What do you think?
Rate this book
Diehard Sins: How to Fight Wisely against Destructive Daily Habits
Christians need to fight both big, obvious sins and commonplace, familiar sins—which can sneak in and become the hardest to kill of all. Pastor and counselor Rush Witt defines such diehard sins, presents an understandable overall doctrine of sin, and lays out a method for change that pits Christ and his provisions against the subtle, elusive sins that seem so unkillable.
216 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2018
53 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Rush Witt
4 books5 followersRush Witt is lead pastor of Paramount Church in Bexley, Ohio, and a certified counselor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 17, 2023
This is a wonderful book on fighting difficult sins. Rush Witt provides biblical insights into sin and the sinful heart and then provides practical advice on how to find victory in Christ. This book will admonish and encourage the believer who is struggling with sin.
June 23, 2023
Witt took the book in a very different direction than I anticipated, but I see a lot of wisdom in his approach to overcoming the sins that easily entangle.
His 3 main sections were 1) Enter with Joy into Your Struggle against Daily Sin, 2) Understand the True Needs of Your Heart, and 3) Bring Christ and His provisions to Your Fight.
Honestly, I was planning on giving the book 3 stars because it was solid but didn’t necessarily add much to the conversation. However, when I reached Part 3 that quickly changed. His emphasis on fighting sin in the community of faith was especially strong compared to most books I have read on this topic. I love his love for the local church, and his encouragement that rich preaching doesn’t prevent the need for counseling, but instead exposes the need for it. If you aren’t interested in reading the whole book, I’d highly recommend listening to the tenth chapter on “Fighting Sin in the Community of Faith” as I believe it will be a helpful resource.
His 3 main sections were 1) Enter with Joy into Your Struggle against Daily Sin, 2) Understand the True Needs of Your Heart, and 3) Bring Christ and His provisions to Your Fight.
Honestly, I was planning on giving the book 3 stars because it was solid but didn’t necessarily add much to the conversation. However, when I reached Part 3 that quickly changed. His emphasis on fighting sin in the community of faith was especially strong compared to most books I have read on this topic. I love his love for the local church, and his encouragement that rich preaching doesn’t prevent the need for counseling, but instead exposes the need for it. If you aren’t interested in reading the whole book, I’d highly recommend listening to the tenth chapter on “Fighting Sin in the Community of Faith” as I believe it will be a helpful resource.
April 30, 2020
Immensely helpful. Great to walk someone through it.
June 26, 2025
Great read. Easy to read and very practical.
October 28, 2019
In a lot of ways this was a great book. I appreciate the thought behind it and the reminders of how sin comes in and takes hold...maybe even areas we wouldn't consider sin, and yet the writing style could have been improved.
September 28, 2018
In “Diehard Sins” pastor and biblical counselor Rush Witt has provided the church with an insightful and practical help on how to deal with resilient sins. Witt finds that fine balance between biblical and practical by clearly demonstrating the truth of each principle and then by describing it’s use. The book is witty and well-illustrated. It reminds me of a more more accessible and more practical version of other books which have built upon the work of John Owen. Books like: “The Enemy Within” (Lundgaard), “Licensed to Kill” (Hedges), and perhaps even “Respectable Sins” (Bridges). However Witt’s unique contribution is a simple and flexible system or grid for how to battle these pesky sins.
Witt takes a three-fold approach to tackling these sins: 1) enter into the struggle 2) understand the true needs of your heart and 3) Bring Christ into the fight.
The book follows the familiar pattern of the counseling genre. Each chapter includes practical vignettes, theological and biblical insights and reflection questions which could serve as counseling growth assignments or discussion questions for a small group. The appendix is flexible, fantastically practical and designed for real-life usage. It includes: relevant (mostly puritan) quotes, recommended reading lists, additional application assignments, and a creative method for prayer.
Pastors and counselors will find many uses for this book and I expect to use in regularly in counseling. Small groups, Bible studies, and accountability groups will also find it useful as individuals work together to fight their die hard sins (see chapter 10).
I’m happy to see Witt’s contribution to the counseling and discipleship efforts of the church and hope that this book is the first of many more to come. Five out of Five Stars. Highly Recommended.
Witt takes a three-fold approach to tackling these sins: 1) enter into the struggle 2) understand the true needs of your heart and 3) Bring Christ into the fight.
The book follows the familiar pattern of the counseling genre. Each chapter includes practical vignettes, theological and biblical insights and reflection questions which could serve as counseling growth assignments or discussion questions for a small group. The appendix is flexible, fantastically practical and designed for real-life usage. It includes: relevant (mostly puritan) quotes, recommended reading lists, additional application assignments, and a creative method for prayer.
