Romans 7:15
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
It’s hard to be human. Scripture makes no claim that the Christian walk is easy. In fact, the opposite is true. Christianity, *at least the living out of it, is hard. “Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever sufferings in the body is done with sin (1 Peter 4:1).”
There are many false prophets in our times who will tell us the opposite is true. They make the anti-Biblical claim that when a person comes to Christ life will get (or should get) easy. These will meet their God one day face to face and have to give an account for leading many astray.
The truth is, every Christian has a daily struggle against sin. If they don’t something is wrong. “There is not a righteous person on earth who never sins and always does what is right (Ecclesiastes 7:20).” “There is no one good, not even one (Romans 3:10).” This in no way is meant to excuse our moral failings. It only states the matter plainly.
Two major reasons a Christian might not be experiencing a daily struggle against sin are neglect and humanism. They are either neglecting God’s Word and therefore not receiving conviction from the Holy Spirit as they read what God desires and what He hates; or they’ve been deceived by humanism, the belief that all humans are essentially good.
If you are a Christian struggling against sin in your life take courage. There is nothing wrong with you. You are living out the Christian battle against sin and self and Satan (Galatians 5:16-17). Keep fighting the good fight of faith so that you may win your crown one day (2 Timothy 4:7-8). However, if you are a Christian who has no idea about these things and cannot relate to any of this be warned. Something is very wrong in your life. Being human ought to be hard. If it isn’t you’re not changing. And if you’re not changing you’re not growing.
*Becoming a Christian is easy. No human works are necessary to be saved. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It’s the living out of Christianity that gets hard. That is what this article is addressing.
