Have you ever found yourself stuck in the same routine, day in and day out? I know I have. It’s so easy to fall into a pattern where we feel safe, comfortable, and in control. Our comfort zones are like warm, cozy blankets that we wrap around ourselves, protecting us from the unknown. But as men of God, we are not called to live a life of comfort and complacency. We are called to be warriors, ready to step into the battle and face challenges head-on.
When we stay within our comfort zones, we become vulnerable to the dangers of complacency and sin. The enemy thrives on our inactivity and our false sense of security. He knows that when we are comfortable, we are less likely to be vigilant and more likely to fall into temptation. The Bible warns us about the perils of idleness and how it can lead us astray. King David, for example, fell into grievous sin when he stayed back from the battlefield and remained in the comfort of his palace. It was during this time of complacency that he encountered Bathsheba, leading to adultery and murder. When we are not actively pursuing God and His will for our lives, we leave room for the enemy to creep in and wreak havoc. I’ve seen it happen in my own life, and I don’t want it to happen to you.
We, as men of God, need to dedicate the time and effort to step out of our comfort zones. These calls are crucial in preparing and disciplining ourselves to face the enemy with full force. If you haven’t already, please get something to write with in case something I say resonates with you. I also ask that you open your hearts and minds and prepare yourselves to receive this message.
It’s time for us to break free from the chains of comfort and step into the life of purpose and adventure that God has planned for us. This journey won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Are you ready to take the first step? Let’s do this together.
There are dangers of living passively in the growing darkness and being passive in your faith. There is a great epidemic of Christian men idly sitting by in this world, giving in to their desire for comfort and nourishing their flesh.
Embracing the Word “Destroy”
I want to give you a word today. And that is “destroy.” Synonyms of destroy can be “demolish,” “ruin,” “annihilate,” “obliterate,” and “devastate.” Such a word may conjure images of destruction or beating something down to a pulp until it’s pulverized. If your imagination brings such images to mind, that’s good. Keep that on the backburner of your mind. I’ll return to that in a bit.
The Call to Spiritual Warfare
The 19th-century evangelist and teacher Oswald Chambers once said, “Get alone with Jesus and either tell Him that you do not want sin to die out in you, or else tell Him that at all costs you want to be identified with His death.” Essentially, this means you are either all in with Jesus or you are living for this world. There is no middle ground here.
Yes, there is a war – spiritual warfare – and it is ever-raging. It should not be dismissed lightly. Every thought we entertain, every action we take or choose not to take, either brings us closer to Jesus or takes us further away from Him. As human beings, it is so easy to live in this material world because we can touch, taste, feel, smell, and hear it. We’re surrounded by all things material, which is not our fault. However, Scripture clearly shows there is more to this world than meets the eye.
There is a spiritual realm around us, unseen to us and undetectable by our natural eyes, but it is very real. Multiple entities in this spiritual world seek to gain control over you. Revelation 13:17 says in part, “And he (Satan) went to make war with the rest of her offspring,” that is, believers in Christ, “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.“ I could go on quoting further scripture you are likely familiar with. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us about Satan being a roaring lion, devouring souls. Ephesians 6:10-20 tells us about the armor of God and the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.
Yes, brothers, spiritual warfare is definitely raging, and we need to be ever-vigilant. It can be a slow, progressive war that gains on you millimeter by millimeter and inch by inch until you are overwhelmed without realizing it. Have you ever heard of the frog in a pot of slowly boiling water? It can be similar to that.
Or the spiritual onslaught may bulldoze you over in an instant, like a tank battalion. Whatever the case, know that it exists, and you will be attacked. As you’ve made war on our enemy through this challenge, there have been days where you held off his influence on you, and there have been days you let your guard down. When those days happen, get up, refocus, and advance forward. When you realize the need to discipline your thoughts and actions against the enemy, your discipline will prevail, bringing you victory.
Overcoming Excuses and Embracing Authority
So, what prevents us from the discipline necessary to defeat the enemy consistently and with authority? In Luke 10:19, Jesus proclaims, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The theme here is clear: you have been given authority through God’s power, so use it. Can you resist the devil? Of course, you can. Do we all want the devil to flee from us? Absolutely.
