Two kinds of guilt
There's two kinds of guilt in the Bible. There's godly sorrow that leads a person to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), which is known as conviction and it comes from the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). Once a person repents, the guilt lifts and they feel relieved and joyful that their sin(s) have been forgiven. Then there's another kind of guilt, and that's condemnation or accusations from the devil. Satan loves to torment God's people by reminding them of their past, and continually holding their sins before them even after their sins have been forgiven. This is condemnation, and there is no good that comes out of it whatsoever. It tears us down, makes us feel dirty, unworthy and robs of us of our faith and confidence in Christ Jesus. It's a lie from the father of lies (John 8:44), and it needs to be ignored.
Guilt is an open door to the enemy
I have seen how guilt can be an open door to be tormented by evil spirits. False guilt is actually a symptom of unforgiveness in your heart that is directed at yourself. In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus tells us how important it is to forgive those who have wronged us, and how we can be turned over to the tormenters (evil spirits) if we are unforgiving. Colossians 3:13 tells us to be, "...forgiving one another..." The phrase 'one another' includes ourselves! Bitterness, regardless who or what it's about, defiles a man (Hebrews 12:15). Spiritual defilement is what makes a person open to unclean spirits. It is very possible for a person to be harassed by evil spirits or come under their power, just because a person has refused to forgive their self.
How guilt is cultivated and nurtured
Guilt is cultivated when you continually allow yourself to dwell and think about how badly you've messed up, your pasts, the sins you've committed, etc. The enemy loves to remind us of our past failures, so he can keep us thinking about them. The problem is, if we allow ourselves to fall for this trap, it allows the enemy to build a stronghold in our minds. It's best to learn what is going on, and stop Satan dead in his tracks. Learn the difference between condemnation and conviction, and stop listening to condemnation. Condemnation comes from the devil, and it's meant to build a stronghold in your mind and weaken you spiritually.
The stronghold of guilt
When a person who has repented of their sin(s) but continually feels guilty day after day, even after being told that their past has been washed away and their sins have been forgiven, is facing what is call a stronghold. A stronghold is a lie that is believed, which results in an incorrect thinking pattern. The stronghold of guilt is often not alone, it is usually accompanied with an incorrect perception of self or an incorrect perception of God (which are both strongholds in themselves). People who have a stronghold of guilt rarely see God for who He really is (including His awesome forgiving nature) or they don't see themselves correctly. They are new creations in Christ, and their sin has been washed away (2 Corinthians 5:17), but they simply don't believe it because they have a stronghold in their mind that needs to be torn down.
How to deal with guilt
1) Understand the nature of God's forgiveness towards you. (Isaiah 43:25)
2) Repent of your sin(s) if you haven't already done so. The big key to being forgiven is repentance. (Acts 3:19, 17:30, 26:20; 2 Corinthians 7:10)
3) Know that your past sins have been forgiven, and that you are now clean in Christ Jesus. Stop thinking about your past sins and start thinking about the new person you are in Christ. We are NEVER told to mull around our past sins, but rather to forget the things which are behind and press forward. (Philippians 3:13, "...this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.")
4) Forgive yourself! Jesus made it clear that we are to be forgiving, and that includes forgiving yourself. You need to release yourself from the bondage of unforgiveness. If God chose to forgive you, who are you to hang onto something that God chose to let go of? This is a major source of bondage, and I can't stress how vital it is for you to release yourself from your past. It is vital to be forgiving towards yourself!! Bitterness (the fruit of unforgiveness), regardless who or what it's about, defiles a man (Hebrews 12:15).
If a stronghold of guilt exists, then the feelings of guilt may not disappear overnight, because strongholds need to be torn down by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). A great place to start is learning how to recognize condemnation from the devil, and stop paying attention to it. Once you know the difference between condemnation and conviction and can recognize condemnation when it's thrown at you, you need to guard your thoughts, and when you see condemnation coming your way, pay no attention to it. Treat it for what it really is... a lie from the devil.
The Blood of Jesus takes sin away
(Read the text of Hebrews 10:1-22)
In the Old Testament, they used to offer sacrifices each year to cover the people's sins. The blood of Jesus does far more then cover sins, it takes them away. It removes them from your identity... it removes them from you as far as the east to the west! Psalms 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."
Ø Revelation 1:5, "And from Jesus Christ, who... washed us from our sins in His own blood."
Ø Psalms 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us."
Ø Matthew 26:28, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
God knew that if He didn't forget our sins, they would forever be before Him, and it would hinder the closeness that He desires to have with us. Therefore, God Himself said that for His own sake, He chose to not only forgive your sins, but also forget them and cast them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).
Ø Hebrews 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
Not only did God chose to forget your sins, but He also wants you to forget them as well. God's Word tells us to, "...draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22)
Worship is one of the most intimate ways in which we commune with God. Jesus tells us that, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24) The truth is, if we have repented of our sins, and believe upon the blood of Jesus to wash us clean, then we are clean from those sins, and if we approach God in worship with a dirty conscience, we won't be approaching Him in truth. Hebrews 10:2 tells us how worshipers should have a conscience clean from sin, "...the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins." God doesn't want us hanging onto our pasts when we come to worship Him! He wants us to approach Him through worship from a conscience washed in the Blood of the Lamb!
