This series of posts is based on my reading through the New Testament during the 40 day #LentChallenge. You can read my take on that HERE. The #LentChallenge was created by Margaret Feinburg. You can read about that HERE.

On Thursday I wrote, Why the Struggle of Romans 7 Should Not be Applied to the Christian Experience. If the Apostle Paul was not talking about his struggle as a Christian, then what’s up with the struggle with sin we all have?

This is my attempt to lay out why we continue to struggle with sin, even after receiving new life and becoming a new creation in Jesus.

The Problem with Sin

No one claims to be perfect. Not hard to admit we struggle. We sin all the time, every day, MUCH more than we realize.

The core “commandment” is to love God with all our heart and love people as ourselves. Matt 22:36-39

 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

How are we doing with that one?

I believe it was Phillip Yancey who said, “On my best day I might go an hour without sinning!”

Is there victory in Jesus? Is there power for living the Christian life? In my next post I will talk about that. Here I will address the reason and the source of our struggle with sin.

The reason we sin

Overly simplified reason: Christians struggle with sin to keep us desperately in need of Jesus. When we sin we need His grace and mercy. Our desperate need for Him fuels a trusting relationship, which is what God has always desired.

In 2 Cor 12:7-10 the Apostle Paul lays out a theology of weakness. It’s in our weakness that God’s power can become strength in us.

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God’s grace is given to those who humble themselves. When we sin and confess our weakness God’s grace has room to work.

James 4:4-10 addresses that directly:

 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us ? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud but shows favor [gives grace] to the humble.”

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

The Source of Sin

1. The flesh

• James 1:13-15 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

• Hebrew 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Jesus had the same weak body of flesh we all have. The main difference… Jesus lived without sin!

• Galatians 5:17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

• Galatians 5:19-21 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

What about 1 John 3:9?

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

God’s seed is the indwelling presence of God. Sin cannot be in God’s presence. Therefore, the place within us where the Holy Spirit dwells cannot sin. The unfortunate thing is that the Holy Spirit is that the rest of us cannot escape the presence of sin. We live in a fleshly body that is fallen, tainted by sin.

On one hand we have holiness indwelling our bodies. On the other hand we live with weak sinful flesh.

Therefore, I do not believe John meant that Christians do not sin. That’s ridiculous. But there is a part of the Christian that cannot sin (i.e. the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit).

2. The world

• 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

• 1 John 4:3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

• The world is always over promising but under-delivering. There is no lasting satisfaction or joy in the world. It’s always temporary and fleeting at best.

3. The devil!

He is a Lion:

• 1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

He is an Angel of Light:

• 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

He is a Tempter

• Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him…

• 1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

Conclusion

The flesh, the world, and the devil are strong influences in our lives. We can’t get away from our flesh. We live in the world. And the devil is seeking to devour us!

Allow the struggles you have today to drive you to Jesus. Pray UP, IN, and OUT. UP to God when you know you will be tempted. Pray when you’re IN the midst of temptation or even sin. Pray after you sin and thank God for His grace and mercy.

In the next post I will share how we can grow in our walk with Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and experience the NEW LIFE Jesus longs for us to experience.

QUESTION: Why do you struggle with sin?