session 5 a fight you can’t win by...

session 5

A fiGht You cAn’t win bY YourseLf

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If your life were a war movie, what would it be?

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The bible meeTs lifeJ. R. R. Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, plays out in a land called Middle Earth. Hobbits, tree creatures, and other characters dwell in this unique land. One figure is a flawed hobbit named Gollum. Since he has held so long to the corrupting power of a magic ring, his body and mind have degenerated. Gollum is a hideous being controlled by base desires.

In one chapter, Gollum has a heated argument with himself. He switches from evil to good and back to evil again. This raging conflict elicits sympathy from the heart of the reader.

In Romans 7, Paul spoke to the ongoing war within all believers—the enduring struggle with indwelling sin. All Christians find themselves in this frustrating feud. Arrows of temptation continually fly in from all sides. The good news is this: Jesus has delivered the death blow to sin. We may be at war, but we are never a picture of defeat. Paul identified the struggle, but celebrated our ultimate victory.

The POINT

We are not alone in facing our ongoing struggle with sin.

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What does the BiBle say?

Key Words

flesh (v. 14)—A metaphor for life outside God’s rule and thus lived independently of Him.

the law of my mind (v. 23)—It involves moral judgment and introspective capacity.

the law of sin (v. 23)—Paul used this descriptive phrase to emphasize that sin took captive his abilities and faculties.

condemnation (v. 1)—God’s negative judgment of unbelievers’ actions and attitudes.

Romans 7:14–8:2 (HCSB)

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made out of flesh, sold into sin’s power.

15 For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.

16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.

17 So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me.

18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it.

19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.

20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me.

21 So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me.

22 For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God’s law.

23 But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.

8:1 Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus,

2 because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

B I B L E S T U D I E S F O R L I F E 51© 2013 LifeWay

Romans 7:14-23Imagine two Olympic-sized, strong men. One has a vise-like grip on your right wrist. The other holds your left hand like a boa constrictor. At the whistle, you’re caught in a massive tug-of-war, your body painfully pulled in opposite directions. This is Romans 7:14-23. The war with sin is real, agonizing, and intense.

Nobody has been able to reach heaven by the law. So what about the law? If it leads to death, then why does it exist? The law represents the unchangeable standard of God. Salvation by grace does not de-emphasize God’s high standard of holiness. The law points us to faith in Jesus Christ.

Reading these verses can be quite confusing. In some moments, Paul seemed to be caving to defeat. Had Paul thrown in the towel, waved the white flag? Hardly. The apostle was encouraging his brothers and sisters, identifying with their continual need for the gospel, exhorting them to remember that we are all in the middle of the sanctification process. We are on our way to something better.

At the moment you enter His kingdom, God makes you His. He starts polishing and preparing you on the path to holiness. Does a Christian face temptation? Yes. Does a Christian feel embarrassed by his remaining warts? Yes. But as Romans 6 teaches, filled by God’s Spirit the Christian has the ability to move forward, to hold his or her head up high, to overcome.

Holiness may be slow-going, but the Artist is unreasonably patient with His people. We see this in Simon Peter. The night before Jesus’ arrest, He warned Peter. Compassionately, Jesus said: “Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you ... when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).

1. Jesus knew that Simon would succumb to temptation.

2. Jesus knew that Simon would not be defeated by his sin.

Simon Peter would receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) and he would rise up as a pillar in the church. He would have the capacity to strengthen others.

Does Paul’s tug-of-war testimony confuse, discourage, or encourage you? Why?

Q u e s t i o n #2

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THE POINT We are not alone in facing our ongoing struggle with sin.

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Attitudes and actions that feed the beast of sin in my life:

Since Christians have died to sin, why do we still struggle with sin?

Q u e s t i o n #3

The hUNGRY beasT of siN

Actions and habits that can starve the beast of sin in my life:


free

Romans 7:24–8:2Lament: to cry, to wail, to howl, to grieve.

The Old Testament Book of Lamentations reads like a diary of despair as the prophet Jeremiah named each of his nation’s ills. Psalm 51 is another example of lament. In this celebrated chapter of Scripture, King David exposed his grief over his sin. His sorrow-cup spilled forth, splattering all over the page. With all sincerity of heart, he repented of his self-destructive relationship with Bathsheba. David is not the only brokenhearted person; our tribe of sin-carriers is quite familiar with lament.

