Sin in the Christian's Life … Part II

Do you know what I love about the Apostle Paul and his teaching? He wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is. Paul admitted that he had sin in his life; that’s something a lot of people don’t want to talk about. And if you are honest, you will have to fess up to it also. Paul found himself in the same dilemma that we are in yet today … trying to keep our body of flesh under control.

Paul wrote about this never ending battle, the one that goes on inside of us. Our flesh enjoys the physical sensation that our five senses responds to. You know, like … eat, drink and be merry, or if it feels good, do it.

Normal behavior for the natural man is to fulfill the desires of the flesh; but after being born again and making Jesus the Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit strengthens your "will" to follow after God's ways and you learn to start saying no to the sinful desires of the flesh … with the Lord's help.

Being born again is really an awakening of your human spirit within your being that was controlled by the appetites of the unregenerate soul and flesh of your natural man. This body of flesh is never born again. It is only trained to live a new lifestyle by your newly awakened human spirit. The new birth is a spiritual rebirth so to speak, an awakening to spiritual things that only affects the heart of your "will" not your flesh.

The choices, the battles for control are fought in what is called your "soul." There is a misconception that the soul is just another name for your human spirit … the part of you that lives forever. Well, it's not the same thing.

We are a "spirit" and we live in a "body of flesh." Sorry … that's just the way it is. The problem we have is that when these two separate entities are united they create the "soul." The soul is the battleground where the flesh and the human spirit "fight" over which one gets its way, including the control over your actions.

May I say from my observations of life in general, as well as what I have experienced in my own life … the "soul" is tied more closely to the flesh, which includes the mind and the reasoning process, than it is to the spirit of man. It's in the soul where your thoughts, desires and appetites of the flesh, if allowed will grow and develop in strength to the point where they can win the battle and defeat what your spirit, heart and "will" wants to do. And so your body yields to sin.

I love the following portion of Scripture. Paul, in speaking of this battle of the flesh vs. the human "will" tells it exactly as it is … at least as it is with me.

Let the battles begin.

Romans 7:15-21 … "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." K.J.V.

Romans 7:17 … "it is no more I that do it" … Paul is explaining that since he did not approve of what his flesh did, but rather hated what he did, and "willed" the contrary, the opposite in his heart; it was not he as a born again man, a new spiritual creature, that performed the evil deed.

He continues … it was the "sin that dwelleth in me" … the old natural man, the carnal man; it was the evil sin nature that was still present in him rising up. It was the law of sin which not only still existed in him, but dwelt in him, was at home in his flesh, and worked evil in him at times, as it does in all of mankind and will as long as they are in the body of flesh.

That's why he said … "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." The man of flesh never gets saved, nor can he. It is your "will," your heart and your spirit that the Holy Spirit changes, not your flesh.

When Paul said … "in my flesh" … clearly proves, that he is speaking of himself, and that it was only his flesh and not his … "will" … that the sin nature effected.

Paul intimates by this, that he had something else in him that was not of the flesh; there were good things dwelling in his spirit, in the new spiritual man, the hidden man of the heart. It was his … "will."

Romans 7:19 … "for to will is present with me … For the good that I would I do not" … This is the most decisive proof that the "will" in believers is on the side of God.

Paul's words … "the evil which I would not" … is equal proof that the "will" is against or opposed to evil and sin. The born again will is found to be always the same … it's on God’s side; while the whole sensual system of the flesh is against Him.

It is usually not the will that leads men astray; but the corrupt passions of the flesh which oppose and battle against the will in a man's soul. To state it very plainly … the soul is so completely fallen because it is tied to the flesh, that it has no power to do as the heart wills until it receives that power and anointing from God.

But the soul has the power to distinguish between good and evil; to acknowledge the heart's "will" to do good, but further than this it cannot go. Yet, the "will" is solicited through the temptation of the flesh and consents to sin; and because the soul has "free will" it must possess this power of choice.

Because it is free will it is impossible to force it to sin. Even Satan himself cannot do this; and before he can get it to sin, he must gain its consent. This is the only reason for the battle within your soul … the control of your "will."

May I put the above scripture, which is really Paul's testimony, into my own words and make it my personal testimony as well?


"The bad things that I do, I don't want to do; and the good things I want to do, I don't do; but those things I hate, that's what I do.
But it's not me who does these things but rather it's the sin nature that dwells in my flesh.
I know that there is nothing good in my natural flesh … but my spirit, heart and will to do good is present inside of me … but I can't find how to make my flesh perform the good that my spirit has willed.
The good that I want to do, I don't do; but the evil I don't want to do, that's what I do.
Now if I do the evil that I don't want to do; it's not really me doing it; it's the sin nature within me.
What I have found then is this … when I want to do good, the evil sin nature that is always present in my flesh keeps me from doing good."


So now you know why I still yield to sin every now and then. My flesh wasn't born again when Jesus saved my spirit man living inside of my body. My heart and will have changed, but my soul … well, we do battle once and a while.

This must be why it says in 1st Peter 4:18 that the righteous are … "scarcely saved."


Comments welcome.