WAR WITHIN by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC
Introduction: If you’ve read John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress,” you know the struggles that Christian had to face in order to go from the “City of Destruction” to the “Celestial City.” In today’s message, in our series through the Book of Romans, we come to the heart of the book to Romans 7 where there is a war waging in the believer’s life. In fact, there is a constant war that is waging in each of our Christian lives between who we are and who we want to be, between what we do and what we want to do. For some, it is confusing. For others, it is frustrating. Yet, for others, it is very damaging. In our series through the Book of Romans, we have been laying down the foundational doctrines of our faith, especially salvation. This will be very helpful when we come to the Book of Revelation and see the cosmic destruction by God in the end times. He will once and for all do away with Sin, Death, Flesh, and the Enemy. Paul’s letter to the Romans helps us understand what each of them are and how they work even now in our Christian life. It is very important how we interpret this section. If we get it wrong, it will impact how we see the Christian life. If we get it right, it will be eye-opening for many of us. It will be uplifting, liberating, and transformative for our Christian growth. To get it right will also help us understand end times prophecy. Today’s message is titled WAR WITHIN.
Romans 7 (page #1740) 15 “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do…24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Context: As you know, Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome in the first century that was divided between Gentile background and Jewish background believers. He wanted them to know that we were all born under the condemnation of Sin and Death, the cosmic powers. We must switch families by moving from the family of Adam to the family of the New Adam, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15 (page #1738) “…For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.”The Blood cannot get us out of the family. The only way to get out of the family is by death. Romans 6 (page #1738) 3 “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” That’s what baptism represents – our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ into the family of God.
But just because you switch families, it doesn’t mean that Satan leaves you alone. Romans 16:20 “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” Just because he is mentioned by name only once in Romans does not mean that his work is insignificant. In fact, he is behind it all. He commands his seconds-in-command to get after you. Previously, you were under the control of Satan’s General, Master Sin. Now that you have died and left the family, you are no use to him. Romans 6 (page #1739) 6 “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. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.” Master Sin comes around looking for his old slave. Unfortunately, most of us try to deal with him by trying to strengthen the Old Man—suppress it, fight it, deny it, or train it – “I am not going to get angry; I am not going to be envious; I am not going to lust.” Before you know it, you are doing the very things that you wish not to do, and Admiral Death also shows up. Even though we have to die physically in this life, we no longer fear the second death. Admiral Death still tries to bring a spirit of death in our relationship with God, self, and others.
Someone might ask: “Why do I still sin and why do I still have to fear the spirit of death if my Old Nature has been crucified?” When a person dies, it does not mean that they are eradicated. The body is gone but the spirit lives on—either before God in heaven or in Hell waiting for judgment. Our Old Nature is no longer alive in the flesh. It is only alive in the spirit. We have been set free. Here’s what we are to do – Romans 6:11 “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Greek word for “reckon” is “logizomai” = “count” or “calculate.” It is a mathematical term. It is an accounting term. The idea behind reckoning is “believe.” By faith, accept that “You are one with Christ.”
