Scripture to Read: Romans 7:5
We all have days when we feel like we are under significant attack by the spiritual forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). We are in a spiritual battlefield every day, whether we feel like it or not. Still, some days the battlefield feels more challenging than others. Today, God reminds us in Romans 7:5, For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. Before we surrendered to Christ as Lord, our sinful passions ruled our lives. We were slaves to our sinful desires and did not even know we were slaves. All we could do was live in sin because we had no way to overcome our sinful passions. The only fruit produced by our lives was fruit that led to death because sin always results in death. We need to remember this truth because everyone in this world today without Christ is a slave to their sinful passions, too (1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 3:14, 2 Corinthians 4:3–4, 2 Timothy 2:26). What God’s Law does, as we saw earlier this week, is show us how sinful we are apart from Christ. But even as believers, our sinful passions can still be aroused when we do not pursue Christ and His Word daily (1 Corinthians 3:1–3). We must choose to mature in Christ and crucify our sinful passions each day so that our lives glorify our King (1 Corinthians 10:13, Galatians 5:16–17).
Challenge & Application
What did God teach you today about your sinful passions and the sinful passions of people still separated from Christ?
How are you pursuing Christ and His Word each day, and how are you seeing victory over the sinful passions of your flesh?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!