Pastors and counselors will find many uses for this book and I expect to use in regularly in counseling. Small groups, Bible studies, and accountability groups will also find it useful as individuals work together to fight their die hard sins (see chapter 10).
I’m happy to see Witt’s contribution to the counseling and discipleship efforts of the church and hope that this book is the first of many more to come. Five out of Five Stars. Highly Recommended.
July 17, 2019
Probably one of the best books I’ve read in 2019. It was very practical in handling sins and even though the author says not the “big hairy sins” but the small hard to kill sins...I think the wisdom in these pages can be applied to any sin within anyone. And ultimately it all points back to Christ! Great read!!
October 25, 2018
"Diehard Sins: How to Fight Wisely Against Destructive Daily Habits" by Rush Witt isn't a step by step instruct book on how to get rid of destructive daily habits but is a book that gives good advice and examples.
The author says we need to enter with joy into our struggles against these destructive habits and then we need to understand our real needs and then bring Christ and His provisions to our beliefs and desires.
I really like this quote from the book "Be killing sin or it will be killing you". The author points out that the Gospel isn't reading the Bible or the Christian life but that the Gospel is really the person of Jesus. The author encourages us to " Gospel First, Change Second".
Some of the destructive sins talked about in this book is not being considerate to others, not trusting God more consistently, gossiping, being lazy, and the author's own addiction to caffeine. The author quotes Dr.Martyn Lloyd-Jones from the book "Spiritual Depression: It's Causes and Its Cure" which at first reading I was confused but the more I considered this quote, I understood, so here is the quote, "Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?"
I recommend this book to everyone that has a destructive habit or habits in their lives that are literally destroying our joy and our Christian life.
I will close this review with another quote from the book as it is a reminder for us that the Gospel isn't a set of rules that we need to follow but rather " The gospel doesn't command us to do anything. Rather, the gospel is about Christ and what He has accomplished on our behalf through His eternal of redemption.
I was given a complimentary copy by the author and these opinions are my own.
The author says we need to enter with joy into our struggles against these destructive habits and then we need to understand our real needs and then bring Christ and His provisions to our beliefs and desires.
I really like this quote from the book "Be killing sin or it will be killing you". The author points out that the Gospel isn't reading the Bible or the Christian life but that the Gospel is really the person of Jesus. The author encourages us to " Gospel First, Change Second".
Some of the destructive sins talked about in this book is not being considerate to others, not trusting God more consistently, gossiping, being lazy, and the author's own addiction to caffeine. The author quotes Dr.Martyn Lloyd-Jones from the book "Spiritual Depression: It's Causes and Its Cure" which at first reading I was confused but the more I considered this quote, I understood, so here is the quote, "Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?"
I recommend this book to everyone that has a destructive habit or habits in their lives that are literally destroying our joy and our Christian life.
I will close this review with another quote from the book as it is a reminder for us that the Gospel isn't a set of rules that we need to follow but rather " The gospel doesn't command us to do anything. Rather, the gospel is about Christ and what He has accomplished on our behalf through His eternal of redemption.
I was given a complimentary copy by the author and these opinions are my own.
September 28, 2018
Rush Witt has written an excellent book instructing Christians on how to fight those diehard sins that won't seem to go away. Many books have been written about fighting and overcoming sin, but Witt's is helpful for several reasons:
Witt writes with a pastoral heart. He seeks to make his instruction accessible to the average Joe sitting in the pew. This isn't a book for scholars or theologians, though they can definitely benefit from it. Rather, regular churchgoers can gain insight and skills to the daily struggles with ongoing sins they face.
This book is gospel-saturated. I have read books before that do a great job of tying our practice and progress in holiness to the good news that Jesus died and rose again for us, but Witt connects every concept with the gospel. One of the greatest strengths of this book is that Witt helps you connect with the gospel in every part of the battle with sin, whether it's seeing the needs of our heart or utilizing God's resources for the battle.
Witt gives good practical advice for the journey as we seek to overcome sin. He reminds us that God has given us Himself, His Word, His Church, and His sacraments to utilize in the battle. The appendices contain helpful tools to put it all into practice in our every day lives. This isn't a "five steps to breaking free" book, but rather a book to equip us for the long battle that lies ahead.
All in all, this book is a must-read for Christians. We all struggle with those sins that just won't let go. Thank God for this book giving us help and hope for the battle, and may God bless Witt's efforts for the good of His church.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Witt writes with a pastoral heart. He seeks to make his instruction accessible to the average Joe sitting in the pew. This isn't a book for scholars or theologians, though they can definitely benefit from it. Rather, regular churchgoers can gain insight and skills to the daily struggles with ongoing sins they face.
