Strive against sin

Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.


Striving-
G464
antagōnizomai
From G473 and G75; to struggle against (figuratively), (“antagonize”): - strive against.


Struggle against sin.
Strive against sin.


Strive (Webster)
1. To make efforts; to use exertions; to endeavor with earnestness; to labor hard; applicable to exertions of body or mind. A workman strives to perform his task before another; a student strives to excel his fellows in improvement.

2. To contend; to contest; to struggle in opposition to another; to be in contention or dispute; followed by against or with before the person or thing opposed; as, strive against temptation; strive for the truth.


Striving against sin- this is an ACTION. Striving.


Make an effort against sin.
Endeavor with earnestness against sin.
Labor hard against sin.
Contend against sin.
Struggle against sin.


It's easy to give into sin, hard to strive against sin.


It's a REAL FIGHT!


If you were told you had to get into a fight would you prepare for it? You would, wouldn't you? Seriously. If you were informed that you'd be in a fight you'd want to be in shape to fight. You might want to learn some fight moves, right? You'd want to be ready to fight plain and simple, either that or you'd be cowering in fear, afraid of that fight. You might want to run from that fight, hide. We can't run from the fight we have against sin. We can't hide. We are immersed in this fight every single day of our lives. Knowing it's a fight is a good thing, because when we don't even realize we are to be striving against sin it is easier to give into sin, to ignore it's detrimental effects. Sometimes sin is so tempting we do give into it, we sometime LIVE in sin, enjoying that sin for a season, liking that sin, wanting that sin. Just because it is something we like, something we are compelled to desire, just because it's something we're comfortable in, something we have fun with doesn't mean it's something good for us at all. This verse--


Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season


ENJOY THE PLEASURES OF SIN FOR A SEASON.


Sin is pleasurable! Sin is enjoyable! Don't let anyone tell you that sin isn't fun, it is! Why it is fun and not something naturally abhorrent to us? There is spiritual and natural carnal natures in us and that natural carnal nature is in control until we are born in the Spirit, until our spiritual life is realized. Once our spiritual life is realize our carnal nature will fight against the spiritual. There really will be a war inside of us, if we expect anything less we are deluding ourselves. In this war we MUST strive against sin. We have to strive against that carnal nature that is part of us. Striving against someone else isn't fun but at least they are outside of ourselves, they are an opponent we don't have to live with. We have to live with ourselves, we have to live with the enemy inside us and the battle with that enemy inside us is one that will go on and on until we are perfected in Christ and HE in us prevails. Our letting Christ into our lives to fight that battle is what our fight is. We have to fight to keep Christ in us, Christ paramount in our lives. We strive against sin because sin is contrary to Christ. Christ and sin cannot dwell together. Christ forgives sin and tells the sinner to GO AND SIN NO MORE. Go and strive against sin, go and keep sin out of your lives. Sin, while pleasurable, is ONLY FOR A SEASON. If we are mostly concerned with pleasure, with worldly happiness, worldly gain then we will be at odds against our Savior.



Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.


1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.


Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.


We overcome by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB!

We overcome by NOT loving our lives here and now, by NOT choosing life here and now over death for Christ.


We get so caught up in having a stress-free life here and now, so caught up in having as few problems as we possibly can, thinking that the fewer problems we have, the fewer upsets, the calmer and problem free our lives are, the better. It seems strange to dispute wanting a life of ease. I do want my life to be one of ease, to be as problem free as possible, but the reality is this sin filled world isn't geared towards being problem free and spiritual.


Satan will stop at nothing to have us. Christ stopped at nothing to have us.


Until we are with Christ, until His glorious second coming, we have to have CHRIST live in us as we strive against the sin of this very sinful world ruled by Satan.


We have to actively strive against sinning by actively striving to have Christ in us making our spiritual selves more prominent than our carnal, natural selves.


By HIS grace and by His grace alone we live in Him, by Him, for Him our Savior, our King!


Amen.