Backsliding is simply slipping away from God - Reverting back to your pre-conversion habits - Dropping to a lower level.

One reason why many Christians backslide is that they are not aiming to “beat” the process of backsliding. The Devil, the Flesh, and the World are always vying for you to slip back into pre-conversion habits and practices. 

The Devil tempts you to go back:

I Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour

The flesh is drawn away by old lusts:

James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Past friends and relatives wants you to run around with them in sin:

I Cor. 15:3 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

But instead of simply barely keeping from backsliding, we need to beat it that it has no possibilities of getting us. Each day we need to move leap and bounds against the possibility. You can be Backslidden Proof . The most basic thing is to continue to grow in your faith.

How to Beat it:

Think of a Game of Tug Of War

1)  Draw

a) Prayer

b) Fasting

Seek to get closer to God. Pull closer to God, and God will Pull closer to you.

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and

purify your hearts, ye double minded.

In the tug of war, as you draw closer to God, you are pulling the enemy to his defeat. The power of God strengthens you to win the tug of war. As you draw close to God, the enemy cannot handle God’s fire in you. Pull the rope to the devil’s defeat by drawing closer to God.

2) Withdraw

- Pull away. Get away from certain places, people, and communication

a) Places of temptation - club, ungodly parties, old girlfriend’s house, weed smoking

corner, bar, etc

b) People - old girlfriend, old boyfriend, worldly sinner friends, witchcraft workers,

- double life Christians

Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Psalm 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it

shall not cleave to me.

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove

them.

In the tug of war, this is letting the rope go so the enemy falls.

3) Add

a) Virtues of the Christian Life

b) Set goals, and seek to see those changes in your life

2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith

Strengthen and fortify your position by adding on Christian virtues.

4) Subtract

a) Bad behavior and bad habits

b) Character flaws

porn watching, watching bad explicit tv shows or movies, posting nasty pictures on facebook, cursing, backbiting, gossiping, anger, wrath

Colossians 3:5-9 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

5) Subdue

a) The body- by discipline, deny its feelings and wants that draws away from doing God’s will. Tell it

to obey God when it does not feel like it. Speak to your body, speak to the parts of your body to

obey God.

b) Mind - subject every thought to Christ

Romans 12:1-2 Present your bodies

I Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means,

when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Discipline your body so you don't give up or get weary in this tug of war.

6) Redo

a) your first works, when your enthusiasm and love for God was high

b) Repent of where you fall short

Rev. 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

If you get pulled to the enemy side during the tug of war, then put your foot down, tighten your grip of the rope, and Pull AGAIN.

7) Throw Out

a) Demonic attachments - divination involvement, get rid of objects, cast out demons your life.

Eph. 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

b) False Doctrine

I Timothy 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

• Once Saved Always Saved
• Sabbath Keeping
• Holy Ghost Baptism unnecessary
• Strange books
• More than one way to God

Get rid of any weight that can slow you down from pulling with all your strength.

8) Fill Up

a) With the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

b) With the Word

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing

one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the

Lord.

Receive full empowerment for the Pull.

9) ForeFront Up (meaning to prioritize, put God at the Front of the line)

a) Christ before all other relationships - Put Christ at the Front of the Line

Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that

loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

b) Kingdom before personal needs - Put the Kingdom at the Front

Matthew 6:33 - Seek ye first the kingdom of God...

Put aside other matters and focus on doing all to Win.