Note that in this study the word “sin” (singular) refers to the “sin [nature] in the flesh” of every human (Rom. 8:3b). This is the root cause of all acts of sinning. This explains why we might feel as if we are held captive and do things we don’t want to do and we do not do what we know we should. As you will see, we are not held captive to the ‘Sin of the flesh and mind.’

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned [subdued] sin in the flesh: Romans 8:3

So long as we live in fallen human flesh with its impulses and lusts this will not change until we get our glorious new resurrection bodies. Satan is temporarily “the god of this world [Gk. aion, dispensational age]” (2 Cor 4:4). The “Law” cannot help us but “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” can.

“And you hath he quickened [made spiritually alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world [Gk. kosmos, fallen world arrangement], according to the [Satanic] prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” Eph. 2:1-2

Today, we as believers in fact are to be Christ’s “ambassadors” of the truth of Christ concerning “the gospel of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2) but we might may ‘feel’ we are held captive. This is our sinful flesh battling against Christ within us:

“But I see another law in my [sin-laden body] members, warring against the [righteous] law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my [physical body] members.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Rom. 7:23-24

We as believers possess the very same Christ’s life and nature that was victorious over “sin and death,” raising Jesus from the dead.

“For the [operational] LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE in Christ Jesus hath [already] made me FREE from the Law Of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2 (KJV)

Well then, Christ has already delivered us!

Being “in Christ” from the moment we first believe, we died to sin with Christ. Jesus died not only ‘for us’ to pay for our sins, but also Jesus Christ died ‘as us’ to free us from the power of the Sin nature. The result of my believing in Jesus’ Cross-work on my behalf is that;

“I am [currently] crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith [faithfulness] of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

So, the Bible truth for us during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God” is contrary to how we may ‘feel.’ Letting our emotions be our guide is like letting children run the household.

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into [planted, or set into union with] Jesus Christ were baptized into his death [not into water]? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism Into DEATH [of our Old Man]: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been PLANTED together in the likeness of His DEATH, we shall be also in the likeness of His RESURRECTION: ⁶ Knowing this, that OUR OLD MAN IS crucified [dead] with him, [so] that the body of sin might be destroyed [made of no effect], [so] that henceforth we should not serve sin.

⁷ For he that is Dead [With Christ] is freed from sin [freed from Sin’s dominion].” Romans 6:3-7

We must believe the truth and not our fickle thoughts and ‘impulsive feelings.’ This will be a daily challenge to us as God’s representatives while we remain here on earth. We must choose between “the lust [desires] of the flesh” and that of “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” Who Indwells our spirit (cf. 1Cor. 6:17).

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery [secret] among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory:” Colossians 1:27 (KJV)

We may wonder, who is really behind our thoughts and actions.

“For the flesh [of Sin] lusteth against the Spirit (of life in Christ], and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot [would not] do the things that ye would.”  Gal.5:17

It is Satan with his “firey darts” (of evil thoughts) that impale our minds. If you read Romans chapter 7:8, 11, 13, 17, 20, 23; you will come across several instance where “Sin” is referred to as a ‘personality.’ “Sin” is the very nature of the Devil, Satan, Lucifer himself.

Yet, thanks to the Cross-work of Christ, Satan is defanged. ‘Sin’ has no power over us except ‘the lying’ impulses of the flesh and thoughts of the mind. These daily bombardments from the sinful “mind of our flesh,” the world around us, and past habits, tempt and distort our thinking and then our behavior.

Thus we must know and believer the truth of Christ and His Cross-work. We are responsible to learn and know the truth, adopting a renewed mindset… then having Christ’s wisdom and Christ’s power to make wise choices. Paul tells us what we must do with our ‘mind.’

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit [mind] the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally [fleshly] minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6 (KJV)

Paul tells us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Being then equipped with the TRUTH of the Cross, when your mind races with random thoughts, don’t just accept it. Practice getting off this road of such thinking to…  you can change your mindset, refocus on the truth of “the Word of truth,” such as seen in the verses I’ve noted in this study. That is how we can be;

“Casting down [false] imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Cor. 10:5

Being in union with Christ and adopting His mindset … we can do it. As God told Israel in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, “choose life” – we choose to live by the truth of Christ’s Alive in us as the ‘new us.’

