Fighting Sin is the Christian’s necessary war against the sin that remains.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.
If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
The fight is not to earn the cross.
It is because you belong to the One who died and rose,
and sin is no longer your master.
Grace does not nap through temptation. Paul told slaves of righteousness to refuse the reign of sin in the mortal body. He told the Colossians to kill what is earthly in them. He told Timothy to flee youthful passions and to pursue righteousness. James said resist the devil and he will flee. Peter said abstain from passions that wage war against the soul. Jesus said watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.
The spirit is willing; the flesh is weak. None of this is a second gospel of self-salvation. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The fight is the outworking of that crucifixion. You present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. You make no provision for the flesh. You take the way of escape God provides. You use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. You do not box as one beating the air. The war has a field: thought, eye, tongue, appetite, anger, hidden habit. It also has an end: sin will not have dominion, and one day the presence of sin will be gone.
Until then the church fights as people already freed,
not as people trying to free themselves.
- The fight is real because remaining sin is real.
- The Spirit is the power. Willpower alone is not the promised way.
- Flee, resist, put to death, and put on are all Bible verbs. Use more than one.
- Provision is how sin wins without a battle. Starve the supply lines.
- Watch and pray belong together. Sleep is how Peter fell.
- You are not under law but under grace. That is why sin must not reign.
- Victory in the moment is obedience. Final victory is the resurrection.
- Put to Death – Mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit.
- Flee – Some sins you do not debate. You leave.
- Resist – Stand against the devil; he will flee.
- Watch and Pray – Eyes open; help asked before the fall.
- No Provision – Do not budget for what you mean to kill.
- Put On Christ – The positive suit; armor of light.
- Way of Escape – God is faithful; the test is not unique.
- Romans 8:13 – “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
- Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
- Romans 6:11-14 – “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life… For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
- Romans 13:14 – “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
- Galatians 5:16, 24 – “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh… And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
- 2 Timothy 2:22 – “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a clean heart.”
- James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
- 1 Peter 2:11 – “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”
- Matthew 26:41 – “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
- Matthew 5:29-30 – If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away—better to lose one member than that the whole body be thrown into hell.
- 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 – “So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
- Ephesians 6:11, 17 – “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil… and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
- Hebrews 12:1-4 – Lay aside every weight and sin; run with endurance; consider Him; you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
- Genesis 4:7 – “Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
- Psalm 119:9, 11 – “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word… I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
- James 1:14-15 – Each person is tempted when lured by his own desire; desire conceives; sin is born; death follows.
- 1 John 2:1 – I am writing so that you may not sin. If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate.
- Titus 2:11-12 – Grace trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.
- Romans 7:24-25 – “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Let not sin reign in your mortal body. You are not under law but under grace.
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no provision for the flesh.
Flee. Resist. Watch and pray. Take the way of escape. God is faithful.
Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Sin is crouching at the door. Rule over it. Store up the Word in your heart.
If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate. Fight as those already His. Do not box the air. Do not make peace with what He died to kill.
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