your
head is placed above your heart.
• Spend more time with Jesus than with the person.
Jesus is our One True Love. If we feel we need to
set Christ aside while we spend time with a man,
then it’s not safe to be with that man.
• Remember that angels (recording angels) are ever
watching our every move. Do and say nothing that
you wouldn’t want God to see and hear, because He
does. Go nowhere that you couldn’t take Christ with
you.
• Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No. If you can’t
answer either way with peace from God, then say,
“I can’t answer that right now.”
• If you find yourself behaving differently, for the worse
– like irrationally, impulsively, and irresponsibly, take
notice. Check your attitude. Are you thinking better
or bitter in his presence?
• Let us guard the avenues to our souls – our senses.
Watch what you watch, for everything makes an
imprint on your mind and thus affects your thinking
and thus behavior. Listen only to that which is holy
both in things like music and even conversation.

• Don’t set one foot in the devil’s playground. If you
play with fire, you’re going to get burned.
• The enemy knows where to place people in our paths
so we will stumble. The man may quote Scripture
and know his Bible even better than you do, but so
does the devil.
• Consider the lifestyle of that person. If he’s a drinker,
or does even harder drugs, or listens to hard music,
or watches a lot of TV and movies, he has invited evil
spirits into his life through those behaviors. Merely
being with that person will affect you negatively.
Those spirits will be happy to torment you too. Flee
like there is no tomorrow. Your life depends on it.
We can’t expect protection when we knowingly place
ourselves in the company of demons.
• Wait on the Lord. His timing is perfect. Hasty
decisions bring much sorrow.
• We cannot trust our feelings or impulses. Honor
the Lord by honoring the convictions He’s given you
through His Holy Spirit. Your conscience will haunt
you if you compromise.
• Never settle for someone just for security. Jesus is
our only true Security. He is the perfect Provider.
• Don’t be selfish. A breakup might be the best thing
for the other person too. Setting someone free,
wasting no more of their time and money, is kinder
than hanging on (especially if the relationship is
forbidden in any way).
• The moment you sense deception, lies,
secretiveness, guilt, shame, etc., flee! This will only
get worse, as searing your conscience to spiritual
matters will deaden your ability to resist future
temptations.
• Don’t date someone to “save” him.

• Is this person someone you could eventually be
considered “one” with? Does his way of thinking
offend you in any way, make you compromise
your beliefs, lure you away from God and spiritual
thoughts? If so, respect yourself (and God) enough
to get out now. Because it will only get worse. Don’t
even think that you are the one exception, that you
can change the person. It is most likely that you will
be the one changed, backsliding.
• Walking the pure and narrow road brings the most
happiness.
“Submit yourselves therefore to
God. Resist the devil, and he will
flee from you.” (James 4:7)

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 4
• If you sin and lightning doesn’t strike you, don’t let
the devil fool you. Transgressions do come back to
haunt you. Maybe not that moment, or that day, but
we often pay in much pain and suffering. I wonder
sometimes why we even contemplate sin, knowing
the devastating after effects. Perhaps in our pride we
think we’re above the law? Above consequences?
The exception to the rules? I did, for a little while,
until I learned otherwise.
• Don’t speak or act hastily.
• Have accountability partners – people who sit with
you as you read and write emails, or even sitting in
the room with you while you speak on the phone, so
that nothing is secretive or sinful between your suitor
and you.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions of him and those
who know him.
• Tears and sadness are normal after a breakup. But
they don’t mean that you should get back together.
• Don’t sell out, cheapening yourself, requiring no
change in order to have you.
• Weigh all options. Write them down. Discuss them
with a trusted confidant. Write out the possible
consequences of each one.
• Let distance protect you. Communicate electronically
for a time, so chemistry doesn’t blind you.
• Speak convictions out loud to yourself so you HEAR
them and are more inclined to follow them.
• Think long term. Consider the future. Things like:

