How many times have you known what you should do, but you ignore it or you do the exact opposite? Then you sit around feeling horrible for the thing you just did or because you did nothing when you knew you should’ve done something? If you are human (and honest), your answer was probably something like “All the time!” and with good reason. You are human. It’s an issue Paul struggled with often. In Romans 7:21, he says, “when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.” He goes on to describe himself as miserable, stating that “there’s another power within me that is at war with my mind.” Sound familiar? Anyone else find themselves feeling like a miserable person? It’s good to know we are not alone.
Reality #1: Humans are sinful creatures. We have a sinful nature. Period. Paul said, “I am all too human, a slave to sin.” And how crazy is it that when boundaries are drawn (like the law), it’s our own sinful hearts that desire to cross them! Our rebelliousness kicks in and we become weak to its power. It’s scary to me that our sinful nature “is always hostile to God,” which means it is always fighting against God. Romans 8:8 adds that “those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.” Paul’s words. Not mine. Never please God? That’s a huge statement. One that causes me to look for answers...a way out.
Reality #2: The answer is in Jesus. Romans 8:2 says, “because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” The law couldn’t give us salvation or freedom from ourselves. So God did what the law could not. He sent Jesus. We are no longer captive to the power of sin. Through Jesus, the power of sin is broken and we are alive to God! Sin is no longer our master.
Reality #3: There is a constant battle inside of us. Sin will always want to be the master, the controlling force in our lives. It will falsely promise satisfaction. My pastor explains it like this: “The devil can’t create anything, so he takes the old you and tries to make it appealing.” Sin deceives, and when given the opportunity, it will destroy you. The battle inside of us is a battle for our identity. Pastor D challenges us to “declare war on the version of yourself that you don’t want to be.” How do I do that?!?
Reality #4: The answer is in Jesus. Before Jesus, we had no choice but to sin. It’s inevitable. It’s who we were. When we accepted Jesus and His victory over sin in us, we were free. We belong to Him, and we are a new creature. We now have the ability to choose who we will obey. Romans 6:12 says, “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.” We now have a way to avoid giving sin the opportunity to rule over our lives! Sin no longer has to be your master. We are free!! Free to live holy before God.
Reality #5: The choice to become a slave to righteous living is not always easy. Remember, there’s a constant battle inside of us. Think of any battle in history. You know battles are hard. The two conflicting sides will go to any extreme necessary to get the victory. In our lives, it’s no different. The battle for control is hard. Remember Paul? He said, “In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature, I am a slave to sin.” It will always be a battle. One that we won’t win on our own. We can’t. But we CAN choose WHO wins in our lives. Now, how do I do that?!?! How do I make the choice to not follow my sinful nature, but instead be led by the Spirit?
Reality #6: The answer is in Jesus. Let’s travel back in time to just before the death of Jesus. Peter, who loved Jesus and was one of His followers, was predicted to deny his Lord. Not just once, but three times. You know the story. After Jesus was arrested, Peter joined the guards in the courtyard. Sitting by the fire, he denied knowing Jesus three times. The prediction came true. Realizing what had happened, Peter runs away in tears. Luke 22:54 says that after Jesus was arrested, “Peter followed at a distance.” He was concerned, but he didn’t have the courage to be clearly associated with Jesus. What if that distance made it easier for him to deny Jesus? How often are we trying to do the right thing, but we find it easier to follow our sinful nature? Maybe it’s because we are trying to follow Jesus at a distance. We want to follow Jesus, but we try to hold on to things in our lives that hinder us from being who God truly intends for us to be. James 4:8 in the Passion Translation says to “move your heart closer and closer to God, and He will come even closer to you.” It’s time to stop following Jesus at a distance. If we are continually positioning ourselves as close as possible to Jesus, it will be harder to deny Him.
In this battle for control, we must ask ourselves this question: Where is my mind set? Are we dominated by our sinful nature or are we controlled by the Holy Spirit? If we truly belong to Jesus, we have the victory over sin. We win. Not because of us, but because of who we are in Jesus. Distancing ourselves from Him gives sin the opportunity to deceive us into believing a lie about our identity. It’s time to draw close. Make the choice to live as a beloved child of God...one who is moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit.
