When Old Sins Come Knocking Again | Judges 4:1–3

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Our text today is Judges 4:1-3:

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron, and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. — Judges 4:1-3

Why do we keep falling back into the same sins we swore we’d never touch again?

The story opens with a phrase we’ve heard before: “The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Notice the timing—after Ehud died. With their leader gone, Israel slipped right back into rebellion. Same song, second verse.

This time, God handed them over to Jabin, king of Canaan. And Sisera, his commander, rolled out 900 iron chariots—state-of-the-art war machines. For twenty years, Israel lived under cruel oppression.

And finally—they cried out. The cycle repeats: sin → slavery → suffering → supplication → salvation.

This is how sin works. Left unchecked, it always drags us back into bondage. Maybe your “Sisera” isn’t a general with iron chariots—it’s anger, lust, addiction, or pride. You beat it once, but without vigilance, it creeps back, stronger and more ruthless than before.

And here’s the dangerous part: we learn to live with it. We call it “normal.” We convince ourselves the chains aren’t that heavy. But eventually, sin always shows its true colors—it becomes cruel, it takes more than it gives, and it leaves you emptier than before.

Don’t wait twenty years to cry out to God. Don’t wait until the oppression becomes unbearable. Cry out today. The cycle doesn’t have to define you, because God’s mercy is greater than your failure, and his deliverance is stronger than the grip of your enemy.

ASK THIS:

What old sin cycle keeps trying to drag me back into bondage?
Do I wait until life gets unbearable before I cry out to God?
How does the absence of spiritual leadership in my life make me more vulnerable?
What’s one practical step I can take today to break the cycle?
DO THIS:

Name your “Sisera”—the sin that keeps coming back. Write it down. Pray over it. And share it with a trusted brother or sister in Christ for accountability.

PRAY THIS:
Lord, I don’t want to repeat the same old sins. Help me cry out to you now, not later, and trust you to break the cycle. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
"Lord, I Need You."