Falling Off the Wagon

Yup - it's been awhile. Blogging fell out of fashion for me, and at some point one realizes that documenting life can easily crowd out the living of life (consequently why I still have a completely blank scrapbook from college). But winter affords some extra moments of reflection, much moreso than the busyness of summer.
We're getting hammered with snow here in WPA - for the past 3 days it's been a losing battle to shovel or plow - by the time you're finished, it's time to start again. Of course there's a spiritual lesson to be had here...
It feels like that with sin sometimes, doesn't it? You've been weeping and praying and striving to rid yourself of one particular blot - whether it's a porn addiction or a pride addiction - and one day you realize you've been delivered! Praise God! And so as you celebrate that triumph over that sin, you begin to realize that there are others. God deals with our stuff as we can handle it. And so with His help, you begin to tackle the next one.
But every now and then, the old desires that led you into those sins that have been vanquished - well, those desires crop up again! You thought they were dead, and lo and behold, they're back. What a haunting experience that is! What a need we have for daily grace!
I've been trying to figure out just what this tension is between Victory in Christ/Death to the Sinful Nature and Recurring Temptation/Falling Into Sinful Patterns Again.
One pastor has said that he's sick of hearing about "the battle" - that it's been won and we shouldn't still be fighting it. I don't know about him, but I haven't reached the Winner's Circle just yet! I claim victory over sin and death through the grace of Jesus Christ, but man, some days I just can't get anything right. I don't quite know how that all fits together in real life. I have a hunch that repentance plays a key role, but I don't have it figured out.
All I know is that I'm thankful for a God who is over and above all - Who is First and Last, Author and Finisher. I'm ever so thankful that He reigns and will continue to reign, and that He has chosen to redeem my soul.
All glory, praise and honor to the Lord!