Winning the War over Sin

We are born with a sinful nature. The Bible tells us we are responsible for our sin, we are accountable, and there are consequences: “For the wages of sin are death” (Romans 6:23a). Many well-meaning Christians will tell you to stop sinning and make better choices: just choose differently, do better and be successful. After all, God gave us a free will to make better choices and we are to follow Him and His ways. We make choices, but all the while we don’t really have freedom: we are held responsible.

The other side of the problem is the Bible tells us that we cannot avoid the problems we find ourselves in and that we cannot change ourselves once we are in them. Paul writes that we are powerless and a slave to sin: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). So we are responsible for our sin and yet we are unable to change. We find ourselves in a moral dilemma so what can we do? We turn to the One who is the remedy: Jesus. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2). This is the Good news: Jesus frees us from the prison of sin. When we realize that we are unable to free ourselves and we are powerless and responsible, we seek help outside of ourselves.

To summarize, we have a problem and the problem is we are sinners. Second, we are also responsible, and accountable for our sin. Third, we are unable to do anything about it, in and of ourselves. Trying to do better does not work. Fourth, Jesus is the solution providing the only way to change through the gift of salvation with grace and truth.

It is important to mention not all growth issues are the result of our own sin. All too often, people are often blamed for pain and struggles which they did not create. Other people sin against us and we live in a fallen world where there is suffering. When asked what sin caused a certain man to be blind from birth, Jesus said, “neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3). Some things we just do not understand: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

We cannot stop sinning: we must be saved from it. Winning the war over sin includes the entire growth process itself as we are empowered by the Spirit. To achieve victory we need to change fully in all areas of life as we commit to the life of the Spirit. We begin when we admit we are powerless over sin: Confess your inability and submit to God’s authority over your life. Receive God’s forgiveness and forgive others. Ask others for help, receiving their support and encouragement. As you fail, repent and stay plugged into a supportive environment where you can overcome your fears and come out of denial. Seek healing for the hurting parts of yourself. As you do these things, long standing patterns of harmful behavior begins to change. Make sure you have a view of sin that is not just your external behavior but also the internal sin in your heart and mind.