BATTLING THE ENEMY WITHIN

            Over the years, many scandals have damaged the testimony of Bible believing Churches and other Christian organizations. The Bible teaches righteousness, and true Christians believe the Bible and seek to live by it. We hate immorality, dishonesty, sensuality and values that violate Biblical standards. The precious blood of Christ has cleansed Christians. The regenerating power of the Holy Spirit has made them “new creatures” in Christ. Why is it then, that so many of us are guilty of hypocrisy? Why is it that so many preachers and other Christian leaders fall into sex scandals, power grabs, or theft?

            The answer to this, of course, is sin. Though Christ has delivered the true Christian from the guilt and penalty of sin, the believer is in a daily battle to gain victory over the power of sin. Even blood bought saints are depraved. Although the child of God is a new creature, he still carries about that old man termed by Paul as “the body of this death.” Paul instructed the Colossian believers to, “mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.” We who know Christ have the Spirit of God dwelling within us. Even so, we still must contend with that “old man” and his deeds.

            The Biblical teaching of total depravity does not mean that unsaved people are incapable of doing anything judged by others as “good.” Even those who Jesus described as “whited sepulchers” were meticulous in giving tithes. Neither does depravity mean that an unsaved person will commit every sin there is. It does not even mean that each unsaved person will commit what we may consider vile sins. Before his conversion, Paul was blameless concerning “the righteousness which is in the law.” Innate depravity does not even mean that people are as bad as they could be. Sinners will get progressively worse. According to 2 Timothy 3:13, “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.”

            What total depravity does mean, however, is that sin has affected the entire being. Sin has tainted the body, mind, will, and heart. Isaiah describes this terrible condition by saying, “ From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it.” This is true for both believers and unbelievers.

            Sin has affected our bodies. In Romans 7:18, Paul said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” He also encourages believers not to give in to the flesh, as it is the instrument of unrighteousness.

            Sin has also adversely affected our minds. Of the unsaved mind the Scriptures say, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” But the believer's thinking can also be as wrong as that of the unbeliever. The Bible tells believers to

“walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart,” (Eph. 4:17,18).

            Sin has even enslaved a person's will. In John 8:34 Jesus said, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” Paul illustrated that from his own life when he explained,

For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” (Rom. 7:19-21)

            Sin has undermined the heart and its affections. Jeremiah stated, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jesus explained that the heart is the fountainhead of the worst sort of sins.

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:21-23)

            Is it any wonder that Christians sometimes fall? The body, mind, will, and heart are all under the influence of sin. That is why D.L. Moody said, “I have more trouble with D.L. Moody that with any man alive.” When considering sin, I am my own worst enemy. Even if I did not have to face the world and the devil, I have more than enough in myself to keep me busy in the battle against sin. It is critical for me to keep reminding myself that I am capable of becoming the next scandal, and hindering the cause of Christ.

            Though we have the wonderful provision of forgiveness in 1 John 1:9, forgiveness cannot undo a lost testimony. It may take a lifetime for a church to overcome the damage done by a fallen Pastor or Deacon. Rather than having to regain that which we have lost, let us determine never to lose that which we have gained. God gave us His blessed Word to help us in our fight against our own sin. David said, “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” I must never give up the fight against sin in my own life. This battle should always get priority over battling sin in society.