I know that everyone deals with it: that one little sin that trips
you up every time. Just thinking about it makes your heart pound, your
breathing becomes shorter and quicker, and the thought of someone else finding
out: unbearable. Just remembering your sin makes your soul tremble, and guilt
wells up until you can hardly bear it anymore. You realize that giving this sin
up is necessary; and you commit to standing your ground, to overcome, to rid
yourself of a particular trait that you consider wrong or embarrassing.
But before you
know it you are back on your knees, praying for forgiveness.
The same feeling
of guilt overcomes you and you feel like God will never love you again. But
sure enough, He does. The sin just seems so sweet, so forbidden that any taste
of it makes you want more. There is a reason that sin is this way, why it seems
so great, because to our flesh it is. I'm sure that fruit that Adam and Eve ate
was incredibly delicious and that they wanted more, but it was the worst thing
that they could have done. Through this forbidden sin the entirety of
creation was screwed up. And what is to say that sin today does not have the
same effect?
It seems that too
often we are falling down to sin, allowing it to have its fun with us and then
leave us to deal with the consequences. It’s like we are convinced that we will
never be able to do anything about this bully, until we stumble across this
verse:
“…in all these things we are more than conquerors through [Christ]
who loved us.” Romans 8:37 NIV
A conqueror is not someone who gives in to sin, a conqueror is not
someone who gives in to the enemy, a conqueror is one who overcomes, who beats
the odds! If only I could be one of those, then I would have this sin (and all
others) beat. Here’s a little secret: you are one. You are a conqueror! In fact
you are more than a conqueror through Christ!
But that is the defining characteristic of a conqueror: being in
Christ. By no means can we succeed on our own, at some point we will fall
again, for "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. But that is not the end of the story, a Savior has come for us. He has given us His righteousness so that we can have this incomparable power that only God can provide!
Sin is afraid. The enemy is afraid. You as a child of God, through Christ and Christ alone, are more than a conqueror through Christ who loved (and loves) you. Who do you need to fear? What can mere man do to you? You are the body of Christ, and sin will run. We need only to put all our trust in God, and God will show His power in us.
