It seems that there are people all around us that are struggling with situations every day. Some struggle with sickness, family situations, poverty, or the consequences of poor choices in life. To struggle with something, there must be opposition. It is to proceed with difficulty or great effort. There is no one who seeks what is best in life that does not have some type of opposition.
The Apostle Paul spoke of his own struggle and the battle that raged within him in Romans 7:18-20. His regenerated spirit wanted to obey God in every way, but his sin nature, the one we all inherited from Adam, still desired the things of the flesh. Paul is describing the battle that goes on within each of us. Once we are saved, there is a battle raging within us. We are grateful for what Christ has done for us, we love Him, and desire to please Him. Yet, Satan knows the actions of our past, and he uses that to try to persuade us to do wrong. Note, he knows where the kinks in our armor are because of our actions. He cannot read our mind. He is not all knowing, he is not everywhere at the same time, and he is not all powerful; only God has those abilities. Don’t give him more credit than he is due. When we struggle with temptation, it’s like there are two people inside of you. It’s almost as if you are a walking civil war! Paul was very aware of this battle, and he expresses those very thoughts in the passage below.
Romans 7:18-20 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
Satan will never give up until he is cast into hell for eternity. In the meantime, he is seeking anyone whom he can influence to do wrong. Peter describes him as a roaring lion, waiting for the moment he can pounce on us as his prey. He won’t give up because he has nothing to lose. He’s already doomed to hell. If he can’t keep us from being saved, his next objective is to put a mark on our testimony. He does that when we yield to temptation.
I Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
Our old sinful nature will always be with us, but with the Holy Spirit’s help we can obey. No matter what sinful habits we had in the past, we must never use God’s grace as a crutch to sin. I’ve heard well meaning Christians excuse sin by phrases like: nobody’s perfect, I couldn’t help it, or God will forgive. It is true that no one is perfect. We have all sinned, and we will continue to struggle until we receive our new body. We also cannot overcome sin on our own, but we do have the Holy Spirit to help us, and when we yield to His control, we will win. It is also true that God forgives, but to sin with this attitude cheapens the grace of God. Paul addresses this attitude in Romans 6:1-2.
Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Who will win the battle within? That is your choice. You can overcome if you will utilize the weapons God has made available. As a believer, you have the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within to guide you in all truth. You have God’s word to give you direction to avoid sin. When we read and memorize scripture, we hide it in our hearts. Then, when we are tempted, the Holy Spirit brings those weapons of scripture to our memory just at the time when we need it. That is why it is so important that we learn scripture. If there is nothing in the arsenal, you don’t have a weapon. Battles cannot be won without ammunition.
Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
To come out on the winning side of this struggle, we must yield ourselves to Christ as obedient servants. As a soldier follows his commander, we must follow Christ. The soldier does not think he can figure out a better battle plan. He trusts his commander and obeys.
Romans 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Our sin nature, the opposition, will never give up and stop fighting; it will simply change tactics. It has been stripped of its power, but it will continue to harass us as long as we live. Yet, there is one thing you can be certain of, we are on the winning side. We have all the weapons we need, and we have the victorious King of Kings to lead.
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