But let me warn you – the moment you start reckoning, there will be a fight. The Devil will fight you tooth and nail. He will lie to you. He will point out all your faults. You will have to reckon every moment who you are in Christ. Be aware – If you try to find death in you, you will look and look and all you will see is sin. It’s only when you look to Christ, that you will see yourself dead. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” As long as we keep our eyes on Christ, we are able to walk this life. Every time, like Peter, we take our eyes off Christ, we begin to sink. When we abide in Him and obey Him, that’s when we walk in victory. By the way, that’s why our motto at Clearview is “Making Christ Visible.” That’s for both the unsaved and the saved! “Unsaved – look to Jesus and be saved.” “Saved – Run the race looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
Do we just passively keep our eyes on Jesus? No, our job as believers is to remove any bridgehead/beachhead for sin is us and daily offer every part of us to be used by God. Romans 6 (page #1739) 12 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Someone might mistakenly think here that Law is done away with. About a month ago, I preached a message on the meaning of the Law = Moral, Ceremonial, and Civil. Even though the Ceremonial or Sacrificial and the Civil laws are no longer valid for us, the Moral Law or the principles behind the Law are still valid. In fact, in the end times, Isaiah 2:3b says “…For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” As a Christian, the motivation to keep the law of God is not Moses but the Holy Spirit. Paul explains Romans 6 15 “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Paul tells us that there are 2 roads for the Christian to take: Road of sin leading to death and road of obedience leading to righteousness. Now it does not mean that if you disobey, you will die tomorrow. But you are on that road of sin leading to death. All that is determined by who you yield yourself to. Either you yield yourself to God or you yield yourself to the Devil. Either you are obedient to the Lord, or you are obedient to the Devil. The sad part is that many people are saved, love the Lord but they are still obedient to the Devil, and they are on the road of sin leading to death.
Application: Who are you yielding to this morning? Are you on the road leading to righteousness or are you on the road leading to death? Only you can answer that.
What is the solution? Romans 6 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. What does it mean to obey from the heart that form of doctrine? Imagine there is a person here who is lost—does not know Christ. Somehow the gospel comes to this person—maybe through preaching; maybe through a friend; maybe through a bible study; maybe through singing. This person is convicted that they are lost and Jesus is the Only Hope. Now he/she has a decision to make: What will I do with Jesus? When this person receives Christ as their Savior, they obey from the heart. This is not half-obedience, partial obedience. This is full obedience as to who Christ is; why He came; what He did for them. At that very moment, the Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell in that person. God makes that person’s spirit a new spirit and that person’s spirit becomes one with God’s spirit. As long as this new believer is obedient to the light that God has given to him/her, the Holy Spirit has access to flow through that life, body, and environment and reproduce the life of Jesus Christ. Why? Because that person obeyed from the heart.
Now this person is going to grow in grace. Now one-by-one the Holy Spirit wants to set this person free from the Sin of Stealing, Sin of Habits, and Sin of Anger (hot kind and the cold kind). Romans 6 (page #1739) 18 “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Stay in Christ and we are free to live. Get away from Christ and now there is a list. Stay in Christ and you will delight in serving God. Get away from Christ and it will become a chore.
Now, Satan does not give up that easily. He activates another one of his commanders –Flesh. We studied “sarx” last weekend, which can mean human existence, limited human existence, negative human existence, and cosmic power. Our focus here is more on the negative human existence and cosmic power. In our previous life, along with Sin and Death, we also had to deal with Flesh. Romans 7:5 (1740) “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.” Master Flesh has a nice catalog of products, custom fit, to choose from. Every place the Law (the 10 commandments or the conscience) says, “You shall not,” Flesh says, “You should definitely try it.” Paul gives us the inventory of sins in Galatians 5 19 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like…”
Previously, Flesh tried to convince us that it’s not as bad as Law makes it out to be, and our members followed. Now that you are in Christ, Flesh still comes by and still uses the Law against us. He uses the LAW wrongfully. To explain all this Paul uses the imagery of a marriage relationship. Romans 7 (page #1739-1740) 1 “Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.” This woman is married to a husband. His name is Mr. Law. He is a good man, but he is very particular. He is always making demands on her and his demands are perfectly legitimate. She cannot keep up with him. She can never do anything right. It’s not that he is a bad husband. She is just the wrong wife. Bottom line: They are completely unsuited. The woman wishes that she could be married to another. His name is Mr. Christ. If she were to try to marry Christ when Mr. Law was still alive, she would be committing adultery. There is a way. What if Mr. Law were to die? We know that’s not going to happen. The Law will never pass away – Matthew 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” The only option that is left for the woman is to die herself. Listen to verse Romans 7:4 “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”
Now the woman is married again to Mr. Christ. What happens when a woman marries? She changes her name, and she takes her husband’s name and she shares in everything that he has. So also, we have been joined with Christ, and we take His name and we share in everything that He has.
