What Doesn't Work Against Sin
The false remedies we trust - and why they fail
“These have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.” — Colossians 2:23
We’ve seen that the heart is the battlefield (Proverbs 4:23), and that sin attacks from past, present, and future (James 1:14-15). But before we talk about how to fight back, we need to face a sobering truth: many of the strategies people try don’t work. Scripture warns us against false cures for sin.
Rules Can’t Change a Heart
The instinct to “fix” sin with more rules is as old as humanity. If only I make stricter boundaries, if only I legislate myself into obedience… then I’ll change. But laws by themselves can’t transform desire.
Paul said: “The law came along to multiply the trespass” (Romans 5:20). Rules can expose sin, but they cannot remove it. Law reveals the cancer, but it cannot cure it.
Law keeping is not what brings you life. If (the) law had been granted with the ability to give life, then righteousness would certainly be on the basis of (the) law. Instead, the promise (is) given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe, (Galatians 3:21-22). Only Jesus can bring life.
This was the mistake of the Pharisees. They stacked tradition on top of God’s commands, thinking stricter fences would create holiness. Jesus quoted Isaiah against them:
“This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
They worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines human commands.”
(Matthew 15:8–9)
Rules may restrain behavior for a time, but they do not rewire the heart. And until the heart is changed, sin will keep breaking through.
Isolation Doesn’t Solve the Problem
Another false cure is isolation. If I just withdraw from the world, temptation will disappear. But Scripture says the problem is not only “out there” … it’s in here.
James wrote: “Each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire” (James 1:14). The battlefield moves with you. You can change your environment, but your heart goes with you.
The monks of history tried this. They fled to the desert, cut off human contact, and punished their bodies. But sin remained, because temptation lives in the heart.
Jesus Himself prayed not that His disciples be removed from the world, but that they be kept from the evil one (John 17:15). Holiness doesn’t come from distance but from transformation by God’s truth (John 17:17).
Rituals and Motions Can’t Cleanse
Religious rituals, even good ones, cannot kill sin on their own. Church attendance, fasting, prayer, and singing are vital disciplines. But if they are performed without faith and heart engagement, they are powerless.
Jesus told of two men who went to the temple to pray (Luke 18:9–14). The Pharisee recited his religious résumé: fasting, tithing, rituals. But he left unjustified, while the tax collector, broken and humble, went home forgiven.
Paul warns against outward-only religion in Colossians 2:23: “These have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.”
God sees through empty performance. He desires truth in the inner self (Psalm 51:6). He is not fooled by lips that sing while hearts wander (Isaiah 29:13).
Self-Denial Without the Spirit Fails
Some think if they deny themselves enough, through poverty, deprivation, or asceticism, they’ll crush sin. But starving the body does not starve the heart.
Paul warned Timothy about those who “forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that God created” (1 Timothy 4:3). These were not acts of holiness, but distortions of God’s gifts. Severe treatment of the body, apart from the Spirit, only fuels pride or despair.
True self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). It is not achieved by white-knuckled deprivation but by walking in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
What Does Work
If rules, isolation, and empty rituals don’t cure sin, what does? Only the Word of God and the Spirit of God reach the heart.
The Word: “The word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword… able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). God’s Word cuts deeper than behavior, all the way into motives.
The Spirit: “If you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13). Only the Spirit can kill sin at the root.
And together: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17). The Spirit uses the Word to sanctify the heart.
The Lesson
We must stop trusting false remedies. Rules without love, isolation without transformation, rituals without faith, and self-denial without the Spirit will always fail. The heart cannot be reformed by outward acts; it must be reborn and reshaped by God.
Coming Next
Tomorrow we will explore God’s seven-step offensive plan. It’s not just about surviving temptation… it’s about advancing in victory, resisting Satan, and living fully in the power of the Spirit.