How will your life together be used for God’s glory?
Will it bring you closer to God, or drag you away from
Him?
• Test the spirits: thoughts could be from your own self,
from the Holy Spirit, or from the devil.
• Study what Scripture has to say about the topic you
are facing.
• Counsel with like-minded believers. In a multitude
of counselors, there is safety. But always put the
counsel of God before that of others.
• Don’t let yourself do anything out of character.
• Don’t play with someone’s heart. If you’re really not
in love, don’t pretend to be.
• Break off an engagement the moment you know it
isn’t right; it is far better than breaking a marriage.
• Don’t isolate yourself. The enemy can more easily
tempt you and give you wrong thoughts.
• Don’t let people talk you out of what you know is best
for yourself and what is true.
• Don’t touch before a serious commitment. Don’t
even be alone with the person until then. The
oxytocin rush that comes with human touch becomes
addicting, and blinds you to the person’s faults. Mr
Wrong can seem like Mr Right once you’ve touched,
even just “merely” holding hands.
• When the Holy Spirit tells you it is time to stop, stop
the relationship immediately, close the door and lock
it! No replies to emails, phone calls, etc. No visits.
Just complete severing (to help both of you). Don’t
second guess a broken engagement.
• Don’t compromise one moment. The road back from
straying from the Lord is possible but painful.
• When in doubt, leave it out. Don’t start a courtship,
get engaged, or especially married until you are
completely at peace with the decision, and certain

that it is God who is leading.
• Heed all red flags and warnings. Habits are hard to
break.
• Never lie or do anything that you have to keep secret.
• Consider the seriousness of vows. One you’re in, it’s
forever (or at least is supposed to be).
• It is better to be single and lonely than married and
lonely.
“We are to look away from self to
Jesus.” {Ministry of Healing,
page 249}

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 5
More warnings and encouraging thoughts about
relationships:
• Pray for God’s strength and wisdom and discernment
in the relationship. We can’t rely on our own. Pray
before spending any time together. Pray together.
• Practice no deception. If you don’t truly love him,
don’t say “I love you” just to keep him around. This
will backfire. Lies are from the devil himself. He will
win if we use his tactics.
• Don’t compromise to spare someone’s feelings.
• It is better to feel temporary guilt over ending a
relationship than to feel huge remorse over hurting
God.
• Don’t be haughty (you are not the only woman in the
world, even though the man may say you are the
only one for him). His life will not be over if you break
it off. He will soon be fine and off looking for another.
Don’t give yourself and your life to someone you
don’t truly love or who doesn’t truly love God.
• Don’t listen to love songs together. Music can
manipulate the mind.
• Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit by looking for loopholes in
Scripture.
• Never, by even one small choice, choose a person
over God.
1 Thessalonians 5:22 states:
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

For example, don’t stay up late together, or go into hotel
rooms together (even if only eating lunch) etc. It breaks
down boundaries, and makes you look cheap and not
respectable.
• Don’t laugh at crude jokes, etc. A Christian woman
should never lower herself by participating in any
gross conversation or filth.
• Allow Christ to keep your thoughts pure.
• Never cheapen yourself by giving yourself to
someone whose life does not please God.
• Don’t overlook addictive behavior.
• Don’t put your body, mind, soul at risk in ANY way
(even if intentions are good, like to “save the people
you’re with”). Let JESUS by the Savior. Let THE
HOLY SPIRIT do the convicting.
• Be modest in all conversation and dress. Never
tease/entice for one moment. This is temptation for
the male, and the woman is responsible.
• Don’t be nice to sin or the devil. He wants to destroy
you through a bad relationship.
• No relationship is worth losing God’s favor or
Heaven. Think about it every time you are together.
• Do nothing that even might displease God in order to
keep a man’s attention.
• Don’t pretend to have deeper feelings for someone
just so you don’t lose his expression of feelings for
you.
• Never do anything to make another person sin. It
carries a high price. It also separates the participants
in bitterness.
• Don’t stay with someone out of pity. You can feel
sorry for them from afar … otherwise you will feel
sorry for yourself later. Stay away and pray pray
pray. Better than entangling yourself with someone
you don’t really love or respect.

