Battling Besetting Sin — Nathan Rages

The Universal Struggle with Besetting Sin

Can you give me some advice for battling besetting sins? A few key verses possibly? Or just encourage them about the doubts that creep in due to remaining sin.

Yeah, I just wanted to start with this. The problem with besetting sin is a problem for all of us. It's not just your problem, whoever asked the question, because you're in some terrible spot. But all of us as brothers and sisters, we deal with issues.

Certain sin issues that are extremely hard. They lie close to our personality maybe. And they're difficult for us. And we have to realize that we are in a fight. Brother talked about it this morning. Brother Dexter just talked about it.

The Christian Life as an Ongoing Spiritual Fight

We are in an all-out fight. And we have an enemy with all kinds of devices to oppose us. And it's a real fight. Don't be discouraged that it feels like a fight. And just like a war isn't won instantly, there's ups and downs.

There's battles lost. And you're back and forth. But it's a commitment to keep on fighting the battle. And we fight that battle from a basic position of faith. That's to me absolutely crucial. You can make this all a matter of certain tactics.

And we should use all the tactics we think would help us. But we need to approach it from a basic position of faith, a position of victory in the Gospel. And so, the Scripture I go to is Romans 6. About sin shall not have dominion over you anymore.

Christ’s Work, Resurrection Life, and Victory over Remaining Sin

Why? Because of Christ. What Christ has done. Because you've been brought into resurrection life. And it's those big truths of Christ and the Gospel that really fortify us for the fight against remaining sin.

That God's Word promises I can have victory over this. This is a fight. It's hard. But it won't be fruitless. There is victory that is promised. So, a position of faith. Romans 6. It's worth memorizing.

It's worth memorizing the whole chapter. It's so helpful. Also, say 1 Corinthians 10 .13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man as God is faithful, who with the temptation will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we're able to bear, but with the temptation, will provide a way of escape that we might be able to bear it.

God’s Faithfulness and the Way of Escape from Temptation

Just extremely encouraging words that don't let us off the hook. You can't ever say, well, this temptation's just too hard. This sin problem's just too bad. No, God's Word says there will always be a way of escape.

So we approach it with faith. Faith in Christ and the Gospel. The promises of God to us. And then that one verse, 1 Corinthians, really helpful as well.