Is the fight against sin a hopeless battle? What does God promise to those fighting sin? In this video, Sam Allberry offers four ways Christians can approach their ongoing fight against sin. Each Christian must first recognize that temptation is part of the life of every believer, and it should be expected! However, Christians must simultaneously be encouraged not to become so preoccupied with sin that it overtakes their view of God’s sovereignty over all things in our lives. Recognition of God’s sovereignty allows believers to acknowledge their dependence on Christ alone to fight sin, as their own strength cannot fight for them. All of these realizations culminate in a response of trust before God, believing that He will sovereignly use our fight against sin and temptation to accomplish His purposes.
- Expect Temptation
- Recognize God’s Sovereignty
- Acknowledge Your Dependence
- Respond in Trust
How Do I Fight Sin?
I’ve met a number of Christians who’ve said that they’re beginning to struggle with this temptation and not knowing how to respond to it. I think the first thing I’d want to say is to assure them that we’re told to expect temptation. It’s not necessarily a sign that there’s something particularly wrong with you that you’re experiencing this form of temptation. It’s just another sign that you are a sinner among fellow sinners in a fallen world. So in that sense, don’t worry unduly about it.
Assure them as well that God is as sovereign over this area of life as any other. And if this turns out to be a form of temptation that hangs around a bit, again, recognize that when we’re told that God works all things for our good, this is part of the all things. So it’s not a good thing in and of itself, but God can use it to bring goodness and blessing.
Realize You Are Dependent on God
And one of the ways I think He will do that is by helping us to realize we’re dependent on Him. We need to look to Him. I love the verse in 2 Corinthians 12 where God says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.” And I think in any affliction, any temptation, any struggle that’s painful. It’s an opportunity to see the goodness and dependability of God, and to keep fighting the temptation if it continues to be a feature of life. Again, it is how we respond to temptation that shows our real trust in the Lord. So keep battling. Keep fighting. And know you’re not alone.
Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist, and speaker. He is the author of 7 Myths About Singleness, Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With?, and, most recently, What God Has to Say About Our Bodies. He is in the process of moving to the United States to join the staff at Immanuel Nashville, is a Canon Theologian for the Anglican Church in North America, and is the co-host (with Ray Ortlund) of TGC’s podcast You’re Not Crazy: Gospel Sanity for Young Pastors.
