The Enemy Within

“This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

– Leviticus 16:34

If you’re a current or former smoker, no one has to tell you how hard it is to quit the habit. As the famous author and humorist Mark Twain once said: 

“To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did; I ought to know because I have done it a thousand times.”

The same goes for Christ-followers when it comes to sin and temptation. Even though we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior, asked him for forgiveness, and then received it, we still tend to fall back into those bad habits that we thought we’d left far behind.

But doesn’t the Bible reveal that we’re a new creation once we’ve put our faith in Jesus?

It does. But the transformation from our old selves is a work in progress that’s on God’s timetable. It’s also a change that takes place little by little, day after day along our faith journey. Moreover, the journey’s pathway is narrow, twisting, and full of unexpected hairpin curves. And we can end up in a ditch if we don’t keep our eyes on the destination.

That doesn’t mean we’re failures as Christ-followers. Let’s consider a life lesson taught by Paul — the apostle, who wrote much of the New Testament. In Romans 7:15, Paul complains that he continues to do the very things he despises. And at the same time, he fails to do the things he knows he should accomplish. 

Paul’s familiar struggles were nothing less than spiritual warfare … the same ugly conflict that we all fight every day. What’s more, it’s an important reminder that sin must be dealt with before we can dwell with God. But Paul also conveys this reassurance to every Believer:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” he tells us, “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

It’s good news that means we’re now liberated from sin’s power. And since we don’t have to accept its dominance in our lives, what’s most important is our trust in Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. So, when we inevitably give in to temptation and bad habits, we can freely ask for help from the One who has already paid the ultimate price for our many sins — past, present … and future.