Have you ever wondered why doing right sometimes seems so hard? Have you ever struggled knowing what you ought to do, but failing to do it? You want to be patient, but the words that come out of your mouth are unkind. You desire to be temperate, but your appetite seems out of control. You wish you could control your attitudes, but sometimes they are plainly unchristian.
Why does it seem so hard to do right? Are there biblical principles that will lead us into a new dimension in our spiritual lives? How can we sense new spiritual strength and become the vibrant Christians we want to be? Our study this month will focus on biblical principles that make a significant difference in our lives.
Why does the Christian life seem to be such a struggle at times? Read Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:21-23; and Ephesians 6:12.
There are two reasons that we struggle when we desire to do God’s will: First, we are in a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil; a real devil wants to destroy us spiritually. Second, every human being born into this world struggles with a fallen human nature. Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, every person is born with tendencies toward evil.
Read Romans 7:24, 25; 8:1-4. The apostle Paul asks, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” In other words: “Who will deliver me from this fallen sinful nature so prone to sin?” How is this question answered in Romans 8:1-4?
Only one solution to the sin problem exists, and that is Jesus. His amazing grace delivers us from both the guilt and grip of sin. He pardons our sins and gives us strength to overcome. Our salvation is in Him; and all victory over sin is in His strength, not our own.
What assurance did Jude give about living triumphant Christian lives? Discover the answer in Jude 20-23.
What two practical principles in James 4:7, 8 can apply to our daily lives to enable us to be overcomers?
To submit to God is to surrender anything that is not in harmony with His will. It is being willing to give up anything in our lives that the Holy Spirit points out that is contrary to the principles in His Word. When we choose to do God’s will, He provides the strength for us to carry out our choices. We decide, and He empowers.
The text also says, “Resist the devil.” In other words, surrender is not a once-for-all decision. Each day we continue to surrender the thing heaven has pointed out is wrong until it no longer attracts us and has completely lost its grip on us.
Why was Jesus victorious in Gethsemane? What can we learn from His struggle about the surrender of the will in our battle with Satan? Read Matthew 26:36-44.
How did the apostle Paul encourage the believers in Ephesus that victory in the Christian life is possible? Read Ephesians 2:1-7.
According to the apostle Paul, we “once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.” We once “conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath” (verses 2, 3). But God loved us, redeemed us, saved us by His grace, made us alive, and raised us to sit in heavenly places. Christ’s grace is sufficient. Christ’s power is sufficient. Christ has triumphed over the principalities and powers of hell, and in Him our victory is assured.