• Don’t let someone’s sweet talk fool you. Anyone
(even the devil) can say “I love you” and sound
sincere. Anyone can tell you you’re the most
gorgeous woman on the planet. It doesn’t mean he
means it. It means he knows what women want to
hear.
• Let us not forsake the peace of being right with God.
• Let the Lord be your heavenly Husband. He will treat
you the way you need to be treated and ALWAYS
provide what is best, without fail. Humans will fail us.
Trust GOD more than man. The center verse of the
Bible speaks of that:
It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put confidence in man.
(Psalm 118:8)

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 6
• Flee at the first sign of temptation. It will not be the
last, and one time unresisted makes it easier to fall.
• Live each day with the aim of going to sleep each
night with a totally clean conscience.
• Taking “the easy way” is not always the easy way.
• Marriage is not a mission field. Don’t place
yourself on assignment to reach others that way.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness?
• If someone calls himself a Christian, watch carefully
from afar to be sure.
• Never hide your spiritual side, thinking it will turn him
off. If it does, he is not the man for you.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Study his sense of humor. What makes him laugh?
• If he treated other women badly, he will eventually
treat you badly when the newness of the relationship
wears off.
• Does he lust after women in magazines, porn sites,
etc.? If so, call it off immediately. This disrespect of
women will not stop.
• Strongly resist returning to a former love interest
(especially if sin was involved), as there are already
“feelings” that blind.
• Sexual sin is grievous. It is a sin against the body.
Ward it off like the plague. No physical experience is
worth losing the spiritual walk with God.

• Don’t misinterpret deep sadness after a breakup as a
sign to reconcile. The normal process of grief will be
over sooner if you stay away.
• There is no need to sin to keep someone’s attention.
If that is necessary, then the relationship is not based
on love, but lust.
• Better for someone to hurt for 5 weeks or months
than to hurt for 5 years in a miserable marriage or
after a divorce.
• A person’s approval is no match for God’s approval.
• It is better to suffer by “waiting” than to impatiently
“not wait” then suffer for that. Be still and know that
He is God.
• Walk in the spirit not in the flesh. The weight of guilt
is not worth any earthly pleasure.
• God is not trying to rob us of joy and pleasure, but He
wants us to have the right kind.
• Never EVER lower your self-respect for a man. You
are the princess bride of Jesus, and deserve only the
best treatment.
These have been warnings to those who haven’t
fallen. But what if you already have? What if you’ve
already succumbed to a temptation? Is there
hope for you? Oh, yes. Find hope in Beware of
Backsliding Part 7.
May the God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace in believing, that
you may abound in hope through
the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13.

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 7
The first 6 parts of this series have been sharing
warnings to those who haven’t fallen, in hopes of sparing
them the anguish I’ve experienced. But what if you’ve
already fallen? What if you’ve already succumbed to the
lures and temptations of Satan? Is there hope for you?
Yes indeed – abundant hope. For our God is a gracious
forgiving God. He does hate sin, but He deeply loves
the sinner, and longs to reconcile with us. We must
never lose sight of that. We must never lose hope that
we still find favor with Him through Christ.
I almost lost that hope. After I fell into the trap, I was so
distraught that I thought I would lose my mind. I would
writhe in my bed like I was going insane. I would pace
the floor because I could barely sit still. I thought I was
lost. What a scary feeling. I didn’t like being awake
because the sin was all I could think about and the guilt
was all I could feel. I couldn’t stand being in my own
skin. I would pace the floor, panic stricken, fearing I’d
committed the unpardonable sin by not heeding all the
warnings that the Holy Spirit was giving. I could barely
enjoy anything. I only wanted to sleep. The same devil
who had me thinking that I was the exception to following
the rules also had me thinking that I was the exception
to salvation – that somehow my sin was bigger than
Christ’s ability to save. What a lie from the pit of hell.
Never let the devil make you think that you are a better
sinner than Christ is a Savior. We must remember that
God wants all of His children to live with Him in Heaven

