Backsliding is an act of going back to the sinful way of doing things.
Why Do People Backslide?
Though the conscience of such people were awakened and pricked, their minds had not changed. As soon as they heard the words of God, they felt guilty and there and then, they made decision to restitute their ways.
But when the power of guilty wore off, and the thing which provoked them to repentance ceased; they naturally turned back to their sinful ways of doing things.
Insights into Backsliding:
• Like a dog who return to its vomit:
The dog is sick of what it has eaten. It vomits and casts it all up. The dog does not cast it all up willingly, but because the food troubles its stomach.
When its sickness is over and its stomach is eased, because its desire is not at all separated from its vomit, it turns itself about and licks its vomit all up!
• Like a felon who stands before the Judge:
The felon shakes and trembles and seems to repent. Yet, he is not shaken nor remorseful for the crime. His is shaking because of his fear of the hangman’s rope.
If this man is set free, he will still be thief and a rasca. The felon will still go back to his old life style because his mind has not changed.
• Like a Stubborn He-goat:
The he-goat once beaten, runs away fearfully from the scene of the offence. It runs away not because it feels bad for having caused so much trouble! It just wants to escape the angry man's rod.
As soon as the angry man is no more looking, the he-goat shakes its two ears and finds its way back to where it has been beaten. The he-goat keeps going back because its mind has not changed about the angry man’s food.
• Like a seed on the rock:
The sower scatters the seeds, some fall on the rock. They grow up, but the plants wither because they have no root. The seed is the word of God, and the rock is the condition of the hearers' heart.
The hearers receive the words with joy but the words do not have root in their stony heart. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.
Sins can be very sweet and pleasant to sinners' sinful nature, and they are unwilling to leave it. Once in a while they look back over their shoulders. Their mind is not made up yet.
To keep a dog from going back to its vomit, it has to be made new in the attitude of its mind and therefore see its vomit as something that does not worth going back to!
To keep you from going back to sin, you need to be renewed in your mind.
References: Ephesians 4: 22-24, Luke 8: 4-15
The Bible talks about, being transformed by the renewing of our mind that we may prove what's good, perfect and acceptable will of God, we wIl continue to sin, says the sinners man prayer and come out for altar call, if we do not stay close to the Word and and allow the indwelling of the holy Spirit. Thank you sir,