“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” - Romans 8:2
Back in the day, I often pondered how the death and resurrection of Christ freed me from the law of sin and death. Considering that as a human being, I am still predisposed to experiencing moments of moral lapses. We are still constantly engaged in a constrained struggle against our fallen nature every single day.
Thus, we may ask, where is the freedom in that?
No one in the Bible has articulated this dilemma with as much clarity as the apostle Paul when he said:
“For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[a] a slave to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:19-25)
I, myself, never understood the freedom that is in Christ until I reached a certain level of maturity in my Christian faith.
Christian believers who live by the Spirit are not easily seduced by the allure of temptations. Our obedience and unflinching faith in God nurture the indwelling Holy Spirit, fostering His flourishing influence over our life’s choices and conduct.
Thus, the Spirit enables us not just to withstand but to prevail over the bewitching ploys and enchantment of the enemy.
We are indeed free from the clutches of sin, no longer subjected to the whims of the enemy’s cunning deception and trickery…unless one is willing to be deceived.
The choice is ours. God has set us free. It is up to us if we choose to be shackled and bound again by the weight of sin.
If we choose to continue living a life mired in sins, then we will remain ensnared beneath the weight of its agonizing consequences. But if we choose Christ, the chains of sin shall release their grip upon us, granting us the freedom we all long for.
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" (Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT)
"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:5-7)
A revelation that should stand as a poignant admonition for us all to always walk in the Spirit and live in the light of God’s words.
With this in mind, I could not help but be reminded of the remarkable tale of the two wolves. A story that impeccably depicts the battle between good and evil that is raging inside every man.
An old Cherokee Indian chief was teaching his grandson about life.
He said, "A fight is going on inside me," he told the young boy, "a fight between two wolves. The Dark one is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The Light Wolf is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you grandson…and inside of every other person on the face of this earth.”
The grandson pondered this for a moment and then asked, "Grandfather, which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee smiled and simply said, "The one you feed."
Simply put, what we nurture grows. If we allow sin to take root in our hearts and minds, then sooner or later, it will wreak havoc in our lives and drag us into this wallowing pit of anguish, pain, and regrets.
Thus, knowing that we are human and fraught with flaws and weaknesses, God, in His mercy, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, not just to save us from our sins but that through His death and resurrection, we can receive the Holy Spirit. The One who will guide and strengthen us so that we may stand ready to dodge and overcome the fiery darts of the enemy.
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” ( John 16:7 NKJV)
“The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him, the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding, the Spirit that gives direction and builds strength, the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God.” (Isaiah 11:2-4)
“I am only human" - a statement often echoed by many of us to justify and mitigate accountability or guilt for our misdeeds or wrongdoing.
But no, we are not only human. we are empowered children of God whose life-giving Spirit lives within us.
Thus it is written in 1 John 4:4 NIV: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
God has given us all that we need to live a holy life. If we always point to our sinful nature as the culprit behind our mistakes, our quest to achieve spiritual maturity will remain elusive.
Note: Don't be hard on yourself when you commit a mistake. God will forgive us if we are truly remorseful of our sins. But we should not wallow in the mire of sinfulness, but rather rise again after every fall and never cease to make attempts to pursue what is commendable and morally upright in the eyes of God.
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:11-20, NKJV)
Jesus paid a high price to enable us to receive the Holy Spirit. We should then, at the very least, offer our utmost efforts in order to merit such a precious gift—The One that will resurrect us from the dead when we pass on, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55 NIV)
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:10-11 NKJV)
And the One that will empower us to transcend our human failings and limitations so that we may live a life of holiness: "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NKJV)
The war has been won. The victory is ours. All we have to do is claim it by walking in the light of God’s words.
As soon as we become steadfast in obeying God’s commands, the desires of the flesh will weaken and the Spirit that lives inside us will dominate every facet of our lives.
Thus, the formidable challenge of resisting temptations will lose its power over us–for the essence of our being shall have undergone a spiritual transformation, fully surrendered to the will of the Father.
I am not saying that we will never sin, for no one is perfect but God alone. Nonetheless, God expects us to obey His commands. And in doing so, we gradually begin to reflect the character of His Son–the Father’s ultimate aspiration for all of His children.
Thus, it is written: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29 NKJV)
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” ( Philippians 1:6 NKJV)
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