Now what is the result?
Application: No longer are we trying to do things for the Lord. Now the Lord in us is bearing fruit to God. Many Christians are trying to please God, trying to keep Him happy. All that does is bring death. It is living by the Law. The Law says do this and do that. Christ says make yourself available and I will do through you.
Folks-this happens all the time. People begin by abiding and slip into legalism. Let’s use that analogy of that woman we met in Romans 7:2. This comes from Manley Beasley.
– She comes to church one day and the pastor is preaching the gospel.
– She is convicted that she is a sinner, and she is really disturbed.
– She starts out by trying to get things straight.
– She starts going to church more and doing things at church.
– Can she get saved? No
– She also has some bad habits, and she tries to quit. She even quits some of those bad habits…not all.
– She is even giving her money to the church.
– Can this save here? No.
– She even begins to study the Bible, and she can even learn a few things.
– She tries and tries. The more she tries, the more she fails.
– The Preacher preaches and lifts up Christ and the Holy Spirit opens her heart, and she comes to Christ—Sink or swim—she is saved. She is one with Christ.
– She tells the preacher that “I may fail before I get home but if I fail I will fail trusting Jesus.”
– She goes home and turns on the TV and she does not want to watch it. Neither does she want to read those filthy novels. There is a real change in her.
– She begins to read the Bible and the Spirit of the Living God begins to make the Son of God real to her from the Word of God and tears begin to flow down her face.
– Her husband gets home, and she is so fired up that she begins to share with him.
– It is a spontaneous life and before long he is saved.
– Not only that, but the children know that there is a difference.
– She is living completely controlled by the Spirit.
– Next to get saved was the mailman. He can see the living Christ through her.
– The neighbor was an ungodly woman but somehow she is different. Jesus is working in her life. Now she has love for this woman.
– She is there at church earlier than anybody else.
– The preacher is preaching on tithing and she nudges her neighbor and says – “I didn’t know we were supposed to give only 10%.” I have been giving much more and God has been really meeting our needs and doing some great things.
– At church they had a business meeting about some building project and they were all stressed out about how to pay for all that.
– She speaks out and says that God can do anything. Very soon they had a revival.
– A year later—God has used her in a mighty way. Many have been saved through her.
– One day someone comes to her and says—“We need you to teach.”
– Her answer – “I can’t do this. If it’s anything, it’s only because of the Lord.”
– He continues—“This is a class just for kids.”
– Her answer – “I can’t.”
– He continues—“If you don’t, they won’t have any teacher.”
– Her answer – “I still can’t.”
– He continues—“Just go in and do your best. That’s all God and we want from you.”
– Her answer—“I can do that.”
– “Humanism is the greatest enemy of Christianity.”
– She tells her pastor – “Please pray for me. I am going to do my best.”
– In a few months – she doesn’t know that anything has happened but she has to make herself read the Bible. The Christian life is no longer spontaneous. The children no longer see the difference. The neighbor is getting on her nerves again. Now she wants to slap her face off.
– She even tries to win her new mail carrier about Jesus. All he says is thank you and walks off.
– Now when the budget is presented, she is no longer faith filled. She has become like the others.
– Now she is even having a tough time with her own budget, and she is not giving like she used to.
– There is a revival, and a preacher comes and he preaches against temper and bad habits.
– This woman is convicted, and she feels bad. She remembers the day when she used to be full of Jesus. She goes forward and rededicates herself and prays.
– On the way out, she tells the pastor she is going to better from here.
– How long does that last? Not much. She tries and tries and keeps falling.
– Finally she comes to Romans 7:6. She is helpless and she tells the Lord that she has failed. God answers her—“I planned it.”
Romans 7 5For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Invitation: Are you looking to Christ? Are you saved?