This book is gospel-saturated. I have read books before that do a great job of tying our practice and progress in holiness to the good news that Jesus died and rose again for us, but Witt connects every concept with the gospel. One of the greatest strengths of this book is that Witt helps you connect with the gospel in every part of the battle with sin, whether it's seeing the needs of our heart or utilizing God's resources for the battle.
Witt gives good practical advice for the journey as we seek to overcome sin. He reminds us that God has given us Himself, His Word, His Church, and His sacraments to utilize in the battle. The appendices contain helpful tools to put it all into practice in our every day lives. This isn't a "five steps to breaking free" book, but rather a book to equip us for the long battle that lies ahead.
All in all, this book is a must-read for Christians. We all struggle with those sins that just won't let go. Thank God for this book giving us help and hope for the battle, and may God bless Witt's efforts for the good of His church.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2018
This book managed to be the book I've been searching for this entire year. I am so glad it was finally published. If you are looking for a book that will sum for you the teaching of Scripture as well as the insights of great theologians throughout history on remaining sin, this is it. You don't need to look any further. I have found books on this topic that enlarge my view of God but left me feeling hopeless and stuck. I have found books on this topic that invigorated me to action but ultimately did not help to foster any lasting change because their action plans ended up driving me back to burn-out-inducing self-striving. This book carefully threads the needle between those cliffs. This book will help you see how God is glorified as you repeatedly fail to keep his law. It will help you to see how he is working in and through and with you to grow you, no matter how slowly. It will remind you that Scripture clearly states that change is possible, that we must kill our sin. It will lay out action plans for being in Scripture and in church community that I am convinced can really help root out sin in our lives.
My only wish for this book was that there would be a few examples of taking one specific kind of die hard sin, or a few, and applying the concrete steps from Chapters 8 and 9 and Appendix A to it a little more carefully. A real example from the author's life, the life of a counselee who consented to share her story, or even an amalgamation of people would have been helpful. Still, there was enough detail there that one can put it together from the instructions without an illustration.
My only wish for this book was that there would be a few examples of taking one specific kind of die hard sin, or a few, and applying the concrete steps from Chapters 8 and 9 and Appendix A to it a little more carefully. A real example from the author's life, the life of a counselee who consented to share her story, or even an amalgamation of people would have been helpful. Still, there was enough detail there that one can put it together from the instructions without an illustration.
May 14, 2024
Diehard sins! Where do i begin. This book gave me a fresh challenging perspective on sin in my life. Rush Witt does a great job of sharing at the beginning of each chapter a different person and their sin struggle. Then he goes on to talk about the good news of living in the reality of the gospel first in order to combat sin. He even covers habits. This book opened my eyes to potential areas of sin that on the surface the world may actually praise or not see an issue with. Christ never loses sight of us. Easy and challenging read. 8.5/10
1. “I believe that every true follower of Christ has felt in some way what Carl feels: discouragement and even despair over their remaining sin.”
2. “God also calls us to be always repenting.”
3. “One of the most important Christian freedoms — and one of the most neglected— is the freedom to look our sin in the face.”
4. “There is good news: your identity is not unsalvegable. It is preserved by Christ, who never loses sight of you.”
5. “In Christ, we are free to confess our sins honestly, knowing that with Him there is grace in grace and a real plan for change.”
If you have ever felt discouraged by sin in your life then read this book.
1. “I believe that every true follower of Christ has felt in some way what Carl feels: discouragement and even despair over their remaining sin.”
2. “God also calls us to be always repenting.”
3. “One of the most important Christian freedoms — and one of the most neglected— is the freedom to look our sin in the face.”
4. “There is good news: your identity is not unsalvegable. It is preserved by Christ, who never loses sight of you.”
5. “In Christ, we are free to confess our sins honestly, knowing that with Him there is grace in grace and a real plan for change.”
If you have ever felt discouraged by sin in your life then read this book.
October 29, 2018
We are all fighting against sin, but there are sins that seem difficult to overcome. This is because we have not seriously considered our fight or are using the wrong weapons or inappropriately.
This is not a book of "how to overcome sin in 24 hours" or "free from sin forever", but on the contrary, it is a book that first shows us sin from a theological perspective, followed by a confrontation towards us about the condition of our heart. Do we really want to follow our Lord and fight against sin?
The book is divided into three parts:
The first one talks about sin in a theological way. Please do not skip this part, as it is very important.
The second part confronts us and makes us see, what is our focus in life, who is our Lord and what we truly love.