for eternity. He is not in Heaven just waiting for us to sin
one too many times so that He can cross our names off
the list. Don’t entertain those thoughts. God is loving and
forgiving. Yes, there are consequences to sin. And the
wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord. (See Romans 6:23.) Indeed, after
coming to our senses and longing to return to the Lord, it
might be a long road back for some, depending on how
far away you strayed. But like the Father in the story of
the prodigal son, Christ is lovingly waiting with open arms
and longs to run to meet you on your return home … if
you’ll let Him. 2 Peter 3:9 says that the Lord is:
“… longsuffering toward us, not willing that
any should perish but that all should come
to repentance.”
This is your pivotal moment. Will you rebelliously
continue in your sin? Or will you return in humble
repentance? The choice is yours. God will not force
you to love Him. But oh what joy and privileges there
are when we do. But Satan wants us to love himself.
And there is NO joy in that. The seeming privileges
are very temporary. Then he laughs at you. His plan is
to throw us down, then kick us when we’re down, and
then convince us to continue in the sin that got us there.
But those are lies from the father of lies. Satan is the
destroyer; but God is the restorer. He will not condemn
you if you return and confess your sins.
1 John 1:9 says:
“If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.”

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 8
After my fall, I was reminded of promises in God’s Word.
Certain hymns took on deeper meaning as well, like
Whiter Than Snow, I Surrender All, and O For a Closer
Walk With God. They were music to my ears, literally,
and the Scriptures were a healing balm for my troubled
soul.
Here are some verses that spoke the most to me. May
they speak to you as well:
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
(Hebrews 13:5)
“The one who comes to Me, I will by no means
cast out.” (John 6:37)
“A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up
again.” (Proverbs 24:16)
“As far as the east is from the west, so far
has He removed our transgressions from us.”
(Psalm 103:12)
David’s record of sin (that of adultery and murder) gives
us great hope for forgiveness. In Psalm 51-1-14, it
says:
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
If God was able to do that for David (and multitudes of
others who have fallen into sin), God can forgive you,
cleanse you, change you, restore you, save you, and
ultimately live with you forever in His holy Heaven.
You have not committed the unpardonable sin. If you
did, you wouldn’t be concerned that you did. The fact
that you’re even a bit worried that you have, is proof
that the Holy Spirit is still speaking to you. You have not
grieved Him beyond forgiveness. It will take work on
your part to accept that free gift of forgiveness, but God
wants you to accept it. It would offend Him if you didn’t.
He sent His Son to die so we could have it.
No matter what we’ve done and what we’re suffering
because of, let’s not let Christ’s death be in vain.
But we must be on our guard to not be lured by such
temptation again (or any other temptation).
In John 8:11, Jesus said to the woman caught in
adultery:
“Neither do I condemn you,
go and sin no more.”

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 9
More reminders to AVOID the snares:
• Some choices are hard to live with, in the beginning;
but the right choices are far easier to live with than
the poor ones.
• Don’t let an unusual moment of impulse change
your course of action. Stop, pray, ask God to
change your thinking. It may just be a temptation,
a rebellious moment, etc., so ride it out; don’t let it
carry you away in a driven, wayward direction.
• Always err on the side of caution. Better to be safe
than sorry. Watch your every thought, word, and
deed … for there is no “undo” key … no magic eraser.
Once you’ve thought it, said it, or done it … it’s done.
I wished so many times that I could undo my mistake,
that it never happened. But it did. I could not wish
it away no matter how hard I tried. You can always
add more salt to a recipe, but once it’s there you can’t
remove it. The same with our words. We can always
say more, but we can never say less. Think before
you speak. Look before you leap.
• I’ve heard that it is much easier to pull someone
down off of a stool than it is to pull them up on to
one. Don’t, like I did, think that you can be the one
exception. It is not necessary to sin to try to keep
others from it.

