Hi richard,
I know what you mean about back-sliding. Never feel as though you're alone. All of us still struggle with something. This is especially so with preachers and ministers! I've found that to teach us to grow in grace, God will often allow a temptation to remain. It may be a temptation that has to do with a pet sin you had before you were born-again. For example, when I got saved, God set me free from alcohol, pot smoking and cigarettes. Instantly. And I'm not tempted to go back to any of them. But, I still struggle with lust, and I fight this battle everyday. I think that if God took everything away all at once, we'd become too prideful, too self-righteous, condemning others who give in to temptation and who haven't "arrived" like we have.
Verses that help me battle sin are Galatians 5:16: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh," I Corinthians 10:13: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it," and James 4:7: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
I've found that (and please learn from my struggles and failures!) if you want to have continued victory over sin and keep from backsliding, you need to immerse yourself in the Word of God, discipline yourself to feed upon it daily, meditating on the vast riches it contains. If you begin to do this, you will see immediate results, your entire life will be transformed (see Psalms 1 and 119).
Since you're quite young, I don't know if you'll take to a book I'd like to recommed, but I'll do it all the same: It's called "A Lifting Up for the Downcast" and it's written by William Bridge, an old Puritan writer. It is a bit weighty, but full of marvellous wisdom and advice for those that are struggling with "great sins." Also, one of all-time favorites, "The Chritian in Complete Armour," by William Gurnall, another Puritan. The latter book is a very easy read and replete with such wisdom like you've never encountered in a book outside the Bible.
I hope some of this stuff helps you! Again, don't ever feel alone or defeated! Jesus has the power to lift you up when you surrender your life to him!
Paul
