Victory Over Sin: A Study in Romans 6

STUDY INDEX

Page 1 - Introduction; An Old Testament Type
Page 2 - The Two Questions of Paul in Romans 6
Page 3 - Two Questions, continued
Page 4 - Conclusion

Introduction

Millions of Christians across the world are living in defeat. They are slaves to sin, to that one thing which has ensnared them, and they cannot obtain and keep the victory. They love the Lord and long with all their hearts to please Him and to serve Him in righteousness. Yet there is that one thing which haunts them, which keeps them from living in victory and joy. That one thing comes in many forms. It could be pornography, homosexuality, lust, bitterness, pride, alcohol or drug addiction, or a gossiping tongue. But the Bible declares that sin shall not have dominion over us, nor that we should be servants of sin. So why do many Christians continue to live in bondage to sin?

Paul the apostle remarked concerning his early experience as a Christian, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do... For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:18-19, 22-24).

These words of Paul explain the state of many Christians today. They desire to do good, but cannot. And they do the evil thing they desire not to do. They do not understand how to perform that which is good (Jesus said the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak). They delight in God's law and wish to serve the Lord in holiness, but there is a war going on inside them, bringing them into captivity to the law of sin. Paul's statement echos the words of many Christians living in despair, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?"

We will examine in this study why many Christians continue to live in bondage to sin, and why they live from failure to failure, no matter what they try. And we will learn that victory over sin is not something which we strive for nor can obtain through our own efforts. But it is something which has already been won for us by Jesus Christ through the Cross of Calvary.

An Old Testament Type

When we study the Old Testament, we find what are called types. In these types, there is a correspondence between people, events or rituals of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ or some biblical truth. For instance, the Passover was a foreshadow or type of the blood of the Lamb of God who would take away our sin and free us from bondage, who's covering would spare us from judgment, and who's mark separates and distinguishes us from the world. Paul taught us in his writings that the sacrifices and rituals were a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 10:1).

In the story of David and Goliath, we have a type of the Christian's struggle with sin and how to walk in victory. In 1 Samuel, chapter 17, we read of the armies of Israel and the Philistines engaged in a standoff, each positioned on opposite hillsides overlooking a valley. For forty days, the champion of the Philistines, Goliath, a monstrous man nine feet tall, went out before the army of Israel and challenged them to send out their champion that they may fight (1 Samuel 17:1-7,16).

The number 40 is significant here - it is a probationary number and represents a time of testing or trial. The Hebrews after leaving Egypt wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Jesus fasted and endured Satan's temptations for forty days. After Jonah entered Nineveh and began preaching repentance, the people of Nineveh had forty days to respond.

Goliath's challenge given every morning and evening for forty days was clear, "If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us." This is a representation of the struggle many Christians face. They feel they are fighting for their very lives in a battle against sin, and are losing. The Christian should be in control. But instead of sin being our servant, we are still the servants of sin.

The Christian has no joy and lives in fear because of this intense battle. They are afraid to step out and fight for fearing of failing again. Like Saul and the armies of Israel, they are, "dismayed, and greatly afraid" (1 Samuel 17:11).

Fighting the Giant with Our Own Armor

David was a young man, probably in his teens, and even though he was fair to look upon, he wasn't exactly kingly in stature. But it was this young man which God chose to succeed Saul as king of Israel, "for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7). So at the Lord's instructions, the prophet Samuel anointed David to be king and "the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward." (1 Samuel 16:13).

When David volunteered to represent Israel and to fight Goliath, Saul remarked, "Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth." (1 Samuel 17:33). But at David's insistence, Saul armed David with his own armor, a coat of mail, a helmet of brass, and a sword. But David refused to go out and fight Goliath in Saul's armor, saying, "I have not proved them." (1 Samuel 17:39). The word "proved" here means tested.

This is where many Christians fail in their struggle against sin. They attempt to fight against it using man's methods. Their pastor tells them to "try harder." (How do you "try harder"?) Or they buy the latest self-help book or they try a method that happened to work for another person. Yet, no matter what they try, they continue to fail again, and again.

So David took off Saul's armor, and went out to face Goliath armed with only a staff, his sling, and five smooth stones. David boasted to Goliath, this giant of a man, "You come at me with man's armor, with a sword and a spear and a shield. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts." (1 Samuel 17:45). Saul's armor would not work for David, and man's armor would not work for Goliath either. David continued, "The Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord's" (1 Samuel 17:45).

We know the results, "And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled." (1 Samuel 17:48-51).

The picture here is not pretty. David takes Goliath's sword and cuts his head off. But you are in a battle for your life against sin. Your place as a Christian is not with a giant towering over you, but it is with you towering over a defeated and dead foe!

This is the key to victory. The battle is not ours to win. Our armor, our weapons, our methods are useless against the giants we face. David, with the Spirit of the Lord upon him, came against his giant clothed only in the armor of God. The battle is the Lord's and He will deliver the enemy into our hands! The sooner we lay our weapons and methods down, and trust in the Lord 100 percent and what He has already done for us at Calvary, the sooner we will walk in victory, and keep the victory.

The apostle Paul did not advise the church at Ephesus to fight using the latest method or fad sweeping through the church. He did not instruct them to read his new book, "10 Steps to Victory". No, he told them, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Matthew Henry writes of David's victory, "See how frail and uncertain life is, even when a man thinks himself best fortified; how quickly, how easily, and by how small a matter, the passage may be opened for life to go out, and death to enter! Let not the strong man glory in his strength, nor the armed man in his armour. God resists the proud, and pours contempt on those who defy him and his people. No one ever hardened his heart against God and prospered. The history is recorded, that all may exert themselves for the honour of God, and the support of his cause, with bold and unshaken reliance on him. There is one conflict in which all the followers of the Lamb are, and must be engaged; one enemy, more formidable than Goliath, still challenges the armies of Israel. But "resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Go forth to battle with the faith of David, and the powers of darkness shall not stand against you."

The writer of Hebrews would comment, "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of... David... who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." (Hebrews 11:32-34).

Now, let's look next at what Paul the apostle said in his letter to the church in Rome.

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