So, back to my question: What’s preventing us from the discipline necessary to defeat the enemy consistently and with authority? I’ll offer my view on this: EXCUSES. We have given numerous rationalizations or reasonings throughout the years, but they are all petty and false. I hope and pray that you take a long look at your life and, through the power of the Spirit, discard the excuses we’ve relied on over the years and in our former, pre-born-again lives.
Excuses can be difficult to overcome, especially if we have lived comfortably with them for so long. For the majority of my life, I was a master of excuses. I excused so much sin with myself and others that I created my own version of “God.” You know, the “God” that’s all warm and cuddly, and makes you feel good. A God that I believed didn’t think my sin was that serious. A God that let me get away with things because I was a “good person.” I chose procrastination, laziness, and excuses in my relationship with Christ. I deliberately chose to take the easy way and stay in my comfort zone. I had made God in my image. I had created a “God” who affirmed my sin.
I was deceived. This supposed “God” was actually an idol. I had to go back and repent of this. I had to surrender to the true, living Lord God Almighty, the God of the Bible. He was the One who declared right and wrong. He was the Supreme Authority. It was then that He revealed that none of these excuses would work.
Applying “Destroy” to Our Lives
So, let’s get back to the word “destroy.” Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines destroy as “to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of; to put out of existence.”
Let’s apply these definitions to what King Jesus Christ and the Bible command us to do with our lives. John 8:11 finishes the story of Jesus telling the woman caught in adultery by Him commanding her to “go and sin no more.” 1 Peter 2:24 reads, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.“
Titus 2:11-14 is also powerful: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works.” That’s us he’s talking about, guys.
We must, at all times, take a hard stance against sin. A total mindset change has to be made by the renewing of your mind.”
The resonating elephant in the room is this: we need to eliminate, decimate, and utterly destroy sin from our lives. We must, at all times, take a hard stance against sin. A total mindset change has to be made by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2) . We need to adopt an attitude of radical, spiritual violence against all iniquity and wrongdoing. We need to understand the seriousness of all sin and try to see sin from the perspective of a holy, righteous God, for whom sin is a stench in His nostrils. When we vanquish sin from our lives, we show a solid commitment to following the commands of our Lord and Savior.
So, what does it take to destroy sin from our lives? How do we die daily to sin as Jesus commands us?
For many of us, there are sins we have indeed conquered and are no longer part of our lives. The temptation to give in to these sins still exists, but we no longer give in to them because we know the consequences. What about those nagging sins we can’t seem to shake? Maybe you’re taking that second look or even a third look at an attractive woman you encounter. Maybe you’re spending way too much time watching sports instead of being in the Word. Perhaps you lose your patience with your wife or girlfriend in milliseconds. Whatever nagging sin you have can be systematically eliminated. I often see posts on social media that say, “I can do all things through Christ!” from Philippians 4:13.
First, the whole passage in Philippians from which the above Bible verse comes refers to being content in all circumstances. It’s not a motivational saying that is supposed to inspire you, but an answer that deep faith in Christ will get you through suffering and tough times.
But let’s say that Christ will help you achieve everything in life. That would apply to fighting your sinful flesh. So, ask yourself, “Do I really believe this? Can I do all things through Christ, including giving up that sin?” And I ask myself the same. Do we really put our faith in living this out?
John Owen on Mortifying Sin
John Owen, a prominent Puritan theologian, is well-known for his profound writings on the subject of sin and its mortification, most notably in his epic work “The Mortification of Sin.” This book is a long, tough read, but it is worth it, even if it takes months to finish. In this book, Owen emphasized that “mortification,” or the process of putting sin to death, is essential for every believer’s spiritual growth and sanctification. He argued that sin’s power must be actively subdued through the Holy Spirit’s assistance, as passive resignation leads to spiritual decline. Owen famously stated, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you,” underscoring the urgent and ongoing nature of this battle.
Owen also stressed that true mortification involves not just suppressing outward sinful behaviors, but addressing the internal desires and inclinations of the heart. This deep-rooted approach requires diligent self-examination, constant prayer, and reliance on the Holy Spirit. He warned against relying on personal strength or external religious duties, which can lead to self-deception and ineffectiveness.