Finally, the author shows us ideas to fight sin in a biblical way and in dependence on the grace of God. Because sin, we can not overcome it in our own strength.
It is a book that confronts and that consoles. A necessary reading in these times. Thank you P & R Publishing for the digital copy to review
This is not a book of "how to overcome sin in 24 hours" or "free from sin forever", but on the contrary, it is a book that first shows us sin from a theological perspective, followed by a confrontation towards us about the condition of our heart. Do we really want to follow our Lord and fight against sin?
The book is divided into three parts:
The first one talks about sin in a theological way. Please do not skip this part, as it is very important.
The second part confronts us and makes us see, what is our focus in life, who is our Lord and what we truly love.
Finally, the author shows us ideas to fight sin in a biblical way and in dependence on the grace of God. Because sin, we can not overcome it in our own strength.
It is a book that confronts and that consoles. A necessary reading in these times. Thank you P & R Publishing for the digital copy to review
September 28, 2018
As Christians, we often find ourselves weighted down by our sin. This book brings phenomenal hope and help to the everyday battle of killing sin in the Christian life. Rush writes the book from personal experience in his own life and the many lives he’s counseled others in his ministry that speaks grace and conviction through the Word of Christ to his readers.
This is a practical guide with reflection questions and cases that certainly will be a help for the Church in discipleship, small groups, counseling, and individuals in their walk of sanctification. It’s been especially helpful to me reflecting on the little sins in my life that easily go unnoticed; how to be more aware of them, repent quickly and keep fighting when temptations return.
This is a practical guide with reflection questions and cases that certainly will be a help for the Church in discipleship, small groups, counseling, and individuals in their walk of sanctification. It’s been especially helpful to me reflecting on the little sins in my life that easily go unnoticed; how to be more aware of them, repent quickly and keep fighting when temptations return.
May 3, 2021
A fantastic book about how to fight pervasive “baby” sins. Whether it’s doubt, fear, cheating, or anything less than murder. Witt walks you through what Grace looks like in every chapter. Each chapter is full of hope for the follower of Christ.
I gave it 4 stars because I was hoping for a deeper dive into the pervasiveness of sin, however, I would not pass up an opportunity to recommend this book, especially to the new Christian who needs help understanding that sin is sin and there is ALWAYS hope, even if your stuck in it.
I also like the appendixes and will probably refer to them from time to time.
For further reading about diehard sins such as the ones mentioned in this book I recommend Redemption by Mike Wilkerson and You Can Change by Tim Chester.
I gave it 4 stars because I was hoping for a deeper dive into the pervasiveness of sin, however, I would not pass up an opportunity to recommend this book, especially to the new Christian who needs help understanding that sin is sin and there is ALWAYS hope, even if your stuck in it.
I also like the appendixes and will probably refer to them from time to time.
For further reading about diehard sins such as the ones mentioned in this book I recommend Redemption by Mike Wilkerson and You Can Change by Tim Chester.
January 3, 2024
“No matter how entrenched your destructive daily habits have become, you can change. Change may not come as quickly as you would like or with a level of ease that you prefer, but change is promised in Christ. We, the people of God, are all moving forward together, at different speeds and in different ways. You are not alone. Together, God’s people are marching toward a day of complete renewal; and, with each passing day, His grace will be sufficient to the very end.”
July 1, 2023
Invaluable truths
We all struggle with these pesky sins and Rush Witt has given me insights and biblical truth to help me mortify sins that so easily entangle so I can run the race of faith with my eyes focused on Jesus Christ author and perfecter of my salvation my King and my Savior.
We all struggle with these pesky sins and Rush Witt has given me insights and biblical truth to help me mortify sins that so easily entangle so I can run the race of faith with my eyes focused on Jesus Christ author and perfecter of my salvation my King and my Savior.
December 21, 2021
Very good book on sin, forgiveness, life, spirit, and more.
Very accessible Christian read.
I enjoyed it a ton.
Would recommend
4.4/5
Very accessible Christian read.
I enjoyed it a ton.
Would recommend
4.4/5
August 3, 2023
Good book I picked up from Thriftbooks. Easy, engaging read that gives a lot to think about and shows how important the local Church is.
February 20, 2024
It was scriptural, knowledgeable and practical.
March 18, 2024
Excellent Resource on fighting sin. This would be a great counseling resource to work people through.
November 9, 2024
Good introduction to killing sin
December 17, 2024
This was so good. Written by a pastor/counselor, this easy to read book is chalk full of gospel and Scriptural help.
July 29, 2025
Good, basic principles.
March 16, 2019
Really good book that tackles the sins we ignore.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews