Ever find yourself reminiscing in your past? Or even taking a slight minute to indulge in the past sins that you have already stopped doing? It can be easy taking your mind into the past journey you once walked. It’s our human tendency to go back to what we once were, to tease ourselves in our past fleshly desires we once had. This “bad past” could have been a past relationship, sin, mistake, or anything that hindered your relationship with God. But whatever it is, God has called you to destroy your bad past because he has already delivered you into victory.

You might think, well how can walking through memory lane or entering into my past one last time hurt me? But think of it this way, why would you give satan another opening and chance to enter into your life? You may have heard the saying that your past does not have control over your future. This is true, however, your past does have the power to destroy your bright future if you still bring your past into your future. Satan is out there constantly seeking to find opportunities to steal, kill, and destroy you. The easiest way for satan to do this is to remind you of the past and destroy your future because of it. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober minded; be watchful. You adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.” Dwell in the things of God and do not let satan pull you back again. If you are in a relationship, or have asked god for repentance from a past sin, or have overcame a failure or mistake, do not let your past hurt you more than it already has. Don’t dwell in your past relationships, mistakes, and sins because God has already given you a new and beautiful life. Don’t let the past destroy the new beautiful path that God has given you.

A great example from the bible is the story of Lot’s wife. God had sent angels to save Lot and his family from the destruction of their city Sodom and Gomorrah. The angel told Lot and his family to run and not look back. However, Genesis 19:26 says, “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” When we look back onto our past, it blocks the future God has for us. It holds us into our past and destroys us just like how it destroyed Lot’s wife. God has already saved and brought a victory for Lot’s family, but his wife was did not become saved because she could not let go of her past completely. Satan wants you to go back to your past and he does not want you to move on with the victory God has given you. Just because you have a victory does not mean you cannot fall again.

So how do we prevent our past from ruining our future? Destroy it completely. God blessed the Israelites and allowed them to possess the lands of their enemies who did not love God. However, he commanded them to destroy everything of the enemies land, to not commingle with them, and to not take anything, including money from the land. Deuteronomy 7:2 says,”and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Deuteronomy 7:26 goes on and says, “Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction.” Just as God has commanded the Israelites to destroy the things of evil, God also commands us to destroy our past sins completely because it has the power to destroy us. God commanded the Israelites to not mingle with the enemies of God and to not take anything from the city. We should do the same and not take anything from our past into our future. Let go of your past, and destroy it completely from your life.

Do not take advantage of the victory God has given you, because it can be taken away from you. Protect the victory that God has given you and move forward without looking back. He has chosen you as his loved one and has a great plan for just for you. God has the capability and power to lead you out successfully from your past and into a bright future. God has already came to fix your broken life. Do not let satan break it apart again. So remember, do not tease yourself into the past. 

How has God saved you from your past?