Struggles

Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." I'm one of those in the "all" category-each and every one of us is! So that means that I'm not perfect. I never have been, and I never will be-just ask my siblings! Even though Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I have a relationship with Him, in my human frailty, I still struggle with my old sin nature. Even the apostle Paul, one of the heroes of the faith noted in Romans 7:14-25 that he struggled with sin nature. The Bible doesn't promise or even hint that you won't struggle with sin once you've become a Christian, but it does say that the Holy Spirit will work in your life to help you fight the battle against the flesh. 
All Christians have struggles, and I'm definitely not exempt. Lately, I've been struggling with being independent. I've also noticed that my (and every Christian's) adversary, the devil, has also spotted my weakness very quickly.
Dear reader, the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil is our enemy, and he prowls about seeking whom he may devour. Well, I've learned that once the devil detects a vulnerable flaw in your life, he promptly attacks with lies that are both cunning and deceiving.
 Recently, the lies he's been feeding me sound something like this: "You don't need any body's help-you're 16, almost 17! You're nearly an adult...they all think you're still a little kid and you can't do it...they think they're more capable than you are and that you're not smart enough to do this...you don't need them, you don't need anyone! You are self-sufficient." And, dear reader, can you believe that sometimes I'm so dumb that I listen to these fibs? 
Thank goodness though for one of the strongest weapons against the devil-the Sword of the Spirit! I'm reminded through God's word again and again that I can't do everything on my own-I need other people and I need their help! But most importantly, I need Jesus. I can't do anything without Him, no matter what my old sin nature may say. Without Him, I'd be a useless, helpless, hopeless, abysmal wreck.
But do you know what's really cool about God?  He always gives second chances! Even when I reject His hand, thinking that I can do it on my own, He's always there with His strong, uplifting arm to pick me back up after I've fallen flat on my face into the slime of failure.
 I'd appreciate your prayers, and I'd love to be able to  pray for you as you wage war against your own battles! May we, through Christ, be victorious!