Breaking the Power of Sin
The predicament of our sin (The 3 P’s)
Upon putting our faith in Christ, we are completely and permanently freed from the deserved penalty of our sin. (Romans 8:1)
Throughout life, as we allow the Holy Spirit to do his sanctifying work within us, we are progressively set free from the power of sin over us.
And finally, in heaven or when Christ returns, we will be entirely free from the presence of sin.
In light of these theological truths, what does it look like to live in the reality that we have already been set free from the penalty of our sins, but we still wrestle with the power of sin over our lives? This is what many theologians refer to as the “already but not yet” of our salvation and the kingdom of God.
Is sexual sin different?
Most Christians would not bat an eye if you confessed to them that you continue to struggle with sins like gossip, gluttony, or anxiety - even after coming to faith in Christ. But sexual sin is typically viewed differently. It’s as if we think that sinful sexual desires should automatically subside once we become a Christian. This false belief can leave many of us who struggle with sexual temptation to question whether or not we have truly been saved from our sins.
Romans 6:18 says that we were all slaves to sin, but in Christ Jesus we are set free from our slavery to sin and have become slaves to righteousness. However, if putting off the old self with its sinful desires and putting on the new self happened automatically, we wouldn’t be commanded to do so as we are in Ephesians 4:20-24:
“That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Furthermore, Galatians 5:13-15 says:
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.”
These verses seem to acknowledge that we will still be at war against sin and fleshly desires, even after submitting to the Spirit and being made alive in Christ. But they do not excuse a passive approach to killing sin. Quite the opposite. They call us to the relentless, progressive killing of all forms of sin in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us.
I love how John Piper puts it. He says, “A Christian is not a person who experiences no bad desires. A Christian is a person who is at war with those desires by the power of the Spirit. Praise God for the war within! Serenity in sin is death… So take heart if your soul feels like a battlefield at times. The sign of whether you are indwelt by the Spirit is not that you have no bad desires, but that you are at war with them!”
Utilizing God’s means of grace
The term “means of grace” refers to a God-given gift that can be used to strengthen our faith (such as prayer, communion, sabbath, etc).
Below are some of the means of grace the Scriptures give us which directly correlate with overcoming the power of sin in our lives.
Understanding:
God’s Word. Knowing who God is and who we are in relation to Him is the basis for all truth. (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.)
Christian Counseling/Mentorship. Walking alongside someone who is further along in their faith can help you understand current life events in light of Scripture.
Confession:
To God and our spouse. We cannot be in right relationship with someone we have sinned against until we confess.
To brothers in Christ. This allows us to experience the Gospel lived-out and to deepen relationships within the body of Christ.
Fellowship:
Prayer. The whole theme of Scripture is God’s reckless pursuit of you. By spending prolonged periods of time in prayer, our heart and affections progressively align with His.
Vulnerability/Humility. The deeper you know someone, the more you can love them. The radical thing about the Gospel is that God knows EVERYTHING about you - everything you’ve thought and done - and is still madly in love with you. By having deep friendships with people who know us to our core and still love us, we can experience the Gospel tangibly!
Each of these means of grace is available to you, likely within your own local church. Putting on the new self requires putting off the old self, and praise God that his Spirit gives us the grace to do this, day by day.
Do not lose hope, my brothers, or give up the good fight. For we know that one day soon the war will be won and both the power and presence of sin in our lives will forever be vanquished!
