Guilt can serve two purposes, it can show us the problem so that we might repent and receive forgiveness, or it can rub our mistake in our faces and make us feel hopeless. The Devil is known for putting guilt on people, and is known as the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).
How can you tell the difference between condemnation (bad for us) and conviction (good for us)?
First, I’d like you to ask yourself, “Why am I feeling guilty? What is the purpose of this guilt?” Of course your feeling guilty because you’ve probably done something wrong, but there is a reason why your feeling guilty. There is a source or sponsor of your guilt; it could be God or it could be the enemy. God uses guilt to convict us (conviction) of our sins so that we might change and make things better (receive forgiveness), whereas the enemy uses guilt to burden us down and make us feel hopeless about what we have done.
When God convicts us, it’s so that we might recognize the problem, and work on fixing it. When the enemy condemns us, it’s to make us feel like there’s nothing we can do about it, and give us a rotten feeling with no hope. Therefore, ask yourself, “Is this guilt trying to bring me to repentance, or is it trying to tell me what a loser I am?” God doesn’t tell us what a loser we are, His desire is rather that we may be reconciled with Him and receive forgiveness from our sins. The enemy likes to show you the mess, while God wants to show you the solution.
If you have sins that you haven’t repented from, then by all means, repent and turn from your wicked ways!! Don’t try to blame your guilt on the enemy if you know your guilty and you haven’t repented of your sins!
If your sins are forgiven (1 John 1:9), and the enemy is burdening you down with guilt, you may have to renounce the spirit of guilt, and command it to leave. Also, resist the Devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
