I attended summer camp in the north woods of Wisconsin for many years as a teenager. These were some of the best times of my life, with one exception. There was one worry we all had: being bit by a community of large black flies. At night, if these huge flies got into your cabin, talk about lights on, all hands on deck. You have heard the phrase “dropping like flies.” Well, we had to use our tennis rackets to save our lives. They left a wicked bite on you if unprotected. All day and night, they just wouldn’t let you rest. They were always bugging you.

What pestering fly is after you? The black flies in June and July bothered our bodies, but the kind of flies I am referring to impact and affect our souls on a daily basis. In the same way the flies had a goal of attacking and destroying, our souls are vulnerable to influences that can lead us to lives either of growth or stagnation. That leads me to three questions.

What is the soul?

John Ortberg gives a definition in his book Soul Keeping. “It (soul) is the deepest part of you, and it is the whole person. Your soul is what integrates your will (your intentions), your mind (your thoughts and feelings, your values and conscience), and your body (your face, body language, and actions) into a single life.” The soul integrates who I am and who God wired me to be.

Similar to a plant needing nutrients and sunlight, my soul needs sustenance to grow. Colossians 3:12-13 lists a number of essentials that when put into practice matures our souls toward wholeness. “Dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense” (The Message). These Christ-like qualities, when exercised, produce a well-watered soul.

Colossians 3:15-17 adds a few results that come from a replenished soul. We experience “the peace of Christ” and the “Word of Christ—the Message has the run of the house.” Growing, renewed souls start to “sing their hearts out to God” with hearts full of gratefulness and “thankfulness to God the Father every step of the way.”

Can anything devastate our souls? If you cannot see the soul, how can it actually be harmed? Remember the soul is the deepest part of you, so although it’s invisible, there are still ways to obliterate my inner core. Paul lists some soul killers in Colossians 3, including sexual immorality, lust, evil desires, rage, malice, slander, filthy language and greed. The bottom line is that sin demolishes our souls of being wholly and truly alive. Sin in the Greek language means to “miss the mark.” So when we sin, we do more than just hurt others or ourselves; our souls are weakened, bruised and eventually crushed is sin continues.

How do we recover a dying soul? A youth worker recently confessed to me that he has been addicted to pornography for more than 10 years, and his confession was his first step to come clean. Another youth worker shared with me that he’s not sure if God really loves him. He added, “I have not read my Bible in more than a year.”

Colossians 3:5 offers a decisive remedy: “put to death.”

Put to death the black fly, the killer of your soul. No matter what the sin is, “take it out.” That might mean leaving the ministry for a season, finding an excellent therapist, joining a support group, throwing out whatever is toxic, or giving up your dream (pride) of being famous.

Pastor Ray Johnston often says, “Sin fascinates, then assassinates.” What is the sin that is trying to assassinate your soul? Kill whatever it is that is damaging your soul. Kill the soul killer. Let it go. Start walking in a newfound freedom.

David Olshine is the author of Youth Ministry: What’s Gone Wrong and How to Get it Right (Abingdon Press) and the new Studies on the Go: James 1-2 Peter and 1-3 John (Zondervan/Youth Specialties).