Throughout the three decades I've served as a discipler of men, the matter of how to live in victory over sin comes up again and again. It should, of course, since sin is the number one hindrance to our fellowship with God, which fellowship is at the heart of walking with God, the heart of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:9; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 1:3) Many times, I've encountered men desperate to be free of various besetting sins, frustrated and despairing of ever breaking the bondage they're in to lust, or anxiety, or temper, or passivity, or addiction. But God has a way of escape from all sin. And that way is described by Paul the apostle in his letter to the believers in Rome.
Sin of whatever sort always invites us to do two things:
1.) Deny who we are as "new creatures in Christ."
2.) Stand in God's place in our lives.
To the first invitation of sin, Paul writes in Romans 6, "What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid! How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1-2) Paul goes on to describe what is true of the born-again believer, in particular pointing out that the "old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Romans 6:6) As a result of this condition, the Christian person may always stand free of the power of Sin and Self and its powerfully hindering effect upon their walk with God. All the Christian must do is stand, by faith, in the truth of who they are in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Paul puts it this way:
Romans 6:11-12 (NASB)
11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
When Sin's invitation to deny this reality confronts the believer, they must stand by faith upon the truth of their identity in Jesus, refusing to be moved from it, no matter what they feel or experience.
Doing so is going to be only partially effective if it is not united to what Paul described in the last half of Romans 6: Submission to God. In this, Paul addresses the second invitation of sin, which is to stand in one's life in the place of God, self-directed, following one's own will and way rather than His. Doing so is, essentially, rebellion toward God. No rebel toward God will be filled with who He is, with His power, love, joy and peace; and without God's enabling power, sin cannot be overcome (no matter how many verses one stands on concerning one's identity in Christ). So it is that Paul wrote the following:
Romans 6:13 (NASB)
13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
If there is one thing that might be called the "key to everything" in the Christian life, this is it. Constant submission to the will and way of God, to the Holy Spirit, is absolutely essential to walking with and deeply enjoying Him.
Romans 8:14 (NASB)
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Romans 10:3 (NASB)
3 For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
Romans 11:36 - 12:1 (NASB)
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Romans 14:7-9 (NASB)
7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB)
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
James 4:6-7 (NASB)
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:6 (NASB)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
More than swinging about the "Sword of the Spirit," more than resisting the devil, more than declaring the truth of who you are in Jesus, remaining under God's control, submitted to Him, is the means to a deeply transformed and power-filled life. This isn't to say these other things aren't important - they are - but the MOST important thing is to remain under God's control, ordered, empowered, and transformed by the Spirit in whom our entire spiritual life resides.
Sin of whatever sort always invites us to do two things:
1.) Deny who we are as "new creatures in Christ."
2.) Stand in God's place in our lives.
To the first invitation of sin, Paul writes in Romans 6, "What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid! How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1-2) Paul goes on to describe what is true of the born-again believer, in particular pointing out that the "old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Romans 6:6) As a result of this condition, the Christian person may always stand free of the power of Sin and Self and its powerfully hindering effect upon their walk with God. All the Christian must do is stand, by faith, in the truth of who they are in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Paul puts it this way:
Romans 6:11-12 (NASB)
11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
When Sin's invitation to deny this reality confronts the believer, they must stand by faith upon the truth of their identity in Jesus, refusing to be moved from it, no matter what they feel or experience.
Doing so is going to be only partially effective if it is not united to what Paul described in the last half of Romans 6: Submission to God. In this, Paul addresses the second invitation of sin, which is to stand in one's life in the place of God, self-directed, following one's own will and way rather than His. Doing so is, essentially, rebellion toward God. No rebel toward God will be filled with who He is, with His power, love, joy and peace; and without God's enabling power, sin cannot be overcome (no matter how many verses one stands on concerning one's identity in Christ). So it is that Paul wrote the following:
Romans 6:13 (NASB)
13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
If there is one thing that might be called the "key to everything" in the Christian life, this is it. Constant submission to the will and way of God, to the Holy Spirit, is absolutely essential to walking with and deeply enjoying Him.
Romans 8:14 (NASB)
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Romans 10:3 (NASB)
3 For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
Romans 11:36 - 12:1 (NASB)
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Romans 14:7-9 (NASB)
7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB)
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
James 4:6-7 (NASB)
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:6 (NASB)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
More than swinging about the "Sword of the Spirit," more than resisting the devil, more than declaring the truth of who you are in Jesus, remaining under God's control, submitted to Him, is the means to a deeply transformed and power-filled life. This isn't to say these other things aren't important - they are - but the MOST important thing is to remain under God's control, ordered, empowered, and transformed by the Spirit in whom our entire spiritual life resides.