WHAT SIN IS NOW
You are learning the Word. You are mastering the weapon of prayer.
Now, you must understand the exact nature of the enemy within.
NO LONGER YOUR MASTER.
BUT STILL A THREAT.
Before salvation, sin was not just an action you committed. It was your absolute condition. It shaped your thinking, dictated your choices, and locked your direction. You were not neutral. You were spiritually dead and actively hostile toward God.
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world…”
After salvation, your core identity fundamentally changed. You are no longer defined by sin. But sin has not disappeared.
“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.”
You are no longer under the dictatorial rule of sin, but sin still attempts to influence you. It no longer owns the house, but it still stands at the door demanding entry.
THE STRUGGLE IS PROOF OF LIFE
This is where the undisciplined are easily deceived. Many believers assume that if they still experience temptation or struggle with sin, their salvation must have failed. That is a lie.
THE PRESENCE OF THE STRUGGLE PROVES YOU ARE ALIVE.
Dead men do not fight. Before Christ, there was no resistance. You simply surrendered to your desires. Now, there is warfare.
“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other…”
There is now a violent conflict happening inside you. Sin is not just external actions. It is an infection that begins in the mind.
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
This is exactly why you cannot treat sin lightly. It never stays small. If left unchecked, it will grow until it destroys.
MORTIFICATION: PUTTING IT TO DEATH
You are in a fight, but you are not left powerless. The dominion of sin has been shattered.
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
Sin no longer has authority over you. You are not a slave to it. But you are absolutely responsible for how you deal with it. You are commanded to execute it.
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
[ X ] YOU DO NOT IGNORE SIN.
[ X ] YOU DO NOT EXCUSE SIN.
[ X ] YOU PUT IT TO DEATH.
THE PROTOCOL OF CONFESSION
When you fail, you do not hide in shame. You step directly into the light.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession is not weakness. It is the immediate realignment with truth. You take sin seriously because God takes it seriously.
“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.”
This is not a statement meant to paralyze you with fear. It is a statement meant to provide absolute clarity. Sin leads to death. But you are no longer bound to its trajectory.
THE BALANCE OF WARFARE
You are not defined by sin. You are not controlled by sin. But you must never ignore sin. Dealing with it head on is the core mechanism of change.