Strong in the Lord!

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. - Ephesians 6:10-13

I have been dealing with a lot of sin lately; temptation that is so strong I cannot resist it. Every time I pray about it and ask for forgiveness I will say - "Lord help me with this." & Then I go along my merry way because I've been forgiven and I'm expecting God to do all of the work. I try to fight it myself, but rarely spend any time in the Word or in prayer seeking wisdom from Him. This verse puts it plainly: be strong in the Lord. Not strong in Amy's awesomeness or my strong will. Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
I am a human being, this is true. & Naturally, as humans, we think we can do it all on our own. It's drilled into our brains; that's how our society works. However, when I accepted Christ as my Saviour, I began to realize that's not really how it goes. God is the reason I am anything. He is the reason I am going to Heaven. He is the only good living within me, because I am a natural born sinner; an offender of His just and righteous law. He is my hope and salvation. Why should I think that I can do anything without Him?
So ofcourse, I have a problem with asking for God's help repeatedly in the same situation. It makes me feel powerless and weak. I am a prideful person; I never ask for help on our bills or anything of the sort. I have always been a pull yourself up and do it yourself kind of girl. However, I remember a time when I was desperate for God. Yes, desperate. I needed my Bible anywhere I went, I clung to it's words, and I needed God. I didn't do it to show off and say I'm a better Christian than you. I was weak and I needed God's strength, which far exceeds my own. I prayed repeatedly the same prayer, even if it felt stupid to constantly be asking for help every time I fell. I must say I felt so much joy and peace, because I was being strong in the Lord. I was walking in His strength and grace. I didn't feel powerless or depressed; not in the slightest.
God asks His children to be humble and I think that is a big part of it, even after you get saved. Getting saved is humbling your heart, but you have to continue to do so even after you get right with God. We'll all sin repeatedly; perfection doesn't come until death. We have to continually go back to the cross, where we first saw the light, and confess. After that, we need to keep talking to God about it. Keep seeking His perfect wisdom in His Word and praying fervently. God isn't like our human friends - He doesn't get annoyed when we ring Him up eighty times a day asking for help with this or that. Actually, He prefers it. He delights in it.
I guess what I am trying to say here is that I need to realize I am not perfect, I can't do things on my own, and that I need God in every aspect of my life. I naturally try to do it on my own and ultimately always fail. By His grace (yes, that is a very real and favorite term in my life), I can get through any obstacle and overcome sin. That isn't a get off easy card, because God still speaks of trials and tribulations for His people. However, I'd rather be doing it with my Father's hand than be doing it alone.