SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING
Rev Alfred Osafo-Yeboah
Backsliding is a word that is almost archaic or old-fashioned in the body of Christ today. I believe there are
many believers today who do not know what backsliding is all about or have not heard the word being
mentioned from the pulpit for a long time.
What is backsliding? Backsliding means falling away; falling back into sin after conversion or turning away
from God’s will to pursue one’s own desires. Whenever a believer goes back to his old way of life or old
habits, that believer is said to have backslidden. Proverbs 14:14 and Jeremiah 8:5 talk about the evil of
backsliding.
Prov 14:14
The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above
Jeremiah 8:5
Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse
to return.
God has set a high standard for the Christian’s life; He does not want believers to remain babies in the faith
(1Corinthians 3:1-3). God expects the believer’s spiritual life to be progressive and not be stagnant or slide
back. Jesus said the backslider is not fit to inherit God’s kingdom.
Luke 9:62
But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of
God’
Backsliding is therefore a trait or phenomenon that every believer has to avoid.
Kinds of backsliding
I have identified three main kinds of backsliding in the church today; these are permanent backsliding,
complete backsliding and intermittent or partial backsliding.
Permanent backsliding is when the believer turns away from Christ and joins another religion or faith; he
publicly renounces Christ, and leaves no room of returning to the Christian faith. Such a person has committed
the sin of apostasy, and according to Hebrews 6:4-6, it is impossible to restore him back to Christ. People who
are in this state sometimes become critics of the Christian faith and always want to debate believers on what
they term as ‘flaws and errors’ in the bible.
Complete backsliding has taken place when the believer who was initially on fire becomes carnal or worldly,
but still remains in the faith; he may be attending some church services alright, but may not be committed to
many other church activities. The complete backslider will find pleasure indulging in old sins because he has
lost his love for God. Demas was an example of a complete backslider. Paul said Demas forsook him in the
ministry because he (Demas) loved the world (2Timothy 4:10)
Partial or intermittent backsliding is the state where the believer becomes inconsistent in their love and
commitment to Christ and the church; they are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold (Rev 3:15-16). They are in the
faith alright and may even be serving in a ministry in the local church but they are not reliable and cannot be
depended upon to fulfil their responsibilities to the church. Also, they waver between living right and fulfilling
the desires of the flesh. Sadly, many believers in our churches today are partial backsliders.
The devil works to make the believer to backslide
Backsliding is the work of the devil. The devil’s aim is to make us to backslide; he wants the believer out of
the faith. The devil does not want us to win the race and receive our crowns in heaven, so he fights us always
so he can steal, kill and destroy us. In his fight against us, the devil employs a common strategy of warfare,
which involves weakening the enemy by destroying their arsenals, distracting the enemy through propaganda
and discouraging the enemy through sanctions. Satan weakens believers by making us feel lazy to pray. He
discourages and takes away our motivation to serve God by spreading lies and deception amongst us. As he
employs these tactics, satan wants to quiet and humble us so he can control us. This strategy of the devil has
worked on many believers and that why there is so much backsliding in the church today.
How to identify a backslider
Backsliders have no desire to pray
In his battle against believers, the first thing the enemy attacks in our lives, is our prayer lives. Your prayer
life and your fervent prayers are your strongest weapons in winning the battle for your soul. The devil’s aim
is to steal or corrupt your prayer life. Your inability to pray makes you spiritually vulnerable and opens a
doorway for demons to influence your life. Therefore one of the first signs in the backslider’s life is a failed
prayer life. Anyone who does not pray or anyone who struggles to engage in effective prayer is a backslidden
believer.
Backsliders focus more on earthly things but they have no time for God
When anyone backslides, their attention is drawn to many earthly matters; they devote a lot of time and effort
to their work, business, career and family life, but have very little time for the things of God. They are so busy
that they have forgotten the Christ who saved them. Those who are not so busy about earthly commitments
too, are so idle that they feel lazy to attend to things that concern the kingdom of God.
Backsliders see nothing wrong with sinning and disobeying God
Many backsliders are so carnal that they see nothing wrong with disobeying God and committing certain sins
against God. They enjoy the pleasures of sin and they do not also correct those who are sinning against God.
Backsliders are deceived and fond of criticizing ministers of God and the church
The carnality of the backslider and the evil in his heart make him a critic of ministers of God and the church.
Backsliders are under the influence of the lies and deceptions of the devil, and they believe they know better
than many ministers of God. In their deception, many backsliders believe they have reached maturity in the
faith and therefore no one can correct them when they go wrong. They are very difficult to guide and direct
and want to be left alone to do pleases them. Most backsliders therefore are constantly at loggerheads with
their pastors.
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Rev Alfred Osafo-Yeboah is the senior pastor and founder of the Refreshing Word Ministries (Evergreen
Church), a ministry committed to transforming people and directing them towards God’s purpose for their lives. He is
a Conference Speaker, Bible Teacher and Pastor. He is also devoted to ministerial and leadership training. He and his
wife Gloria and children reside in Tamale, Ghana. Email: alfredosafo@yahoo.com. WhatsApp: +233244223510
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