We are continuing to answer the question, “if I’m a Christian and I have victory over sin, then why do I continue to struggle with sin?
In Numbers 13 we see a good example of why people continue to struggle with sin while having victory over it. God had promised the Land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants for an everlasting possession. This promise was given to Abraham approximately 500 years prior to Moses. After approximately 400 years God delivered His people out of Egypt and was now taking them into the land previously promised to Abraham. Moses sent men to search out the land and then return with a “report” to the people. This is the report given by 10 of the 12 men that searched out the land. The majority gave a report of fear and defeat even though they knew they were a covenant people and had the promises of God. We see a principle in the way God deals with His people. He gives them a promise, He then puts them in a position that tests their heart, knowing they need His power to possess the promise, and knowing only those with a heart for Him will act on His promise. Also, it is through the process of learning to possess His promises that we are changed at heart level. This is an example of those who will not possess the promises and some of the reasons why.
Numbers 13:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel:
Numbers 13:25-29 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. 26And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 27And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
Numbers 13:31-33 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it,isa land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
An Evil Imagination Spins RealityThey were afraid of the giants but they were not defeated by the giants. The giants were not their greatest enemy; the people were defeated by the disobedience of their own heart. They never fought the giants (they actually did fight at a later time but it was too late, the Lord was not with them). Their heart was their greatest enemy. Their heart prepared the way for disobedience; when put to the test they refused to obey God, they would not fight to possess what the Lord had given them. In their imaginations they saw their defeat so they refused to fight. The same is true for us, if we are defeated it is not by external enemies, no, if we are defeated, it is for one reason: we refuse to walk in obedience to the Word of God.
Can we be bound by sin and victorious over sin at the same time? It sounds like a logical impossibility but the answer is yes. Every single Christian is given victory over sin, but not every single Christian walks in that victory. Do sinful acts or sinful lifestyles defeat us? No, not really, our lifestyle is the fruit of the desires of our heart; our heart is revealed by our lifestyle. The heart of the disobedient defeats them, they give themselves to sin. The defeat of a Christian it is always a heart failure, a failure to believe and then act on what God says.
You say this sounds like a re-packaging of legalism, that if I do the right thing then I can be victorious over sin. No, that is not what is being said. This is what I’m saying. God graciously gives the ability to control ourselves. If God enables, then by definition, His demands are gracious and not legalistic. The ability to walk in self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, it is a work of grace, meaning Christ has purchased Godly living through blood atonement. It is through blood that Christians have the power to control their behavior. It is called temperance, it means self-control. It is a fruit of the Spirit which means if we walk in the Spirit, rather than the flesh, then we will have the power to control our choices and our behavior. This is not legalism, temperance is an enabling by the Holy Spirit; Christ has purchased this grace for us. If we walk in the flesh it is because we prefer the flesh. The result of fleshly living is an inability to possess the victories of Christ. Under legalism, even those who desire to serve God are unable, under grace, only those who will not serve God fail of the promises of God. Remember, the Gospel enables the people of God to possess what God has promised.
Romans 6:14-16 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
No person who fails to possess the victories of Christ will be able to point the finger of blame. We yield to whom or to what we love the most. Truth is, we yield to what is important to us. If we’re going to be saved then we must love God more than we love the pleasures of sin. It’s that simple; if we love God more than sin then we will yield to His Word, and if we yield to Him then His power will be at work within us and we will be empowered to defeat the giants that oppose our Christian walk. He says if we yield to sin then we are the servants of sin. He says we are servants to whom we obey. It’s not really very complicated. The price has been paid, the victories have been won, the Holy Spirit has been given, salvation is a reality, the Lord has done all that He needs to do for our victory over sin. It is now up to us, do we really want victory over sin; do we want to be whole, do we want it enough to fight the giants that would keep us in a sinful condition.
It is God, through the Scriptures, that tells the Christian to yield. Yielding is our part, God is not going to yield for us, He tells us to yield. He recognizes the opposition we face, but He gives the victory, and He tells us that we have to get a hold on our thinking and yield ourselves to Him.
The Christian has been given the resources of the Kingdom of God. God Himself stands with us. But He stands with us through His Word. We do not physically see Him, but He says He will be with us and He will perform what He has promised in us. We walk with God by believing and acting on His Word. As we act on His Word then His power is released within us and He works on our behalf to secure His purposes for us.
Our sanctification is the proof that the Gospel is true and that righteousness is real. God said that righteousness was real. He told Satan that His servant Job was a righteous man and that his character would prevail against whatever Satan would to to him. We see over and over in Scripture the people of God put to the test yet keeping their faith. Times have not changed. If we are born-again Christians then our faith will be put to the test. All creation is watching the people of God, the church, to witness that God was truly wise in redeeming a people through Jesus Christ. Though only human, they overcome the Prince of Darkness by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony and they loved not their life unto the death. We will not reach sinless perfection in this life, but we are enabled to live fruitful and wholesome Christian lives that honor the Lord in His work of redemption.
Rev 12:10-11 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Eph 4:22-24 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
As we read the above Scriptures, we understand our gracious relationship with the Lord, that through the Gospel, He enables us to put off the old and put on the new!
Thank you Lord Jesus.
God bless you,