ROMANS 7:21-25 THE MIND - THE FLESH To deny the fact of sin being present in us after we are saved, is not only dishonest, but is dangerous. That kind of deception is a total misrepresentation of what sin really is and the potential for evil that it can bring to the child of God. The "inward man," the "new creation in Christ Jesus" is conscious of what God intends because the Holy Spirit is within. He or she does not want that sin working within. Unbelievers do not have that inward hatred of sin that so provokes the true Christian. The saints who have been set apart for God, delight in God, love God, love God's Word and God's people - but still have within an awareness and an abhorrence of "the body of this death."
This struggle continues, until the believer in Christ recognizes and admits to the fact, they have no power to defeat indwelling sin in their own body with their own strength. Keeping the law has been proven to be impossible, and its reason anyway is to make us conscious of sin - and it certainly does that! Self-effort to cast off binding habits that have been returned to, does not work. "Mind over matter" has no power to overcome sin. Some have tried to avoid the problem by changing the definition of sin to suit a modern society. To change the public perception of sin, does not change the nature of sin and what it is in God's eyes. This tension in the Christian life may continue daily causing the joy and enthusiasm we had when we were first saved, to seem like an impossible dream from the past.
Where do we go and what can we do? Who can deliver us? Forgiveness of sin took place when we died in Christ. We were saved from the guilt of sin and the penalty of sin. That has passed. What the child of God who has succumbed to the power of indwelling sin needs now, is deliverance from that power. The fear of coming judgment for sin is not the problem, but the bondage to sin that he is experiencing now is. When we are confused and, perhaps at times, overwhelmed by the appeal that sin still has, we need the deliverance that the power of Christ gives us. Before we were saved, we had to look to Christ, not to ourselves or any other person to find the peace that was made through His death. So now also, we look outside of ourselves to Christ in whom we died to sin and the condemnation of the law.
Christ does not have to die again for our deliverance from sin's power. The power to do that is available for us to claim. The flesh serves the law of sin, but our mind gladly serves the law of God - really, the will of God. Now the walk of the child of God is to walk in the Spirit who gives us the power to live the Christian life.
The path of faith and the struggle with the flesh have no part with each other. The flesh will seek to deny itself, or inflict suffering or some kind of cost on itself to deal with indwelling sin - anything but death and real separation from sin by living in Christ. The person who lives by faith does not need to go through these struggles when we have "reckoned ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God." When our faith in Christ is strong and the Holy Spirit is free to guide us, we will "triumph in Christ." Our help to deal with the temptations of the old nature, has to come from outside our own human will. To live daily in the blessings of being in Christ is normal Christian living. The other is sub-normal and is not intended to be the experience of every believer.
The old man is dead, but not the body as yet. My spirit and soul are redeemed, but until we get The new body that will be changed in a moment of time, I will have to reckon as dead this deceptive flesh of mine.
Over time I have learned more of what really took place When I repented of my sin and God saved me by His grace. I did die in Christ and forgiveness of my sin is real. That is an undeniable fact, not based on what I feel.
For awhile I wondered why when I became conscious that within There was a tendency, if not a real desire, to sin. The efforts to change by self-will did not even begin to work - And the temptations to sin, the awakened new nature did hurt.
But when I took time to stop self-efforts and the Word of God I read, I realized that though my spirit and soul are redeemed, my body to sin is not dead. So then came the test, was I willing to live by faith alone? Or try by my own efforts still to add works to what Christ had done.
There was no question in my mind as to whether I was saved. I had rested, and still do, on the price for sin Christ paid. It took awhile to realize that one of the acts of my conscience, Was to alert me to the truth that through Christ is daily deliverance.
I know it is true that sin is still in my members, And lurks there waiting to light like a fire from coal embers. Thanks be to God, by the Holy Spirit giving power. Deliverance is there for me and its available hour after hour.
The Lord Jesus' work paid the sin price once for all. Daily deliverance from sin is through Him when I call Upon Him in faith, and I know it is true That sin has no dominion over what I say and do.
What a relief! What a joy to live daily by faith, And constantly experience the blessings of God's grace. There isn't the guilt of sin seeking to claim A preeminence over me, for there is power in Christ's name.
As the older I get in this walk of faith in the Lord, I find things keep getting clearer as I read His Word. To live daily by faith is normal Christian living each day. And indwelling sin by truth applied is able to be kept at bay.
"Gracious God my Father, I pray Thee today to please keep me from being complacent about sin. At the same time, I praise Thee for giving power over sin through the Lord Jesus Christ and the strength given by the Spirit. Please keep me from sinful thoughts and words today. Help me to speak words of grace and truth as ministry is given to Thy people tonight. And please give comfort to those who are sorrowing today. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."