Does God expect us to fight against sin?

[xdisciplex]

Somehow this is a tricky question because no matter what you say christians could use it against you.
If you say that you fight sin and try to resist sin then somebody might say: Wait a minute! You are trying to fight against sin in your own strength, this will never work...

But what's the alternative? Just waiting for the Lord to miraculously free us from all kinds of temptations? No, this isn't an alternative. I think we have to fight sin and be determined.

After all Paul says this:

Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

I am sick of sinning and then whining about it afterwards. I want to change this. How can I respect myself when I behave like a whimp and sin only to whine about it later on?
I want to be able to look in the mirror and say that I really did my best to resist sin.
And I think that you can really get satisfaction from resisting sin because if you win then you'll feel good about it, right?

 

[James_Newman]

Your right, we have to fight sin, even are commanded to fight sin. We have to realize though by faith that it is Christ's strength in us that enables us to have victory. I would recommend Watchman Nee's book 'the Normal Christian Life'. He has some remarkable insight that afterward just seems so common sense. I was like 'duh, I should have seen that.'

 

[xdisciplex]

Hi James!
The problem is how do I know that I am doing it right? How do I know wether I have Christ's strength? What if I am trying to do it alone through my own strength? How do I know?

 

[James_Newman]

You can only know that you have Christ's strength through faith.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

At a certain point, you can look back at the victories that you have achieved and you can see Christ working in you. But in the beginning, you just have to take God's word for it. And God's word is faithful. One thing that I have come to realize, and I think this would be almost universally true even though some might deny it, is that when I fail to overcome sin in my life, it is I who failed, not God. Because I didn't truly want to overcome, or whatever reason, I failed to avail myself of the grace of God that He has already given for me to overcome in my life. In some instances it may be a violent struggle to get the victory, but He is able to keep us if we will not give up. There is no power greater than the power that is working in us.

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

I doubt it ever gets easy, but I think you can get into a habit of overcoming. Exercising faith in small trials will help you to get victory in big trials later on.

 

[xdisciplex]

Hi James!

But I have failed so often, does this mean that all the times I failed I did not have God's strength? Then how shall I know I have it now?

Doesn't our own strength also play a role? I could imagine that a person with a strong will and character is rather able to win against sin than somebody who has a weak will.

 

[genesis12]

God equips us to do just that. We battle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of darkness. We can't do that on our own. I need to wake up every morning saying "Father, glorify your Name today." Throughout the day I utter mini-prayers, like "Sustain me, O God!" I rebuke the devil, confident that he will flee, by saying "In the Name of Jesus you are rebuked, devil!" for every evil thought, every temptation that comes my way. I rush to 1 John 1:9 rather often, not to "stay saved," but to maintain God's ever-present fellowship in the Person of the Holy Spirit. It is a battle that we will wage from the time we acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord until we meet Him, either in the air or in Heaven. Mine eyes have seen the Glory!! :thumbs:

 

[SpiritualMadMan]

Yes, I think we are supposed to fight sin...


Primarily in our own lives...


But, also in the community we have influence in...


Else, ther'd be no reason to shed our own blood?


Hebrews 12:4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.


2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.

 

[xdisciplex]

But is there never freedom from sin?
Will he always fight sin like an alcoholic fights the temptation to drink?
Will it always be this way?
I thought there is freedom from sin in Romans 8.

 

[James_Newman]

But is there never freedom from sin?
Will he always fight sin like an alcoholic fights the temptation to drink?
Will it always be this way?
I thought there is freedom from sin in Romans 8.

I believe there is freedom from sin, but we will always have temptations as long as we are in this earthly tabernacle. I recently fell into a snare that I had thought long ago defeated. I began to get discouraged, and other temptations started to rear their heads. We may fall sometimes, but it is important to realize that we do have victory through Christ. Get back up and begin resisting the devil, he will flee. We have been made free, and when we continue in His word, we will know that in truth.

Romans 6:11-13
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

I don't think there can be any other option, we either yield to God, or we yield to unrighteousness. We are free to serve who we will, but we will serve someone, whether it be God, or our own lusts. I think many times there is a solution to our problems, but often we are unwilling to yield to God those things that He wants us to give up. A quick example would be a man with a problem viewing internet pornography. He could easily overcome this by getting rid of his internet connection, but he may not be willing to do it.

It is important to put on the full armor of God if we are going to fight the Christian warfare, and an important part of that armor is the shoes.

Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

If your church has any type of soulwinning ministry you can get involved in, I think you would find it helps a lot in keeping temptation at bay. It's hard to be tempted when your telling someone the truth about Jesus!

 

[xdisciplex]

But very often you become totally discouraged once you fall and then it's like your whole will is broken. I have experienced this many times. Once you fall you're so down and then everything goes on like before. Even if you think that you'll
get back up again very often it won't work and you'll not be able to get over it.

Another question would be what the armor of God really is and how it works.
Some say it's real others say it's metaphorical...

 

[Trotter]

Falling down is one thing. Laying there and wallowing is another.

The Christian life is one of striving toward the mark. While we are a new creation, we are still in this old world of sin, and still have our old sinful bodies and nature.

I have fallen many, many times, and I have become very discouraged and bitter at times. But God is faithful... He forgives me, sets me on my feet, and let's me know that I am still His.

The armor of God is not actual pieces of protection that you get out of the closet every morning. Paul used the desciption of the armor his gaurds wore to explain how the Christian's mindset should be, how the Christian should prepare himself. Rome was the ruler of the world, and they got there through their military might. How better to explain the way to victory for the Christians?

 

[xdisciplex]

But there are christians which believe the armor is real and you have to put it on by saying "now I put on the helmet of salvation, now I put on the breastplate and so on..."

If the armor is not real and only bible verses which you have to learn until you memorize them then how is this armor supposed to help me with such things? How do I practially use it in daily life?

 

[AF Guy N Paradise]

Your right, we have to fight sin, even are commanded to fight sin. We have to realize though by faith that it is Christ's strength in us that enables us to have victory. I would recommend Watchman Nee's book 'the Normal Christian Life'. He has some remarkable insight that afterward just seems so common sense. I was like 'duh, I should have seen that.'

Hey James,

I purchased this book the other night but have yet to read it. Watchman Nee had many books in the classic section; what do you know about him regarding his doctrine? Thanks.

 

[genesis12]

I wish you'd quit banging your head, Trotter. You've got a lot to say. Folks need to pay attention. Don't break anything~!!!:type: :laugh:

 

[Towens1289]

I struggle a lot with sin and I have read a couple of books and they say that I need to question whether I'm a christian or not. what do you guys think?

 

[AAA]

Somehow this is a tricky question because no matter what you say christians could use it against you.
If you say that you fight sin and try to resist sin then somebody might say: Wait a minute! You are trying to fight against sin in your own strength, this will never work...

But what's the alternative? Just waiting for the Lord to miraculously free us from all kinds of temptations? No, this isn't an alternative. I think we have to fight sin and be determined.

After all Paul says this:

Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

I am sick of sinning and then whining about it afterwards. I want to change this. How can I respect myself when I behave like a whimp and sin only to whine about it later on?
I want to be able to look in the mirror and say that I really did my best to resist sin.
And I think that you can really get satisfaction from resisting sin because if you win then you'll feel good about it, right?

You can't fight sin in your own strenth, but GOD through HIS HOLY SPIRIT can make the impossible, possible........

It is Him that fights our battles for us..

Stand firm in HIM, not your self...

 

[BobRyan]

1Cor 9
23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;[/b]
27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached (the Gospel) to others, I myself will not be disqualified


Heb 12
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;[/b]