Sin and the Struggle Within

I hate sin… I hate the temptations of sin! What’s more, I hate the fact that I can so frequently fall into the various temptations; the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. These have always been the chief weapons of Satan going back to the day in the garden when he tempted Eve.

Sometimes the struggle within is so strong, I feel as though I can’t catch my breath. It’s as though I’m fighting with all my might and yet, loosing ground. Can you relate? But, therein lies the very problem for most of us who wrestle with the battles of sin and our resolve to become victorious over the temptations and traps of the devil.

The foremost thing each of us must realize is, that in order for us to overcome temptation, the victory over our struggles won’t come from our inner self, but only from God through His faithfulness to us.

The ever-present danger of temptation; the schemes of Satan, are like that of a roaming lion, seeking to devour even the most steadfast of believers. Only the pride of the heart would prevent a follower of Christ from confessing the ongoing battle. The deep struggles within from the plethora of enticements without… Paul knew all to well the struggle with sin and in his letter to the believers in Rome, he included himself along with all believers, that “… everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”[1] And then, to further the truth of this fact, Paul humbled himself before the body of believers and imparted his candid testimony of struggle:

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not rally the one doing wrong, it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life – that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power males me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”[2]

And there it is! The answer to our inner struggle, our wrestling with the never-ending battles of sin!

The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

If we for one moment believe we can conquer sin by means of our own inner strength, then we’ve most assuredly fallen into the sin of pride. When the devil’s lures have all but blotted out the light of God’s Word pointing to temptation, let us take head, for “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”[3]

Well okay… it sure seems to be pretty straightforward to me. I must continually be aware of the fact, that I don’t have self-sufficient power to overcome the temptations of the world. Further, it’s only when I turn to God through Christ Jesus that He’ll not allow me to be tempted beyond that which I can stand. And that He’s promised to show me a way out… not once in a while, but every single time… So then,  the real question comes down to this: “Am I willing to be obedient and follow Christ as He shows me a way out?”

[1] Romans 3:23 NLT

[2] Romans 7:18-23a. NLT

[3] 1 Corinthians 10:12,13 NLT