How can we resist the passionate call of sin?

In order to help any Christian develop practices that will aid in the resistance of sin, we need to start with studying scripture. The entire Bible is trying to redress the presence of sin and the story of the Bible leads us to its crescendo in the gospels where Jesus is the one that ultimately pays the price for our sins because we are unable to. Basically, the Bible itself is presented as an authority on sin and how to respond to it.

The passion of sin

For example, in Romans 6:11-14, it talks about the passion of sin:

“So you must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey ITS PASSIONS…. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (emphasis mine)

Sin obviously has passion—it’s like it is alive. This verse needs more attention because there is a recognition of sin, but it doesn’t need to be in control of your mortal body. You do not have to obey it and be in submission to it. It has no dominion over a person’s body if we are under grace. Just like the verse said.

“You do not have to obey [sin] and be in submission to it. [Sin] has no dominion over a person’s body if we are under grace.

What’s the difference between crave, desire, and love?

Now I want to look at crave, desire, and love. The way I have seen these concepts used, they could all be the same thing—and they can each occupy the entirety of your being. At this point, I am reminded of a Jewish prayer called the shema that speaks specifically of love:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might”
(Deuteronomy 6:5)

Now, let’s insert the word crave:
“You shall crave the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might”

Finally, let’s insert the word desire:
“You shall desire the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might”

Obviously, the meaning of this prayer does not change whether we speak of crave, desire, or love. This prayer points strongly towards our need to rule over our desires—but when you have sin in the heart instead of thoughts of God, you crave sin rather than craving God. In Genesis 4:7 it says “sin is crouching at the door. It’s desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

Too many times I believe people interpret this verse to mean we should rule over sin. But like I said before, I believe it says that we are to rule over our desires—not rule over sin.

“We are to rule over our desires—not rule over sin.“

You can’t make me sin, can you?

In 1 Kings 16:13 ESV, we can be made to sin. This is interesting:
“for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and which they made Israel to sin, provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols.”

Verse 13 says, “they sinned and which they made Israel to sin,”

and in verse 19, “his sin which he committed, making Israel to sin,”

and later in verse 26 says, “in the sins that he made Israel to sin,”

All of these verses point towards the sins of one person/family that MAKE another person/country to sin. Sin begets more sin. It spreads like a plague. I suggest keeping good company. Can a person be tainted by sin or be sinful by association? Is it possible to avoid all things sinful if the people we interact with are sinful people? I don’t think so. So, God knows that if we are to spread his gospel message by practicing the great commission, we will have interactions with sinful people. It will be hard to keep good company at all times. It seems that God expects this of us.

“We will have interactions with sinful people. It will be hard to keep good company at all times.“

Sink or Sin

The secret to not sinning is the same as not sinking. In Matthew 14:28-30, this is the storm story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter trying to copy him:
“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.'”

Every Christian’s life is like walking on water in a storm—and the weather itself can be considered sinful. The focus is not about sinking in the water—it should be about your attitude being calm and trusting God and submitting to him absolutely to take care of you through the hellish storm that surrounds you in life. All of the problems throughout the Bible occur because there is no trust in God—and when there finally is trust, total submission is the next natural response. Trust occurs through fear of the Lord, which is also wisdom.

“Every Christian’s life is like walking on water in a storm—and the weather itself can be considered sinful.“

The “ouchies” from sin are real

Finally, sins can leave us wounded:
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16 ESV)

The way it’s described in the verse above is that treatment for an injury or a wound such as sin requires confession to another person and prayer for each other—kind of like cleaning a wound before dressing it. That would be the first step necessary to aid in the healing of a physical injury. What stands out as being interesting in this verse is the praying for one another. If the injury was physical, then it would be washed and dressed, but since the injury was a result of spiritual sin, then it needs to be confessed and prayed over. To me, this seems to indicate the sinner should pray over their own sin (injury) for healing and also pray for the person they just confessed to—while at the same time that person prays over the sinner to heal as well.

“If the injury was physical, then it would be washed and dressed, but since the injury was a result of spiritual sin, then it needs to be confessed and prayed over.“