No Question About It, The Struggle Is Real!

Sometimes the power of sin in our lives can seem overwhelming.

When I was a boy, we had a large pine tree in our front yard right next to the street. We had thick hedges growing on both sides of our yard, so when friends were coming to see me or going to another house, they’d walk between the tree and the hedges. Over time, their frequent passage killed the grass that had been growing there and created a well-worn path.

This is essentially how habits – and sins – work. They may start with a single action, but if repeated often enough they can become behaviors. This can be good or bad, depending upon what you’re doing. Sinful behavior, when it happens over and over, can turn into a besetting sin, something extremely difficult to overcome. It becomes a familiar path that’s taken almost without thinking. 

 

Even as followers of Jesus Christ, we’re not exempt from this type of problem. Yes, the Bible says we become “born again” (John 3:3) and “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17) when we commit our lives to Him, but old sinful patterns can die hard – in fact, some never die at all.

 

Years ago, I had a friend who had gotten deeply involved with online pornography before committing his life to Christ. Whenever he faced a lot of stress in his life, whether at work or at home, he’d resort to pornography for relief. To use a computer term, it became his ‘default setting.’ After becoming a believer, his familiar sinful “path” unfortunately didn’t disappear. One day he’d succeed at warding off the temptation but would succumb to it the next, filling him with guilt. His struggle was real.

 

This, to one extent or another, is true for every believer, whether new to the faith or a follower of Jesus for many years. The type (or types) of sins we struggle with differ from one person to the next, but they continue to entice us. Even the apostle Paul, a leader of the early Church and author of more than a dozen books of the New Testament, understood this struggle all too well. 

 

He candidly admitted, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do…. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep doing” (Romans 6:15-19). Does this sound at all familiar to you?

 

Some have suggested Paul was reflecting on his life before his dramatic encounter with Christ while traveling the road to Damascus. However, based on the context of his writing as well as his use of present tense verbs, it’s reasonable to conclude that this “super-Christian,” like all of us, continued to struggle with sinful thoughts and behavior.

 

We don’t know specifically what those things were, but that doesn’t matter. The point is, we all have what the Scriptures call our “sinful nature” (Romans 8:5) or “the flesh,” as other translations put it, and God doesn’t eradicate it when we become followers of Jesus.

 

Does that mean we simply shrug our shoulders in resignation, reasoning, “Well, I’m only human. Nobody’s perfect”? Not if we believe the Scriptures. Because God clearly tells us that while sin will never be dead to us, poised to take us off course and back to our old, familiar sinful paths, we are dead to sin. No longer under its domination. And because of that, we need not wallow in guilt.

 

After admitting his own struggles with sin, Paul offered the following assurance:  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

 

He’s saying that victory over sin – regardless of how long it’s been with us – is promised through the power of Christ and His Spirit: “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering…in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4).

 

What the Bible teaches is if we’re true followers of Jesus, we don’t need to continue following the same sinful path. God graciously offers an exit so we can start following a new path. Something for us that, to borrow a phrase from poet Robert Frost, might be called, “the road less traveled”

 

There’s an old hymn called “Victory in Jesus.” That’s exactly what we have and can experience as we learn not to strive in our own strength and determination to overcome sinful impulses, but to be victorious over them – in the power of Christ and His Spirit living in us every day: 

“I heard an old, old story how a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning,

Then I repented of my sins and won the victory….

 

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!...

He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.” 

‘Why Do I Do What I Don’t Want to Do – and Not Do What I Want to Do?’

Over the years many passages of the Bible have intrigued me, but few have struck me more profoundly than Romans 7, in which the apostle Paul candidly confesses his personal struggles.

 

The verses that stand out most are Romans 7:15-17, in which he seems to complain, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” 

 

There’s more to this sorrowful confession, but consider: These were the words of the apostle Paul. Not tempestuous, vindictive King Saul of Israel. Or Samson, who had a decided weakness for the ladies. Or King David, who was a murderer and adulterer despite being described as a man with “a heart after God.” Or even Judas Iscariot, whose greed and ambition caused him to become the greatest betrayer in history.

 

No, it was Paul, who became a new person with a new name after his dramatic, transforming encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. He was a pillar of the early Church, the fellow God inspired to write nearly half of the New Testament. This man of God felt it important to devote nearly an entire chapter to the question, “Why do I do what I don’t want to do – and why don’t I do what I want to do?” 

 

Perhaps you’ve asked this question of yourself. You have a bad habit or a ‘besetting’ sin you’ve wrestled with for a long time. You’ve resolved to stop it. But then you do it again. Or there’s something you know you should be doing, and with the best of intentions determine to follow through on it. But you don’t.

 

What’s the deal? Why do we, like Paul, find ourselves doing what we don’t want to do – and not doing what we want to do?

 

It’s a complex question, but I think Paul addresses the solution in the preceding chapter of his letter to the believers in Rome. Paul assures them, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). 

 

Verses later he adds, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Other translations, instead of ‘count,’ use the words ‘consider’ or ‘reckon.’ We’re to regard ourselves as dead to sin – no longer enslaved to it – but alive to God in Christ.

 

Some other verses that relate to this truth and help us to gain a fuller understanding include:

“I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3).

