Being haunted is an outside source of affliction, seeming to be a phantom, who delivers spiritual or psychological distress. It is a passive thing. Being haunted by previous sin can be debilitating. It consumes thoughts and energy. Ruminating on the sin can lead to a rapid heart rate and a compressed chest. David spoke of this in Psalm 32.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Guilt can haunt you and it can be tough to shed. Just as being haunted is passive, so the solution is active. God acting his forgiveness in me. David began Psalm 32 with this.
1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
Jesus covers my sins in his blood. They can't oppress me or haunt me. They have no control over me. This leads me to openly confess them to God and he will uproot the guilt and give me freedom.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD”—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
"God, I am sorry." "My child, I forgive you. Be free." How beautiful forgiveness is. It is liberating. It allows my chest to breath and my heart to slow. I am restored.