Sin, when it is full-grown… James 1:15 (NIV)
The root of sin is vigorous, and if the growth of sin is not checked, it will take over your life.
That means we must cut back sin. We cannot cut it out altogether because sin is never eradicated in this world. If God gives you success in one battle, Satan simply moves the location of the battle.
You long to be completely free from sin, and one day you will be, but not in this life. That is why Paul says, “Not that I have already attained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Phil. 3:12).
John says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). It’s important to know this so that you do not become discouraged. There will never come a day when you are completely free from temptation. In this life, the mark of success is not that sin is eradicated but that sin is weakened.
You will never get to the place where you are no longer tempted, no longer falling. The mark of success in a particular temptation is that the power of sin that has had mastery over you is gradually and increasingly subdued. Its assault is less intense than it was, its frequency is less, and you do not give way to it as you used to. It has been cut back. It no longer has the position in your life that it once had. Sin has been weakened, and grace has increased.
Where sin is unchecked, it builds a position in a person’s life. It takes root like weeds in a garden. The longer it is left alone, the stronger the hold it will have. David prayed for protection against this happening: “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me” (Psa. 19:13). That’s a great prayer to learn and use in your life.
What is one area in your life where sin is growing and you need to weaken it?
