Imagine a tug-of-war contest where two opponents pull on opposite ends of a rope with the aim of getting the other to fall in the middle. I’m sure some of us have played this game before. When I was younger, I would always try to be on the winning side. I thought to myself that if they looked physically stronger, then bingo! That’s the team that would win. This is what our lives look like: a constant battle between our flesh and our spirit, with us being in the middle. We desire to walk in righteousness, but sin continues to tug at our souls daily. It is easy to be entangled in sin and the pleasures of the world because of how enticing they can be.
Being in the middle of a tug-of-war can be awfully exhausting. I remember a particular moment in my life where I was constantly standing in the face of sin, and even though I wanted to choose holiness, something in me cleaved to the idea of pleasing my flesh. This war was within, and the anguish arose from the realization that my sinful flesh refused to obey God's word. As Christians, we find ourselves doing the things that we hate. We find ourselves sinning in our bodies no matter how much we want to serve God wholeheartedly. Admittedly, this battle was one that I expected to lose almost every time because of how empty my spirit man was.
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
- Matthew 26:41
This was too great a war to fight on my own. At that moment, I decided that I needed to get to a place where choosing holiness would become my first response to temptation. I was willing.
During this tug-of-war, the Lord led me to Romans 7, where Paul profoundly explains his struggle with sin. I couldn’t relate more to this passage of scripture. Verses 15-17 say:
“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”
In these verses, Paul is not denying responsibility for his wrongs. He simply explains how the battle he was experiencing and how difficult choosing righteousness can be when livi
ng in a carnal body. Just like Paul, we know what is expected of us, yet we do the opposite ever so often. We do not want to do wrong, but we do it anyway. Paul acknowledges that he is a transformed man through Jesus Christ. Therefore, his renewed spirit was not the one choosing to do wrong because he was in agreement that the law of God is good. It was the sin that lived within him because of his human nature that caused him to stumble. This is a war that we must fight daily as children of God by killing our flesh and feeding our spirits with the word of God. But we won't be able to do it on our own. Verse 21-23 says:
“I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.”
Paul truly put into words what many of us find difficult to explain. There were times when I would ask myself, "Jana, why do you keep doing things wrong when you obviously know better?"
I was in the middle of what seemed like the most dreadful tug-of-war, and I could only feel my soul being pulled further and further towards sin. No matter how hard I tried, the cycle continued. The Holy Spirit then brought me to the realization that I was trying to fight this war on my own. My strength was nowhere near enough to win this battle, so I had to rely on the power of Jesus.
His power is made perfect in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9), so we must rely on Him for the strength to persevere. The Lord has never expected us to depend on ourselves on this journey; we need Him, and that is why He is our saviour, our refuge, and our strength.
If you’re currently in the middle of a tug-of-war between your flesh and your spirit, ring the bell and pick a team; the team that will lead you to everlasting life. The Holy Spirit is waiting for you to rely on Him for His strength. He sees you, hears you, and knows you. All He wants is for you to trust Him and choose Him daily. His love for you has no bounds! So what will your response be?
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”
- 1 Timothy 6:11
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for who you are in my life. Thank you for the sacrifice that you have made on the cross for me, so that I can live in freedom. I repent of my sins Lord, please forgive me. Today I choose you; I choose holiness. Please help me to walk in righteousness because I cannot do it on my own. Let your strength be made known in my weaknesses. Please set me free from cycles in my life that do not honour you. Please renew my mind and mend the broken pieces of my heart. I surrender all to you Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.