Spiritual Conflict

21 July 2013 AM – Romans 7:14-25 – Scott Childs

Introduction: When I was a teenager, we occasionally played a game called “Capture the Flag.” It was a military type game played in a field or wooded area. The object was to sneak into the enemy’s territory, capture their flag, and get back into your own territory without being caught. It took careful strategy to win the game. You must know your enemies and allies. You must know the danger areas. And you must have a plan and work your plan.

Transition: Like in the game Capture the Flag, there are several things we must know to be victorious in our spiritual conflicts.

I.    We Must Know Our Enemies and Allies

A.     Who are our enemies?

1.      Our main enemy is our indwelling sin (17, 20).

a)      We inherited sin from Adam.

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

b)      In Romans 6, we learned that at salvation, Christ saved us from the power of sin. We can now say “No” to sin.

Romans 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

c)      However, Christ has not yet redeemed us from the presence of sin. That will not take place until we go to heaven.

d)      While in our physical bodies, sinful evil is always present in us (21).

2.      Another enemy is our carnal flesh (14, 18).

a)      The word “carnal” is often translated “fleshly.”

b)      We have been sold under sin since birth. The grammar of this word shows that the sale took place long ago but the result is still with us.

c)      Our carnal flesh refers to our old sin nature in which sin lives.

Constable’s Notes: Sin still has a strong attraction for us since our basic human nature is still sinful, and we keep that nature throughout our lifetime.

d)      Because our flesh is controlled by sin, it is bad to the core. It contains nothing good (18).

e)      Our old fleshly sin nature works tirelessly to keep us from doing good (19).

3.      Enemies not mentioned by name in this text that promote sin are the devil and his demons.

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Ephesians 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

B.     Who are our allies?

1.      God’s law is one ally (14).

a)      God’s law is spiritual. We learned earlier in this chapter that the law is our friend. It identifies right and wrong.

b)      The law of God is our guide. It reveals the mind of God on issues of life.

2.      Another ally is our new nature (22).

a)      Christians received a new nature the moment they trusted Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

b)      The words “I” and “me” refer to this new nature within a Christian. This new nature desires to please God (22, 25).

3.      A great ally is the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul does not directly speak of Him in this section, but he will in the next chapter.

II.   We Must Know Where the Battles Take Place

A.     The battles are in our bodies

1.      While we live on this earth, our spiritual battles take place in our bodies (24).

2.      If you are a Christian, you body belongs to God. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives in your body with you.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

3.      Your sinful nature does not like sharing your body with the Holy Spirit. It wants you to pollute your body.

B.     The battles are specifically in our members

1.      Our “members” are our body parts. We learned this back in Romans 6:13. Your members are your mind, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet.

2.      The main member mentioned here is our minds (23). Most sins begin in our minds. We think lustful thoughts. We think of ways to get even. Our thoughts make us angry. Our mind swells with pride. We meditate on evil plans. We must guard our minds!

3.      Look with me at the examples Paul gives.

a)      What my new nature wants to do, I fail to do. What it hates, I do (15).

b)      It is not I (my new nature) that does wrong, but sin that dwells in me (17).

c)      I (my new nature) wants to do good, but in my self I find no way to do it (18).

d)      I do not do the good that I want to do, but the evil that I do not want to do, that I do (19).

Paul was frustrated by sin’s powerful pull on his members to do wrong. Can you relate? We feel the same way, don’t we? We want to do right, but we do wrong. We hate sin, but we still do it. Our new man wants to please God, but our sin nature is working overtime.

III.  We Must Know God’s Battle Plan and Follow It

A.     God’s plan requires that we admit our weakness.

1.      Paul was frustrated with his inability to defeat the enemy. We are no stronger than Paul. In our own strength, we cannot defeat sin. We cannot overpower our sin nature. Remember, we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against satanic powers.

2.      The reason we fail is that we try to defeat sin by our own will power. Resolutions are not the answer. Promises and determination are not enough.

3.      Paul finally cried out in despair (24).

a)      He saw himself as miserable and afflicted.

b)      He felt helpless and defeated.

We will not have victory over sin until we see our total inability and humbly admit that we cannot live a victorious life in our own efforts.

B.     God’s plan is to depend wholly on Jesus Christ.

1.      Jesus is the answer. He can give us victory!

Romans 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Ephesians 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

1 John 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Jeremiah 32:17  Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Psalm 139:9-10  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

When I was a child, I feared walking in the dark woods at night, but when I held my Dad’s hand, the fear always went away. That is a picture of what we must do when we face spiritual conflicts. We must run to the Lord, hold His hand, and let Him defend us.

2.      Paul thanked God for this truth and so ought we.

3.      Remember, in our mind (new man) we serve God’s law, but our flesh still serves the law of sin.

Conclusion: We daily face spiritual conflict. The answer is to know our enemies and allies, know where the battle takes place, and know God’s battle plan and follow it. Admit your own weakness, but depend fully on God’s might. Memorise verses about God’s might and quote them during temptation.

If you have never truly trusted Christ to save you, you are in the battle alone. You have no ally. You will never defeat sin until you trust Christ.

Song: The Fight is on 404