• Be careful who you associate with. Bad company
corrupts good character. So choose your friends
wisely. They are not true friends if they pull you
away from God. It’s too hard to swim upstream,
so don’t, like I did, put yourself in such situations. I
thought I could hang out with worldly people and
that my lifestyle would rub off on them, that they
would soon adopt my higher standards. Instead, I
began lowering my standards. It is a slippery slope
that you don’t want to fall into.
• Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit, thinking that what you
are sensing is only your own thoughts in your head,
or your imagination. Test them and heed them if
they prove from above!
• Don’t compromise your Christian standards for even
one second – not even in conversation or jesting, let
alone major transgressions (for nothing, no matter
how pleasing, is worth being separated from God
for even one second, nothing and no one … no
matter how charming). Again it is God who we will
stand before in the Judgment, not that person.
• Don’t be fooled by the lack of consequences right
away. That is the trick of the enemy to make it
seem like consequences will never come. But they
will.
• Write down the tender mercies that He sends you
each day. Thank Him for them. He loves it when
we appreciate all He does for us. He promises, I
will never leave you nor forsake you. You may “feel”
like He should forsake you because of your sin. But
that is not the character of God. If an earthly parent
can graciously forgive his child over and over again,
can’t the perfect Parent – Jehovah? Isaiah 55,

verses 8 & 9 remind us that God’s ways are higher
than our ways and His thoughts higher than our
thoughts.
Verses 6 & 7 say:
Let the wicked forsake his way, And the
unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return
to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God, For He will abundantly
pardon.
• Don’t dally around an open gate. Close it and flee
as fast as you can.
• If you compromise, don’t let one compromise lead
to the next. Repent of it, and refuse to compromise
again.
It is better, if it is the will of God,
to suffer for doing good than for
doing evil. (1 Peter 3:17)

Beware the Bitterness of Backsliding
Part 10
More encouragement if you’ve been ensnared:
Sin is a stench in God’s nostrils. Have no part in it.
Nothing is worth hurting or offending Him. Nothing
feels better than a clean conscience before the Lord.
And nothing feels worse than a guilty one. (Before my
recent fall, my steps were like walking on air. I was in
sweet communion with the Lord and often in prayer.
After the fall, my steps were heavy, I felt dirty, disgusting
– walking in the flesh rather than walking in the Spirit.
What a terrible price to pay for a few moments of folly,
that I didn’t really even enjoy all that much. And even if I
did, it wouldn’t have been worth the pain.
But life can be restored by God. Here is
encouragement:
• Don’t let the devil have any more laughs over his
success in tempting you. Move on with your life
and ask the Lord to use you more mightily than the
enemy tried to.
• In your recovery, don’t ruminate over the
transgression, that will only keep it in the forefront
of your mind and make you feel consistently
guilty …. Stay otherwise busy … with healthful
productive activities … get out of your head and go
help someone else …. Don’t let yourself spend the
entire day alone … be with uplifting people --- those
who will cheer you and encourage you rather than

discourage you. And try to be an encouragement to
others. Even in our distress, we can find others to
bless.
• The enemy has already robbed you of many things,
don’t let him rob you of good health too. Even
though you may not feel you deserve to take care
of yourself, take care of yourself, you’ll think much
more clearly. Even hardened criminals in prison are
given good nutrition and exercise. So we owe it to
ourselves and God to take care of the precious body
temple He’s given us.
• Stay in the Word, memorize your favorite Scriptures.
Write them down, carry them with you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 says:
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every
thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the
Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all
appearance of evil. And the very God of peace
sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole
spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Rely on His strength, not your own. His grace is
sufficient.
• Don’t give in to depression, discouragement, apathy.
This will only make the devil happy, not God. Our
heavenly Father wants you (and all His children) to
live happy, meaningful lives.
There is only joy in full obedience, that’s why God
commands it. He knows it will make us happy, like
children who appreciate rules, because they know their

parents love them if they care enough to give them
rules. Let’s not disobey. Let’s trust and obey, as the
hymn encourages us to do.
Sing hymns of praise to God. You may feel like He
doesn’t want to hear from you. But that’s not true.
Again, it’s true that He hates the sin, but He doesn’t hate
you.
I hope this booklet has been a blessing to you. I hope it
brings you hope. I hope that you or someone you know
can avoid the pitfalls that caught me.
Our Lord is returning soon. We’ve got to get ready, stay
ready, and help others to do the same. Let us allow our
Lord to wash us clean and make us each whiter than
snow, then, by HIS strength, to stay blameless until He
comes. We so look forward to that day. Let us loosen
our grip on this wicked planet and our sins that keep us
here. Let’s look up and never look back.
Let each of us “beware of backsliding.”
Send questions or comments to:
anonymous4Him@gmail.com