Sin After You Are Saved II James 1:14-15 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
After we get saved we have to fight against sin in our lives. In order to do this we have to know our enemies. Last week we studied our enemy, the World. Today, we are going to study our enemies, the Flesh and the Devil. And we are also going to see the kinds of sins they try to get us to commit.
The Flesh – the flesh works on you primarily through lusts – notice that in Jas 1:14-15 lust draws you away and entices you – then when it has conceived it brings forth sin, which kills you in time – so the battle with the flesh involves several aspects:
- Recognition that the flesh is contrary to the Spirit – Gal 5:17
- Realization that the flesh’s problems are not disorders and dysfunctions but rather sins – Rom 7:17-18
- Resolution that you must yield to God and reckon yourself dead to sin in order to keep these sins from having dominion over you – Rom 6:11-14 [see Rom 6-8]
- You are either a servant of sin and free from righteousness [Rom 6:20] or you are free from sin and a servant of God [Rom 6:22]
The Devil – the devil is a vicious enemy indeed – his desire is to devour Christians – 1 Pet 5:8 – like a new born calf, you are most vulnerable to his attack right after you are born again – the devil’s principle devices are:
- Deception – Rev 20:10
- Imitation – 2 Cor 11:14
- Cunning and Craftiness – Eph 6:11
- Earthly, Sensual Wisdom – Jas 3:14-16
- Possession – Acts 5:3; Matt 16:23
The kinds of sins that these three enemies will tempt you to commit are found in Gal 5:19-21, 1 Cor 6:9-10 and Eph 4:25-31, among others. In addition to the well-known sins of the flesh, some of the less recognizable sins which can tempt you and afflict you are:
Unbelief – Jn 16:8-9; Pride – 1 Pet 5:5; Envy – Matt 27:18; Bitterness – Heb 12:15; Gossip – Prov 26:20-28; Extortion – 1 Cor 5:9-11; Worldly Honor – Jn 5:44, Jn 12:43; Covetousness – Lk 12:15; Idolatry [particularly devil worship] – Matt 4:9-10, Rev 13:4; and Lasciviousness [exciting worldly desires and lusts] – Eph 4:18-19.