The Enemy Within Us All

"I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."  - John Wesley

There's a battle being waged inside us, and we fight it every day of our lives. The foe is cunning, manipulative, opportunistic, and destructive. Although, we can't touch it, taste it, or even see it; we know it's there.

It's a difficult enemy to fight against. It is relentless and shows no mercy. It can cause extreme damage and even loss of life. This enemy has the wherewithal to pound away until we finally give in; exacting a heavy price from those who are weak and/or indifferent.

What is this adversary I am talking about? It is sin. Sin, without the use of any man-made weaponry, has the ability to cleave a man, both, within and against himself. Sin cannot be contained by fences or walls. Nor is it more prevalent in one area of the world than another.

Sin has a major advantage over any other type of foe in that it is pervasive and can be found inside every man, woman, and child (Job 15:14). Ever since sin first made its way into our world, we have been struggling with it (Romans 5:12). And there's really no getting around it, we are all sinners.

Thus, in order to engage with such a powerful and cunning opponent we need help. The assistance I am talking about can only be acquired from one source. Our salvation from sin can only be attained through God. Only He can remove sin and deliver us from its penalty, which is eternal death (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5).

You see, because God loves you and I so much, He paid a heavy price for our freedom from sin. He sacrificed his only Son, Jesus, for us (John 3:16). Jesus died for our sins. Does this mean that we don't have to ever worry about sin again? Unfortunately, no. But, now we have a fighting chance against it.

God has saved us from sin through Christ (John 3:17). It was by his death on the cross and resurrection that we were granted salvation, or saved, from sin (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 1:7). And though it is offered to all, there are a few things that are asked of us.

We must believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (Ephesians 1:13); that He died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected; and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, calling on His name (Romans 10:9-10, 13), and placing your full trust in Him.

Let me tell you. Sin is ugly and very resilient. If you think you can overcome it by your own doing, you will not. To defeat sin requires a power greater than it is. Even with the gift of salvation we are not totally free of sin. We were born sinners and carry it with us throughout our lives (Romans 3:23).

Only by salvation has the certainty of eternal death from sin been removed (Titus 1:2). By way of Jesus' death on the cross we can approach the throne of God in heaven. This is the only path we can take, there's no other way. We have been given a way to beat down sin, don't walk away from it.

Scripture: John 11:25-26; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:23; Galatians 2:20-21; Acts 8:22

Prayer: Dear God, lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation, amen

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey