“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” – Romans 6:6 (NKJV)
One of the fascinating aspects of boxing is the pre-match interviews. Boxers, especially the challengers, are often seen huffing and puffing, boasting about how they will defeat and dominate their opponents. However, one inevitable fact remains: after the match, one will win, and the other will lose, regardless of all the boasting.
As believers, this can be likened to our previous relationship with sin. Ephesians 2:1-3 describes what this relationship looked like. Just like in the boxing pre-match boasts, the devil could claim control over the hearts of those who refused to obey God.
Good news! Jesus won the victory through His sacrifice on the cross. He defeated the devil and now has dominion over the hearts of men. As our anchor scripture indicates, the victory over the devil has freed us from slavery to sin. With this victory, we can now approach our Christian walk with confidence.
To achieve this, here are a few tips that will be helpful for a believer to stay afloat and remain in perpetual victory.
Firstly, we overcome sin when we feed our minds with the right content. According to Romans 12:2 (NKJV), “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The right content can be in the form of what we watch and listen to, such as TV, social media, etc. When our minds are renewed, we will be able to do the will of God.
The second tip is daily and consistent study of the scriptures to do what is written in them (Joshua 1:8). When we are daily fed with the word of God, our minds are not only renewed but our eyes are opened to the reality of the victory that we have over sin. The word of God is the manual by which we conduct our lives as believers, so we cannot take Bible study lightly.
Let this consciousness be ingrained that we are not ordinary humans but we function by the Spirit. The Spirit of God living inside us (Romans 8:11) directs our daily lives. Sinful habits no longer have a hold on us. We can walk by the Spirit and not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
God’s Spirit is actively working in us to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13). As new men in Christ, we have the Spirit of God living inside us, and by this, we can put off the ways of the old man (Ephesians 4:22).
We do not have to struggle with certain habits anymore. There is no habit we cannot overcome. We are God’s workmanship, modelled for good works, and God expects us to walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
SAY THIS:
I have the mind of Christ. Sin has no hold on me anymore.I put away the ways of the old man. I am a new man in Christ Jesus!
Bible Reading Plan: John 14