The violence that hit Texas a week ago leaves us with images of a fallen man, lost in every imaginable way. In this display of rage and terror, his inner war was exposed. The questions and the whys occupy our hearts as we wrestle with our uncivilized world. I’d assert that, though saved, I must face a reality: there’s a war inside of me, too.

​

     Why do we rage? Why do we experience torment, though the Spirit indwells us? The answer is given to us in Scripture. As we trace the whole story of the Bible, God is fighting on our behalf to save us from the tactics of the enemy, generation after generation. He encourages us, “Know thy enemy!”

​

     I really hate giving satan much air time, but let’s just say it’s a necessary evil. He lives up to his name: the Deceiver. He came to Adam and Eve and twisted truth, convincing them they could live independent from God. Upon their disobedience in eating from the forbidden tree, indwelling sin made its entry into the human body. They couldn’t keep one rule, let alone 613! Everything profoundly changed. DNA shifted, and death entered the picture. Adam and Eve immediately began to lie, hide, and blame. Generations later, we are faced with the same sin condition (Ro 5:12).  Our sinfulness was a huge win for the serpent, because he can’t be everywhere at once. So since the Fall, he’s been using his evil minions and this force inside of us, indwelling sin, to partner up, so that we might live in a state of constant deception. John Owen, non-conformist church leader of 17th century, defines indwelling sin well: “…a power that is effectual in tricking and pressing humans to negative actions that agree with its total depravity.” For the believer this is directly opposed to the Kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit who indwells us. This truth explains the war: there’s indwelling sin (n.), and then sin (v.), an action executed from the inward pulling power.

​

     The mark of sin opposes the Lawgiver; God as holy; and God as authority. I believe most believers are blind to it; perhaps, because we’ve been asleep to the enemy’s impact on us, which keeps us from daily doses of grace. A wise man knows his history and learns from it.

      

     I grew up in a Bible-believing church, but if my only filter were Sunday sermons, I might have concluded: “If you become a Christian, you’ll receive forgiveness of sins and have a successful existence.” Now that’s simplified, but the gist. I believe without studying the history of sin, we can become vulnerable to a myriad of attacks. I think when we don’t understand its hold, the enemy uses it to condemn us with, “I’m struggling, therefore I’m not ‘good’ enough to be a Christian.” This is the biggest trick of the enemy, to hide our spiritual eyes from us discovering our sin, for fear we’ll head straight for Jesus.

​

     It takes shape differently in each of us. A believer may be viewed as wise, but foolish in how he justifies an addiction. Or maybe the believer is the biggest tither in his church, yet withholds generosity towards his wife. Maybe a believer has justified an attitude, “I’m too busy to pray,” because her sin nature doesn’t want to submit to the Spirit. The patterns are all over the map, depending on how we’ve inherited it. Paul speaks clearly about the reality of its ability torment believers in Romans 7, “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war … making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

​

     When we embrace the deception sin causes, paradoxically we are freer to pursue Romans 8, life in the Spirit. While sin has power, grace has more (Eph 1:19). Obedience to God’s will grows peace and silences the war, causing the devil to lose ground. The most effectual Christians are those who’ve shared their weaknesses, who embraced their depravity. Paul even had the audacity to boast about it: “I will boast gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me” (2 Co 12:9).

​

     We can be encouraged and better equipped for the battle if we, “Know thy enemy.” It’s not your mother-in-law.