When confronted with the daily temptation to sin–to give in to the desires of the flesh–how do we remain obedient to Christ? How do we avail ourselves to the Spirit’s power to “provide a way of escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13)? John Piper gives us an excellent way:
Like Piper, I find that often each day I am faced with a choice either to obey Christ by means of the Spirit who gives me the grace to stand or to disregard the gospel, give in to my flesh, and do what I want. O God, may I find the grace of obedience infinitely sweeter than the emptiness of fleeting pleasures!
This conflict between my old sinful nature and my new creation (regenerated by the Spirit) often feels overwhelming and I wonder, Why keep going? At times, it seems it would be easier to just give in to sin and live according to the flesh than to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). In times like this, I need a great big reality check, and Mark Driscoll’s words help me put things into perspective:
What about you? Do you ever feel like the daily battle is lost before it is even fought? Do you ever respond to temptation to sin by saying “I know what the gospel says but I think I will do ________ anyway”?
How do you avoid this mentality? What ways have you found help you tap into the Spirit’s power to resist a “sin more so grace may abound” mindset? And what keeps you daily–even minute by minute–from throwing in the towel because following Christ is actually harder than you thought it would be?
Covenant and Confession 