Honest about the Struggle

A person can know the right thing and still discover how much resistance remains within him. The struggle with sin should make us honest, not theatrical. We gain nothing by pretending we never face temptation or by announcing that failure makes obedience pointless.

Paul's cry of need directs attention to Jesus Christ. The answer is not a stronger performance designed to make the self appear sufficient. We need the Saviour and the grace by which His people learn to live under His rule.

Read on into Romans 8 and notice the Holy Spirit's work. Do not turn one passage about conflict into permission to surrender every decision to sin. Scripture calls believers to a different life and gives reason to depend upon God in it.

Bring a recurring problem into the light with the right person. A trusted parent, pastor, or mature Christian can help you take truthful steps and avoid the isolation that protects a harmful pattern. The struggle is serious, but Christ is greater than your ability to manage it alone. Honest dependence is a sounder beginning than another promise to fix everything by sheer determination.