Those Inner Battles

Thursday, May 8th

Mortal combat takes place within us. It's devastating. "I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:22-23). We may come to agree with God's Ten Commandments. We should not lie, steal, or kill. We should worship the living and true God.

Then the trouble starts. A different principle raises its ugly head. It drags us down. It wars against the right thinking in our heads. This different law or principle is the law of sin. We find degrading urges within us parrying with and fighting against the principles of good. The fight drains us. We get depressed.

This is not all. The fundamental principle of corruption puts a gun to our heads and drags us off in slavery to its degenerate power. We lose the battle with the evil urges and desires. We confess, "I am 'a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.'" We may then cry out, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24). There is only one permanent and lasting answer. "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 7:25). Jesus Christ breaks the power of reigning sin.

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