Today’s Daily Light:
We continue this weeks study: How Dead People Do Battle with Sin (From an article by John Piper)
Fighting Sin By the Spirit
When the temptation to lust comes, Romans 8:13 says, “If you kill it by the Spirit you will live.” By the Spirit! What does that mean? Out of all the armor God gives us to fight Satan, only one piece is used for killing—the sword. It is called the sword OF THE SPIRIT (Ephesians 6:17). So when Paul says, “Kill sin by the Spirit,” I take that to mean, Depend on the Spirit, especially his sword.
What is the sword of the Spirit? It’s the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Here’s where faith comes in. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Word of God cuts through the fog of Satan’s lies and shows me where true and lasting happiness is to be found. And so the Word helps me stop trusting in the potential of sin to make me happy, and instead entices me to trust in God’s promise of joy (Psalm 16:11).
I wonder how many believers today realize that faith is not merely believing that Christ died for our sins. Faith is also being confident that His way is better than sin. His will is more wise. His help is more sure. His promises more precious. And his reward more satisfying. Faith begins with a backward look at the cross, but it lives with a forward look at the promises. Abraham grew strong in his FAITH … fully convinced that God was able to do what He had PROMISED” (Romans 4:20f.). “Faith is the assurance of things HOPED for” (Hebrews 11:1).
When faith has the upper hand in my heart I am satisfied with Christ and his promises. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “He who BELIEVES in me shall NEVER THIRST” (John 6:35). If my thirst for joy and meaning and passion are satisfied by the presence and promises of Christ, the power of sin is broken. We do not yield to the offer of sandwich meat when we can see the steak sizzling on the grill.
Father….help us to ‘get’ what this teaching is saying…I mean ‘really’ get it… ‘so that’…we can maximize bearing fruit with our life and not waste time spinning our wheels on things that are not your good, perfect, and pleasing will. Amen
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