• Portions adapted from ‘Supply of Grace.’

Note that in this study the word “sin” (singular) refers to the “sin [nature] in the flesh” of every human (Rom. 8:3b). This is the root cause of all acts of sinning. This explains why we might feel as if we are held captive and do things we don’t want to do and we do not do what we know we should?

As you will see, we are not held captive to the ‘Sin of the flesh and mind.’

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned [subdued] sin in the flesh: Romans 8:3

So long as we live in fallen human flesh with its impulses and lusts this will not change until we get our glorious new resurrection bodies. Satan is temporarily “the god of this world [Gk. aion, dispensational age]” (2 Cor 4:4). The “Law” cannot help us but “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” can.

“And you hath he quickened [made spiritually alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world [Gk. kosmos, fallen world arrangement], according to the [Satanic] prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” Eph. 2:1-2

Today, we as believers in fact are to be the Christ’s “ambassadors” of the truth of Christ concerning “the gospel of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2) but we might may ‘feel’ we are held captive, but this is our sinful flesh battling against Christ within us:

“But I see another law in my [sin-laden body] members, warring against the [righteous] law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my [physical body] members.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Rom. 7:23-24

We as believers possess the very same Christ’s life and nature that was victorious over “sin and death,” raising Jesus from the dead.

“For the [operational] LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE in Christ Jesus hath [already] made me free from the Law Of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2 (KJV)

Well then, Christ has already delivered us! Being “in Christ” from the moment we first believe, we died to sin with Christ, Jesus died not only ‘for us’ to pay for our sins, but also Jesus Christ died ‘as us’ to free us from the power of the Sin nature. The result of my believing in Jesus’ Cross-work on my behalf is that;

“I am [currently] crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith [faithfulness] of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

So, the Bible truth for us during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God” is contrary to how we may ‘feel.’

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into [planted, or set into union with] Jesus Christ were baptized into his death [not into water]? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism Into DEATH [of our Old Man]: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His DEATH, we shall be also in the likeness of His RESURRECTION: ⁶ Knowing this, that OUR OLD MAN IS crucified [dead] with him, [so] that the body of sin might be destroyed [made of no effect], [so] that henceforth we should not serve sin.

⁷ For he that is Dead [With Christ] is freed from sin [freed from Sin’s dominion].” Romans 6:3-7

We must believe the truth and not our fickle thoughts and ‘impulsive feelings.’ This will be a daily challenge to us as God’s representatives while we remain here on earth. We must choose between “the lust [desires] of the flesh” and that of “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” Who Indwells our spirit (cf. 1Cor. 6:17).

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery [secret] among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory:” Colossians 1:27 (KJV)

We may wonder, who is really behind our thoughts and actions.

“For the flesh [of Sin] lusteth against the Spirit (of life in Christ], and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot [would not] do the things that ye would.”  Gal.5:17

It is Satan with his “firey darts” (of evil thoughts) that impale our minds. If you read Romans chapter 7:8, 11, 13, 17, 20, 23; you will come across several instance where “Sin” is referred to as a ‘personality.’ “Sin” is the very nature of the Devil, Satan, Lucifer himself.

Yet, thanks to the Cross-work of Christ, Satan is defanged. ‘Sin’ has no power over us except ‘the lying’ impulses of the flesh and thoughts of the mind. These daily bombardments from the sinful “mind of our flesh,” the world around us, and past habits, tempt and distort our thinking and then our behavior.

Thus we must know and believer the truth of Christ and His Cross-work. We are responsible to learn and know the truth, adopting a renewed mindset… then having Christ’s wisdom and Christ’s power to make wise choices. Paul tells us what we must do with our ‘mind.’

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit [mind] the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally [fleshly] minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6 (KJV)

Paul tells us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Being then equipped with the TRUTH of the Cross, when your mind races with random thoughts, don’t just accept it. Practice getting off this road of such thinking to…  you can change your mindset, refocus on the truth of “the Word of truth,” such as seen the verses I’ve noted in this study. That is how we can be;

“Casting down [false] imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Cor. 10:5

Being in union with Christ and adopting His mindset … we can do it. As God told Israel in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, “choose life” – we choose to live by the truth of Christ’s Alive in us as the ‘new us.’

• Portions adapted from ‘Supply of Grace.’