If someone were to ask me what the greatest challenge has been for me as a Christian, I would say, “The ongoing battle with sin.” I can recall so well the first few weeks after giving my life to Christ. God gave me a peace, a hunger for His word, and distaste for the sinful activities I was involved in for so many years. And yet... and yet... some of the same temptations were still there!

    I recall one evening going to a party, starting to drink and approaching a woman in a lustful way. I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway. When I went home that night I felt guilty and disgusted with myself. “Why do I still have this battle with sin,?” I thought. “I’m a Christian, now. I shouldn’t sin any more.”

    Can you relate to my struggle?

    Years later I was helping with a grief seminar for those affected by the Oklahoma City bombing. After a wonderful evening of ministry to these hurting people, I went back to my hotel room, turned on the TV and for several minutes watched a sexually explicit movie. I went to bed asking the Lord to forgive me and vowing that I would confess this sin to my wife. But I again asked myself, “Why this continual struggle?”

This battle with sin will always be with every believer...

    What I’ve come to learn over these years, by God’s grace, is that this battle with sin will always be with every believer... until we go home to be with Jesus. And yet, we don’t need to be victims of this sin. As we daily submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus, we’ll experience His power in preventing sin from dominating our lives.

    I love how The Message translates these words from Romans 6:

Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life — no longer at sin’s every beck and call!... Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time — remember, you’ve been raised from the dead! — into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.