In Romans 7:24–8:2, Paul lamented over the disappointing reality of his ongoing sin. He had already confessed how disgusted he felt by his shallow behavior and self-centered tendencies. Every time Paul thought he was free and clear of sin, a new failure sprung up to take the other’s place. There seemed to be no end in sight. “What a wretched man I am!” he declared in verse 24.

Then he asked the all-important questions: Who can put me out of this misery? Who can rescue me from this body of death?

The answer comes forth: Only Jesus. Only Jesus. Only Jesus.

Pay attention to the final note, though. Paul’s main point in this chapter is not our hope of heaven or our eventual freedom from the presence of sin. Paul’s primary focus is managing the torment of temptation that plagues every Christian. The tug-of-war is real: “So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.” We do not face this struggle alone; Jesus Christ is with us to give us victory.

Q u e s t i o n #4

How does freedom in Christ make a difference in our struggle with sin?

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What weapons have been most helpful to you in your fight against sin?

Q u e s t i o n #5

" Opportunity only knocks once,

but temptation leans on the doorbel l . "

— A n o n y m o u s


It’s freeing to know we’ll become more and more like Jesus. But what do we do in the meantime?

Win the next battle. Just one. Choose to treat someone

right. Choose to walk away from the temptation.

Repent. Talk freely with God about your sin. Confess it and

then turn from it. Memorize 1 John 1:9 as a reminder.

Close the door of temptation. Identify what makes it easy

for you to fall into sin and take steps to make it difficult. For

example: someone struggling with pornography should place

the computer in a public area of the house.

Only the second coming of Christ will end our epic battle with sin. So fight on. Dig in your heels. When sin pulls, pull back until sin falls in the mud. Jesus has already delivered the death blow.

Walking with a Limp

Lust. It’s one of the reasons I almost didn’t write my latest book. When asked to keep a diary of my attempt to live without telling a lie for an entire year for the book To Be Perfectly Honest, I knew I couldn’t do so without confessing that I’m still capable of lust. I know what you’re thinking. Are you kidding? At your age? You’re 50. Man, you have one foot in the grave and the other on a skateboard.

Live it Out

To continue reading “Walking with a Limp” from HomeLife magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles.

Walking With a LimpLust: It’s one of the reasons I almost didn’t write my latest book. When asked to keep a diary of my attempt to live without telling a lie for an entire year for the book

To Be Perfectly Honest, I knew I couldn’t do so without confessing that I’m still

capable of lust. I know what you’re thinking. Are you kidding? At your

age? You’re 50. Man, you have one foot in the grave and the

other on a skateboard. I understand. When I

was younger, I thought, If I live to be 40, then this lust thing will vanish and I can live in complete victory like all these old geezers around here.

When I was well past 40, a romance

novelist whom I had met at a writer’s confer-

ence sought me out and began pursuing me, a mar-

ried man. Having a face for radio, I wasn’t prepared for this.

Unwisely we became friends on a social networking site, and the next

thing I knew, she wanted to get together. I sat down and wrote out a list titled “Benefits of an

Affair.” I could think of only one: “extreme temporary pleasure.” Then I wrote “What I’d Forfeit If I Had an Affair.” That list was longer. “Money. Peace. Joy. Body parts. Really good home-cooked meals every day. Plea-sure without guilt. My wife’s trust. My trust. Credibility with my sons. My ministry. Friends trusting me around their wives. Being able to look everyone I meet straight in the eye. Guilt-free family reunions. Walking my daughter down the aisle with people crying for all the right reasons. Staring at the ceiling late at night when everyone’s asleep and grinning like a carefree little kid.”

I logged on to Facebook, lost a friend, and gained a clear conscience.

Guys, when you sin, confess immediately. Give thanks that Jesus is on your side. First John 2:1 tells me that He defends me before the Father, that I’m forgiven and loved. That love is not a license to sin, but it com-pels me to walk on with Him. And I walk with a limp. So do my greatest heroes of the faith. Maybe that limp is why so many can catch up to us and ask for help.

One more thing: Flee youthful lust. And when you get to be my age, push your walker away from it as fast as you can. •

This summer Phil Callaway celebrated 30 years of marriage to Saint Ramona (his pet name for her). Visit him at laughagain.org.

menofhonor

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