So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:12-13)
With the Spirit of Christ living in us, how we should respond? By putting to death the deeds of the body, by killing our sin. We must turn away from our old selves and vices, our idols and addictions, our selfish desires that dishonor God.
In Christ, we’re no longer slaves to our sin, so we do not have to live in fear. We’re freed. God adopted us as His children and made us heirs (Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 4:4-7). We know we are His children, because the Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are His. Moreover, God gives us a willingness to kill our sin and suffer with Christ if we are His children.
Think you can’t kill sin by yourself, because you’re feeling helpless and hooked? Cry out to God, “Abba, Father!” the way a child cries out, “Daddy!” It’s the way Jesus cried to his Father the night before His death (Mk. 14:36). Pray that God will send the Holy Spirit to kill your sin. Paul writes, “By the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body” (8:13). We can’t kill our sin alone. We need the Spirit to kill sin to find life.
How does the Spirit drive us to kill our sin? The Spirit is our “Counselor” who teaches us God’s Word (Jn. 14:26). This Word is the sword that kills sin (Eph. 6:17)! When we store the Word in our hearts, we’ll recall it in the heat of the moment. We’d see sin as disgusting, hateful, and deadly as God sees it.
Need a compelling reason to destroy sin? English theologian John Owen profoundly wrote, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” We’d eventually have to give an account of ourselves to God when we stand before Him in judgment (14:12). Yet, praise be to our Father who freed us from sin and death when Jesus died to pay for sins He never committed. Let’s kill our sin and share in Christ’s glory.