For real spiritual victory, your will must be broken. We are like that horse my son got when he first got out of the army. Ben got a wild mustang that wasn’t must good for anything. You couldn’t ride him. You couldn’t use him to pull a buggy. It was even risky to be around him. He might bite you or kick you. But Ben broke his will without breaking his spirit. Through gentle, but firm, commands – with a little painful discipline and much reward for correct choices, he tamed that horse and it became useful and productive.
We are like that mustang. Some of you were dangerous in your wild days. You weren’t much good for anything either. But God began his process of taming you. He used some pain in your life and a lot of ‘attaboys’. And He is still in the process. You won’t be much good to Him or to yourself until you submit to His will.