Killing Sin: 4 Tips for the Most Important Battle

According to God's Word, the most important battle you and I will face today (and everyday) is not the battle for a prime parking spot at the mall, the unresolved bill dispute with the cable company, or the lingering tension in a key relationship.

If only life were that ... easy!

The most important battle we face regularly and consistently is the battle with our sin. You know, the sins that easily entangles us - anger, lust, greed, pride, despair.

Consider, from God's Word, these 4 Tips on How to Kill Sin:

1. Kill the Enemy (and Resist Any Mercy)

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, 

but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Romans 8. 13

The apostle Paul answers the question - what are we to do with the sin that remains in us - with a startlingly simple answer. Kill it.

In our struggle against sin, we are never to show mercy, we must never give ground.

There is to be no 'peace' with sin. We dare not baptize our sins with benedictions. It is imperative that sin be destroyed. Its life is not to be spared. Kill it, strangle it, starve it of oxygen until it cannot breathe again. There is no other way.

Derek Thomas, How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home

2. Starve the Pattern (and Feed the Soul)

There is one sure way to kill something - starve it. In many ways, this is the key to fighting sin.

If then you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is ... Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire ...

Colossians 3. 1, 5

Note Paul's exhortation - "keep seeking the things that are above." As we move throughout the day, you and I face a choice - will we feed sin or starve it? Will we feed righteousness, or leave it gasping for nourishment?

What does it mean to starve sin?

• Recognize the tipping points of temptation and agressively avoid them (whether it be cable TV, drinking at night, or Facebook wanderings);
• Ruthlessly determine to starve sin of even the slightest morsel of nutrition (whether it be a passing thought, a lingering glance, or a well-worn excuse)

  What does it mean to feed and nourish righteousness?

• Agressively fill your soul with the Word of God
• Actively pursue the means of grace (worship with God's people, sitting under the preaching of God's Word, prayer)

3. Embrace Redemption (and Resist Cynicism)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8. 1-2

Many of us are skeptical that we will make any real progress in our battle against sin. It's not that we lack the desire; rather, we have lost hope. We have tried in the past, but any "success" seemed short-lived.

The spirit of cynicism, whether it arises from laziness (as we view the law's demands) or resignation (as we view our past failures) must be resisted!

Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of your sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and you will die a conqueror; yes, you will, through the good providence of God, 

live to see your lust dead at your feet.

John Owen, The Mortification of the Flesh

Sadly, most of our "failures" come not from a lack of gospel power, but from half-hearted efforts on our part to destroy our mortal enemy. 

Embrace the work of Jesus on your behalf. The Spirit of sin-killing-power is now at work in you!

4. Remember Your Identity (and Don't Forget It!)

"What we need in order to engage in Biblical holiness 

is a right understanding of who we are." 

Thomas, How the Gospel...

If you are a Christian, you have a new identity. The New Testament in chock-full of words and phrases to remind us and encourage us of this truth - "new creation" (2 Cor. 5.17), "in Christ" (Romans 5. 12-21; 8.9). In fact, Paul's uses the phrase "in Christ" over 44 times in his writings to describe our new address!

The point? Sin is entirely inconsistent with our new identity. It no longer has mastery over you, you are not its slave.

Let me end with a great quote (its longer, but worth ever word) ...

The first great secret of holiness lies in the degree and decisiveness of our repentance. If besetting sins persistently plague us, it is because we have never truly repented, or because having repented, we have not maintained our repentance. It is as if, having nailed our old nature to the cross, we keep wistfully returning to the scene of the execution. We begin to fondle it, to caress it, to long for its release, even to try and take it down again from the cross. We need to learn to leave it there. When some jealous, or proud, or malicious, or impure thought invades our mind we must kick it out at once. It is fatal to begin to examine it and consider whether we are going to give in to it or not. We have declared war on it; we are not going to resume negotiations ... we have crucified the flesh; we are never going to withdraw the nails.

John Stott, The Message of Galatians