Shame, Guilt, & Condemnation Outline

Link for the Video Teaching: https://youtu.be/6NF6b80M9Ro?si=GxUtHneBVIKbxs8c

Definition

Shame: a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior, a self-conscious emotion arising from the sense that something is fundamentally wrong about oneself. Based on fact or perceived wrong.

Guilt: the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime, a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, or wrong-whether real or imagined.

Condemnation: the expression of very strong disapproval, censure, to pronounce to be guilty, to sentence to punishment, or to pass judgment against.

The accuser (demons) condemns us.

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night.

Zechariah 3:1-2 Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua’s right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Even the Lord, who [now and ever] has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched and rescued from the fire?”

Job 2:1-3 Again there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered and reflected on My servant Job? For there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God [with reverence] and abstains from and turns away from evil [because he honors God]. And still he maintains and holds tightly to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.”

Symptoms

Shame: feel inadequate, low self-worth, self-hatred, self-doubt, wanting to disappear, running from God, loss of dignity, deep emotional pain, hiding from self and others.

Example: Adam and Eve

Genesis 3: Eve was tricked by Satan then she and Adam sinned against God which resulted in a curse, a broken relationship with God, and shame.  

Genesis 3:8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Guilt: feelings of deserving blame from an offense, self-reproach, being sensitive to the effects of every action, fear of doing wrong, overwhelmed by possibly making the wrong decision, low self-esteem, putting others before yourself until it’ detrimental, avoiding the full range of emotions.

Condemnation: unforgiveness toward self, you feel if people really know you they would not like you, unaccepted, unloved, unwanted by God and people, never pleased with yourself, never feel like God is pleased with you, never feel like God loves you, have a critical spirit towards yourself and others, feel unworthy, feel angry and frustrated with yourself.

Shame, guilt, and condemnation can turn us into a shell of ourselves. It can cause us to hide from God, others, and even ourselves. It can cause huge walls to be erected around our hearts and lives.

It can also cause us to get taken advantage of because we do not know how to say no to others or we do not feel like we deserve better in life. It can even cause us to become victims of physical and or emotional abuse.

Causes of Shame, Guilt, and Condemnation

Sin can cause guilt and shame and that is not a bad thing—if it runs us toward God. When we sin and mess up a result is feelings of shame, guilt, and conviction. Conviction is very different than condemnation. Shame and guilt is a good thing if we respond by repenting and turning away from the sin and toward God. But if the guilt and shame comes with condemnation it is from the enemy. The enemy condemns us to run us away from God and God convicts to draw us closer to Him and make us more like Him.

Unrepentant sin can lead to extended seasons of guilt and shame which the enemy can then use to turn into condemnation. Repentance requires: an acknowledge of wrong doing, being sorry over our behavior/sin, and then action. The action is turning from the old self, patterns of sin, old choices, old behavior, and becoming more like Him. If our repentance does not include all steps it is not really repentance. It always includes a choice and then action. Shame and guilt that extends past repentance and becomes torment is more than likely from the enemy which is used to run us away from God and sideline us from our Godly calling and purpose.

I am going to be addressing the issue of feeling shame, guilt, and condemnation after repentance. The kind that hangs on and creates torment.

How to Get Free

Get to the root cause of the same, guilt, and condemnation.

Questions to ask yourself to get to the root cause when you feel shame, guilt, and condemnation:

Why do you feel shame, guilt, or condemnation? Is it based on sin, the enemy, or something else?

Are you feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit or are you being condemned by demons? Learn to recognize the difference.

If it is the Holy Spirit, it sounds like this: Come to God to get forgiveness and your sin under the blood of Jesus.

If it is demons it sounds like this: You are bad, you will never get it right, God cannot love you, you have went to far, you will always mess up, just give up.

If it is God—what do you need to repent of? Confess the sin and then stand by faith that it has been forgiven.

If it is demons—recognize any lies you have believed, come out of agreement with them, pull them down in the name of Jesus, and replace them with the truth found in God’s Word.  

If it is people: Ask yourself if there is any basis to what they are saying (take a real look at yourself).  

If yes—ask forgiveness from God, them, and change your behavior.

If no—pray for them, but do not let them dictate your behavior or the way you see yourself.

The enemy often uses those around us to attack us the most. We are not responsible for how others feel about us. We are only responsible for our actions and how we treat others.  

We must ask ourselves if we are walking in the fruit if the Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If so, we know we are doing what we should and we cannot let the opinion of others control us.

Are you a people pleaser? Do you feel shame, guilt, and condemnation when think others are not happy with your or do not like you?

Ask God to expose the root cause of your feelings.

Ask Him to uproot it, heal those places in your heart, and then create Godly boundaries with Him for the people in your life.

Walk in the identity He has given you.

Surrender to Him and do what He has called you to do—nothing more and nothing less. When you are doing this you never have to worry about not doing or being enough.

Do not let others put expectations on you or tell you how much you should be doing (for them and others). Do what God tells you to do.

Fully understand repentance. It is a change of heart, mind, and direction. Once you are forgiven He cast your sin as far as the East is from the West and brings it to remembrance no more.  If you are being accused and attacked after repentance that is always the enemy.

The enemy is accusing us day and night Rev. 12:10. We hear those demonic attacks in our mind.

May times we call it negative self-talk, but it is actually demons.  If you can change the negative thoughts it is you, if you can’t it is demons.

Keep in mind that being forgiven does not always mean we will not walk through the consequences of our actions, but even when that is the case we can walk through them without guilt, shame, and condemnation. We can use them as learning and growing experiences.

Jesus carried our sin, shame, and guilt and in exchange He gave us access to forgiveness and redemption though Him. Because of Him we can be free from shame guilt, and condemnation. Choose to walk in the freedom and reject the bondage of shame, guilt, and condemnation.  

Ask for forgiveness from others if needed for past or current mistakes

Do not allow them to keep you stuck in the past

Show them you have changed by being difference

We cannot change the past, but we can make today different-different from this day forward

Do not continue being who you were. Make different choices, be different, refuse to fall back into old patterns, and do not allow others to keep you stuck in who you were.

Use the weapons of spiritual warfare and resist every single lie of the enemy. Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. James 4:7. Reject every single lie and pull down every thought that is not from God. 2 Corinthians 10:5. Replace every single lie with the truth found in Gods Word. You are forgiven and your sins are not being held against. Do not allow the enemy or others make you feel differently.

Go through deliverance (close doors to demons, cast them out in the name of Jesus) if needed.

Being caught in shame, guilt and condemnation will keep us from ever moving forward in life. If we are continually looking back will keep us from looking and moving forward. It is bondage of the enemy.

Make this one of your life verses and use it to measure your thoughts:

Philippians 4:8 Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

Blessings,

Nichole Henson, MSW

Fullness of Joy Ministry