Instead, believers must seek transformation through Christ’s power, recognizing that without Him, overcoming sin is impossible.
Internal Inventory and Addressing Sin
If so, know this, brothers: whatever sin you want to rid yourself of, whatever thing you want to destroy in your life, I challenge you to take an internal inventory of yourself. It’s going to hurt, and our pride will scream at us to stop being ridiculous. But take the time to go through your physical and spiritual life to identify sins that can be eliminated. And yes, they can be eliminated.
First, let’s look at the physical aspects of sin. Are there words in your vocabulary that could be ripped away from your speech? Maybe there’s information you know about someone that you don’t need to share. Have you praised God today, speaking aloud your thanks to Him and giving Him glory? Have you complimented your wife or girlfriend today and shown patience and grace, even if she upset you earlier? Scripture says with our tongues, we can praise God and speak evil of our brother. Let’s focus on speaking life, praise, and thanks, and see how God uses the discipline of our tongues to advance His Kingdom.
Maybe some of us need to destroy certain social media apps, music, movies, and TV shows from our daily lives. Do the things we entertain ourselves with dishonor God, or do they bring Him glory? We serve a holy, righteous God, and our entertainment choices should reflect our beliefs in Him.
Next, let’s consider internal sin – the sins we imagine in our minds and our thoughts toward others. These sins need to be destroyed. The secret sins that we think only we know about, our God knows about, too. He knows our thought life better than we know it ourselves. Nothing is hidden from Him. Scripture commands us to put all our thoughts into submission so that we may lead holy, righteous lives. We can’t take that second or third look at the woman in yoga pants at the gym or in our Instagram feed. We can’t let our thoughts wander to sexual desire for the attractive waitress at the restaurant. We must radically stamp out unrighteous anger or thoughts of ill will toward our neighbor or politicians we don’t agree with. Situations where physical and internal sin opportunities abound are limitless.
Concluding with Encouragement and Thanksgiving
The Word of God and constant prayer give us the physical and internal fortitude to resist the sins that cling to us. With full surrender to Christ and living in the power of the Holy Spirit, sin can be eliminated. The little “bites” we take from the fork that feeds our flesh are the embarrassing ones no one likes to talk about in public – the bites of food at night when nobody’s looking, the judgmental words we tell others, the quick sexual daydreams about an attractive brunette you saw earlier, the inappropriate jokes we tell at work. These are things we’re not proud of, areas we need to confess to other soldiers of Jesus, receive prayer for, ask for accountability with, and move on to grow in God’s grace.
In 1 Peter 1:16, the Lord says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” God commands us to love Him with all that we have – our physical bodies and our spiritual thoughts, and in doing so, seek out His holiness. As soldiers of Jesus Christ, we count it our duty and honor to pursue our Lord and King with intent, focus, and resolve. Our pursuit should not be casual, something we procrastinate about and will get to when we have time. We are to constantly pursue holy, righteous lives that bring God all the honor and glory, for He deserves all our efforts.
I know this advice is very direct. It’s no doubt challenging and a bit more direct and intense than you’re used to receiving. Putting this into practice will be a daunting and painful process.
But it will be worth it. And we should know that God will never abandon us in our pursuit of destroying sin and seeking holiness. We can perpetually give thanks to God, for He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We can, and we will achieve domination over sin through Christ in the power of the Spirit.
God will give us everything we need to accomplish this, for He is our provider. He always works for our good, whether we realize it or not. He calls us to obedience and to rid ourselves of anything that separates us from having an intimate, joyous, and victorious life in Him. When we live in obedience, God is with us and makes ways for us to be victorious. I encourage us all to call out the sins that still cling to our physical and spiritual lives. Name them so they no longer have a grip on you. Identify them, name them, pray over them, and lose their hold on you.
The Lord will provide the inner strength to conquer our flesh and to be all for Him. We also serve our brothers in Christ by being the example, ministering to them, praying for them, and being there for them whenever and wherever. Our God has made it so that we can be the mighty men He desires us to be, and we desire to be, for His glory.
0 Comments