Drifting away from soundness in the faith is always the result of a peace treaty of some sort. The Bible teaches us that in this world we must always deal with sin outside us in the world and sin within us. In that familiar triad that we call the world, the flesh, and the devil, the first and the third are external to us. The flesh is closer to home.
We are tempted to drift in response to suggestions from the world and the devil when we have made some sort of peace treaty, some kind of accommodation with the remnants of sin that we find within us. Our fundamental orientation toward impulses, temptations, urges, or suggestions from within must be adversarial. If it is not adversarial, if you have let a particular sin sign a three-year lease in your heart, then that accommodation within will betray you, and you will find yourself drifting in response to external pressure from the world or the devil.
No true Christian has to “deal with” reigning sin within him. To be a slave to sin, to be in simple bondage to sin, is the same thing as being unconverted. And besides, absolute despots cannot be “dealt with” or managed. They must be deposed and executed. This is why the Bible teaches us that the old man has been crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6). This is true of every Christian; it is what our baptism means.
At the same time, believers, real believers, truly converted people, still have to deal with remaining sin. It is not reigning sin, but it is still there and it is still a nuisance. Peter tells certain beloved Christians to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage an internal war against them. “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11). The Colossian saints are told to mortify, to put to death, their members which are on the earth. Clearly this is remaining sin that they have to deal with us. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5).
In short, if you don’t want to be overthrown by enemies without, make sure that you have not settled on terms with the traitors within. You have elements within that will betray you, and so must be resolved to be their constant and unrelenting adversary.
I need to read this daily!
So when the Greeks have disappeared and left a really lovely horse instead, don’t bring it through the gates?
The Greeks left the horse. The Trojans brought it inside.
I shall edit accordingly, thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for that insight. I had never thought about the naming. It’s called the Trojan Horse, not the Greek Horse, because the Trojan’s claimed it. Interesting.
On another note, Doug, I saw this word today and thought of you. Or, at least, thought you enjoy it…
Entwicklungsroman: a novel about the personal development of a single person, typically in youth.
Very helpful and encouraging.
I will pray for you Douglas Wilson. The adversary is working hard on your case.
It is easy to focus on the gathering storm of sin on the distant horizon and forget that the sin in you own heart may break forth and destroy you in an instant.
Excuse me, sir. Not to be an intruder, or rude in any way, I have a question. I understand the concept of sin not reigning in a true convert, and the concept of true converts dealing with remaining sin. What does that actually look like in real life? How does one know the difference?