Here are some helpful tips to improve your results. Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. When the ground is hard and dry, weeds are highly resistant to being uprooted. But when a soaking rain softens the soil, they yield quite readily. I've also noticed that the youngest weeds are easier to remove and the older ones are more stubborn.
Bad habits are like that.
The longer they remain, the more difficult they are to remove. If we uproot them early, when our heart is tender toward God's love, we will have the best chance for success. These truths can soften the soil of a hard heart. A passive faith won't kill a bad habit. Faith must actively apply these truths.