In case you didn’t know, God knows everything about you. Your desires, fears, anxieties, thoughts, and everything you hold dear. He knew everything about you before you were even born, or even a thought. He sees you for you. 

Here is the truth: You are not your sin. You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ (when we are baptized). Therefore, you are now united with the one who was raised from the dead, Jesus. As a result, we can “produce a harvest of good deeds for God” (Romans 7:4). The law is useful in the way that it shows us our sin. 

Here is another truth: Sin uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes. The trouble is not the law, but it is the sin within us. I long to do what is right, but instead I do what I hate. But the fact that I know what I do is wrong proves that I know the law is good. “I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:17). God knows you love Him with all your heart, and that you desire to do His  will and bring glory to His name. He also knows that “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.” (Romans 7:22-23). But there is One who frees me from this life that is dominated by sin and death. “The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25). 

We are not the only ones who suffer. Jesus suffered similarly with temptation. The devil tried to get him to make stones become bread, jump off a Temple, and worship the devil. But Jesus had a method for defeating the devil. He used Scripture and knew what God said. 

“So what do I do when I am struggling with sin?”, you might ask. We must know the Word and use the Word. 

Paul begged the Lord three times to take away his torment, but each time the Lord told him: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). What Paul, and ultimately us, learn from this is that we should consider our struggle an opportunity to grasp onto Christ. God knows we will sin. But He speaks to us through what trips us up. He has such great love for us, and wants us to know His love for us. 

I love the scene in The Chosen when Mary Magdalene is sitting with her dad, and he asks her a question that we probably often wonder the answer to ourselves. 

He asks her: “What do we do when we are scared?” 

She replies: “We say the words. Adonai’s words.” 

They go on to quote Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (NKJV). 

May you be encouraged to say these words when you are struggling. God is with you my friend. 

Shalom shalom

-Taylor Reed