The engineers who built the Panama Canal had to overcome some of the greatest engineering problems of all time; but there was one problem that nearly beat them. It was yellow fever – the disease that killed the workers like flies. Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes, but every attempt to kill the mosquitoes failed. Finally someone came up with a ridiculously simple solution. They drained the swamps where the mosquitoes bred, thereby depriving them of their food. Eventually the mosquitoes died out and so did yellow fever.
That same strategy is the only way we rid ourselves of those compulsive behaviours that have us beaten and destroy our lives. The Bible says:’But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to feed sinful desires.’ We may not be able destroy them directly, but we can deprive them of the things they feed on.