You know you want to experience the abundant life Jesus says is possible, discover your God-given purpose, and finally live in complete freedom from every pesky little sin that drags you down. But you just seem to keep finding yourself running into what feels like an annoying, yet formidable obstacle.
You fight. You resist temptation. You pray more, read your Bible more, do more good service projects, volunteer at church, and even stop some bad habits.
And then it hits you one day.
The creepy sense that maybe…
Probably?
No. MOST CERTAINLY, your own worst enemy in your fight for freedom from sin is the person looking back at you in the mirror.
Ok, so it’s technically the sin lies your brain has been wiring up over the years, and as a result, they feel like “you.” But regardless, this disturbing moment of realization crushes any casual, idealistic, easy-street view of Christianity. Because now you get that being a Christ follower isn’t just saying a prayer, feeling forgiven, and trying to behave as best you can to keep your slate clean. All the other Scriptures surrounding the ones about Jesus forgiving you of your sins suddenly jump to life off the pages of your Bible and up the game to what feels like a whole new level of warfare.
But on yourself?
Really?
According to Scripture…
Yes. MOST CERTAINLY.
Paul describes this kind of "crazy-making" moment of realization in Romans 7 through what feels like his own crazy ramblings:
“So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
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 really 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 makes 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?” (Verses 14-24)
Paul helps us see here that every one of our lost battles to live out the ways God says are good and for the flourishing of humanity reveals a Trojan Horse nightmare living in our own heads. This traitorous enemy (system of lies) looks, sounds, and feels like a best friend looking out for what is in our best interest while it subversively attacks and destroys every good thing God has designed us to be.
Fortunately, Paul doesn’t leave us hanging here though. The good news he eventually offers is that because of Christ’s brilliant cross strategy through which He gave His own Spirit in a way that allows Him to live inside us, He has the power to help us put to death our traitorous, sinful, brain wiring. And this literally gives us the ability to no longer feel obligated to obey whatever it tells us to do.
It sounds magical – hocus-pocusy. Like yeah, right! Where can I get a “bottle?”
But Paul (and the whole of Scripture) reveals that this isn’t a smoke and mirrors, “bottled potion” kind of thing at all. And while a process of dying to self may not sound all that great at first, it's actually the very best way to truly feel free!
This “filling of the Spirit” is what Jesus knew was possible when He explained in John 15 before His death (avoiding spoiler alerts for His audience, of course) that we must abide in Him (stay as relationally close as possible to Him) because apart from Him, we can do nothing. We cannot bear His Kingdom fruit. Sure, we can do some good things on our own – we are created in His image after all. But we can’t put to death our sinful selves, rewire our brains, and as a result, bear the kind of godly fruit that makes a difference for the Kingdom without experiencing His kindness, understanding, empathy with our sin struggles, convincing words of truth, and passionate devotion to helping us become all He designed us to be. Without an on-going relationship with Him where we are daily experiencing His goodness, we will have no motivation to:
It is through a give-and-take process where God gives from out of His good heart and we give up (or die out to) our sinful selves, that our own worst enemy starts losing ground. And this allows for the only true and pure Lover of our souls room to take over more and more of our hearts and minds until His truth saturates our brain wiring to the point we're living the lives we’ve always wanted – and even better than we've always wanted! “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 NLT
Here are just a few ways Scripture describes victory over our traitorous selves:
“…And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires…” Galatians 5:17 NLT
“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 NLT
“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you…Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.” Romans 8:12 NLT
“…Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law [held hostage to our sinful nature that couldn’t fulfill it] but in the new way of living in the Spirit.” Romans 7:6 NLT
“Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.” John 3:6 NLT
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
“And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” Romans 8:2 NLT
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Galatians 5:16 NLT
Because of Jesus, the “crazy-making” Paul described in Romans 7 really can end! The Trojan Horse illusion can be destroyed, and our lives can start turning into all the things Scripture describes as “living freely in Christ.” Naturally. Uncoerced. Because our brains are now wired in new ways and exhibit new default behaviors.
“Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Titus 3:3-6 NLT
Thank you Jesus for the freedom Your precious Spirit gives!
“So if the SON sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 NIV