When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose again, He forever broke the power of sin over the believer. It means that every believer has the power through Christ to resist sin. The excuse “The Devil made me do it” can never truthfully be used again.

It also means that no sin can ever condemn you to Hell again – because Jesus paid for all your sin. His mercy and goodness, however, do not offer an excuse to sin, neither will He overlook it.

In the above verse, Paul points out that the believer is free from the law – but only in the sense that it can never condemn them again. But Paul, out of thankfulness to God, and realizing all the blessings that God wants to show him (and all believers today), says that he will not permit himself to become a servant of sin again.

It does not mean that he would never sin again, but that he chooses to not let sin of any kind rob him of the sweet fellowship with Christ that he so much enjoys. He also does not want to hurt the Savior that forgave him and called him to serve Him.

Christians today need to take the same attitude. If you are not free to serve God, and able, you are not free. Paul said this about the Roman believers, in Romans 6:17: “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”

Do you love the Lord that much, that you do not want to be under the power of any sin again? Are you still a servant (frequently commit the same one) of some sin? Do you really want victory over it?

There are times when our bodies grow weary. It is especially true after a hard day’s work and as we grow older. Our bodies can get refreshed afterward by resting, drinking or eating – or a combination of them.

It is also possible to get weary in your daily service for the Lord. Because it is contrary to the flesh, but must be performed in the flesh, it can cause some weariness.

In the above verse, Paul speaks about getting refreshed in spirit. Increased age can mean it takes longer to get refreshed physically, but Paul says that you can be spiritually strengthened “day by day.”

This inner strengthening enables God’s servants to continue to teach that class, preach, witness, pray, etc. It is the Holy Spirit who does the work of refreshing our spirit, so you must be in tune with Him to know His power. Paul said that God’s renewing in his spirit refreshes him “day by day” so that he does not “faint” (quit).

When you get weary, it is necessary to get in your prayer closet and spend some time talking with the Lord. He will refresh you. At the same time, your flesh may also need a break – and maybe a good nap.

God gives us the tools to enable us to keep going for Him, but it may be occasionally necessary to “come apart” from the busyness of Christian service for a few hours. Stay faithful and His strength will come.

This verse demonstrates the ability of the Word to give victory over sin. The words “none of his steps shall slide” refers to its power to keep you close to God and away from the world.

There is always a danger of going back to the world: it offers many attractions, false promises, and empty satisfaction. All of which can never satisfy the soul of those who know God through Jesus Christ. Jesus warned, in Matthew 24:12: “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” This coldness of heart toward God, the Word, and the local church, are what the Word can keep you from.

For the believer, victory is always a choice. God will never force you to have it. The Holy Spirit dwelling inside is there to help you want to get that victory, but you must stay focused on the Word and its principles for life.

Notice that the Word must be in your heart. The heart is the place where your true emotions, motives, drives, etc., reside. You need to let the Word influence your heart and be willing to follow it – with God’s help. When the Word indicates a change in direction and activity is needed – you heed it.

One of the best ways to put the Word of God in your heart is to memorize various verses – especially those that promise victory. Then, deliberately run them through your mind during the day as reminders of His will and power.

It is good for believers to look back every now and then at what we were before salvation. No matter what age you were when you were saved, the Bible declares that we were all “dead in trespasses and sins” prior to salvation.

You may not have been a big sinner, especially if you were saved as a child, but it must be remembered that it only takes one sin to be a sinner. This brings everyone to need to pay “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Once saved, God immediately quickened us. That means He made us alive – now capable of doing righteousness and pleasing Him. Before we were the sons of darkness and of the Devil, but now we have been made the sons of God (John 1:12).

Along with that new quickening and sonship, we also have the power to resist sin and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. In fact, that old sin nature is to be considered dead, and we can live in the new life He gave us.

If and when we sin, we also have an Advocate with the Father – “Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1). He helps us to get forgiven and cleansed when we ask Him. It enables us to go on and shows that He loves us still.

Are you walking in the quickening power of the Holy Spirit, or according to the works of the flesh?

Remember that serving Jesus alone brings victory over sin, real joy, and blessing.

In the last blog post, it was mentioned that believers in Christ are engaged in a war. It is not a war with physical weapons, but one of the heart and mind.

Satan and his hordes constantly seek to weaken the impact that Christians have in their lives and in the world. There are many ways he tries to do this.

Christians can become so busy with daily activities that they forget about “seeking first the kingdom of God.” The same activities can cause believers to cease being “sober” or “vigilant.”

At the same time, they can forget that Satan is seeking to “devour” you. All he wants to do is to make you ineffective in the kingdom of God and to destroy your joy and testimony. When you lose your focus on the war, you become ineffective and powerless to accomplish anything for God. You have become a casualty in Christian warfare. There is no victory for you.

If you are reading this and believe that you have become a powerless casualty, you can be restored quickly and made useful again to God in this spiritual war. Simply confess the sin to God, ask His forgiveness and He will give it. Then, start doing what you know He wants you to do as given in the Bible and ask for His help to do it. Victory in Jesus is still available to those who want it.

In the midst of his trials, David proclaimed that God had been his help all along. God never forsook him or proved Himself unfaithful. He kept His promises.

His experience with God made him determine to stay close to God, proverbially close enough to be in His shadow. Of course, God has no literal shadow, but the idea is that if you are in someone’s shadow – then you are very close to them.

David had an expectation of what abiding in God’s shadow might bring. He knew that it would bring rejoicing. Staying close to God is not a sad experience – it is a most joyful one. Believers who have little or no inner joy are those who do not walk close to God.

He even declared, in Psalm 119:62: “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.” While most people sleep, David determined that because of his love for God and His Word, that he would even praise Him at midnight. Just two verses later, he talks about praising God seven times a day for His Word. This was not a duty to him – but a joy.

As he walked close to God, David found another blessing. He learned that God would uphold him. David did what God wanted him to do. And when he did, God gave him the strength to do it.

Are you walking close enough to God to be in His “shadow,” and are you experiencing His joy and strength? You can!

Before uttering these words, Jesus had once again told His disciples that He would first suffer and then be leaving them soon. Although they were saddened by the news, they did not understand it.

In the same way, we also are sometimes saddened by news and events that occur in our lives. It could be the death of a loved one, news of cancer or some other disease, world news, etc., but the truth is that Jesus’ reply to their sadness still can help today.

He told them the things in this verse so that even when they do face tribulation or persecution, or possibly even death, that they can still have inner peace in the face of it. Even more than that, He told them that it is possible you could also “be of good cheer” in those times.

In other words, you do not need to be defeated by events or circumstances, even though there may be anguish and pain involved. God wants His born-again children to be overcomers, and He gives them the grace and power to do so. Faith in His promises enables victory.

Are you utilizing His grace and power now so that – at the end of the day – you are an overcomer? If you need to, why not admit your weakness and ask Him for help right now?