So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7:21-25
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We fall into two great traps when it comes to the words of God.
First, we do not know them. We do not know how God calls us to live as followers of Him because we simply don’t take the time to find out. This is born from arrogance—the thinking that we are doing just fine without Him, so why bother? A dangerous posture to assume.
Second, we know the words of God and His specific call on our life, but we do not feel it necessary to live out those words. Again, arrogance. That even though the Creator of the Universe and Life itself would call us to live and act in a certain way, we somehow don’t think it’s important for us to actually follow His ways.
Those are two great traps easy for the follower of Christ to fall into. Both, equally dangerous.
There is a third reality, as Paul writes in Romans 7:15, that we war constantly against our sinful nature. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
Paul’s stance is one of knowing how God calls him to live and trying to apply every single aspect to his life, but often times finding an inward struggle to actually live it out.
This, it seems to me, is where the Christian should be living each day.
Fully aware of God’s Word, compelled to live it out, but sometimes falling short. Never giving up, but daily going to battle against our sinful nature to live out holy lives in a world that has rejected Christ.
But here’s the tricky part: this third reality must be lived out specifically to each individual command and call on our life!
It’s not enough to say, I want to avoid sexual immorality, but keep falling into the trap.
It’s not enough to say, I want to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, but keep falling into the trap of watching immorality.
It’s not enough to say, I want to love my enemies but struggle to do so.
It’s not enough to say, I want to set aside greed and selfishness, but keep falling into the trap of desiring more and more.
We must continue striving in every aspect, every day.
God calls us to wage war against our sinful nature in every desire He lays on our life. It is important to know each of them, to desire each of them to be true of ourselves, and work to make them a reality, daily.
I was struck recently by a verse in Colossians 3.
It says this, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
It’s a beautiful verse. Poetic, inspiring, cheerful.
But there is an important call within it on each our lives as followers of Christ. We are to be “teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.”
We can’t be unaware of this verse.
And this can’t be a verse that we don’t think applies to us.
This is a verse that we must work to make true of ourselves. So let’s live it out.
Let’s clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, and love. Let’s let peace rule in our hearts. Let’s let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. And let’s teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. For this is what each are called to do, daily.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me a passion and commitment to your Word and will on my life. May I pursue it with humility and discipline. Reveal sin in my life and grant me the strength through your Holy Spirit to follow you. Not just for my own sake, but for Your name and kingdom as well. Amen.