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

 

Looking at these passages together, it seems there’s a choice we must make. We have been given new spiritual life by being “born again,” meaning the Spirit of Christ now lives in us, giving us a new nature. However, for whatever reason, God does not remove our “sinful nature” (also translated “the flesh"). We can either choose to appropriate the life and power of Jesus Christ in us, or we can continue to operate according to our corrupted, sinful natures.

 

In my admittedly limited understanding of technology, it’s like having a corrupted, malfunctioning operating system on a computer and installing a new, perfectly functional operating system. But instead of removing the old system, it remains and we must consciously choose which to use – the one that works as intended, or the one that keeps messing up.

 

Sadly, many believers don’t seem to realize they have a choice. They excuse their sinful stumbling as “Well, I’m only human” or “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” But if we believe the Scriptures, we aren’t ‘only human.’ We’ve been given a new spiritual life. And we’re redefined not as ‘sinners saved by grace’ but as “saints in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 1:1 and many other places) who can still sin. A saint, by biblical definition, is one who has been sanctified or set apart by God.

 

This is just scratching the tip of a ton of theology, but the reality for Christ followers is that while we can and will still sin, we don’t have to sin. It’s no longer, to use another computer term, our “default setting.” As Paul wrote in the passage above, “it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.”

 

This reminds me of a powerful statement from the Old Testament, in which Joshua was giving his final speech to the people of Israel. He admonished them, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Once we understand that God – through His Spirit that dwells within us – has given us the capacity for faithfully serving Him, we too must choose whether to serve Him, or to continue yielding to our old habits and sinful ways. At times the flesh will prevail resulting in sin, but through the power of Christ in us, we won’t be able to say, “The devil made me do it.” 

Puppies, Infants and Challenges of Spiritual Growth

My granddaughter Rhyan holding 
"Honey" when she was a pup.

Aren’t puppies cute? They quickly run here and there, bounding around to check out all the things that are new to them. As their teeth start to come in, they chew on everything. They’re full of reckless energy, except for the moments when nature calls and they squat. Oops! Even then, we accept it because they’re little and we know they’ll become house-trained and grow out of it.

The same holds true for babies. They gurgle and giggle, wide-eyed with every new experience. After a while they discover the novelty of standing up, then take their first unsteady, halting steps, taking little tumbles but learning to get back up. Of course, there’s that diaper thing, but it’s okay because we know they’ll become potty-trained and grow out of that.

 

But what if they didn’t “grow out of it.” How would you react if the little pup continues chewing on everything in sight as it gets bigger – and continues using the entire house as a restroom? Not so cute then, huh? And if the baby grows up, but still can’t walk properly, continues speaking only in infantile gibberish and never grasps what the toilet is for? We’d start to worry, because clearly something’s not right.

 

Have you ever considered that this is true spiritually as well? We often use the broad term “Christian” to describe someone having saving faith in Jesus Christ, but just as humans can be infants, adolescents, teenagers, young and older adults, followers of Jesus also can be on different levels of spiritual maturity. If, after a reasonable period of time, we’re still experiencing spiritual infancy, something’s wrong.

 

The apostle Paul addressed this in one of his letters to believers in ancient Corinth. He chided them, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?” (1 Corinthians 3:2-3).

 

We find similar concern expressed by the writer of the book of Hebrews: “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrew 5:12-14).

 

For babies, a steady diet of milk is fine. In fact, it’s usually just what the doctor orders. But as they get older, it’s time to move on to more complex forms of food. The same principle applies to spiritual growth. Hunger for God’s Word, wanting not only to hear it but also to understand it and use it in our lives, is one evidence of a growing Christ follower. We can study it, memorize it, meditate on it, integrate it into our daily behavior, and share it with others.

 

Another evidence of growth in our walk with God is a desire to experience a deeper relationship with Him. In the Amplified Bible’sexpanded translation of Philippians 3:10, the first portion reads, “For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly….” We could ask ourselves, “Does this describe me?”

 

Years ago, I had a friend who had spent much of his life investing in other men, mentoring and discipling them toward spiritual maturity. He often said he looked for FAT men – not individuals suffering from obesity, but people who were Faithful, Available and Teachable. They showed themselves to be reliable and ready to learn. This too is a mark of a growing, maturing believer. Writing to his protégé, Timothy, Paul gave these instructions:

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2).

 

The list could go on, but one other evidence of spiritual growth and maturity is “spiritual fruit,” a consistent demonstration of Christlikeness through the things we do and what we say. 

 

After citing “acts of the sinful nature” that are seen in both non-believers and immature believers – including such things as sexual immorality, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition and envy – the apostle Paul described “fruit” of a growing spiritual life: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

 

He wasn’t saying we must exhibit each of these perfectly at all times, but progress should be evident, especially in areas where we have personally struggled. Such as overwhelming anxiety, impatience, lack of concern for others, and failure to control our tempers. 

 

In his second letter, the apostle Peter referred to this as being able to “participate in the divine nature.” He wrote: 

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8).

 

Reading this, we might think, “Wow! According to this, I have a long way to go!” But that’s the point. The spiritual life isn’t a destination, but a lifelong journey, including the “two steps forward, three steps back” experiences we all encounter. 

It seems daunting, but if we are genuine followers of Jesus, we have this assurance: “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion to the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). To which it would be appropriate to add a hearty, “Amen!”