Although we’re always going to be dealing with elements of the old self, the reality of the new should overshadow. And this reality should become the greater reality.
Sinclair Ferguson writes:
While we continue to be influenced by our past life "in the flesh," it is no longer the dominating influence in our present existence. We are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. Christ’s past (if we may so speak) is now dominant. Our past is a past "in Adam"; our present existence is "in Christ," in the Spirit. This implies not only that we have fellowship with him in the communion of the Spirit, but that in him our past guilt is dealt with, and our bondage to sin, the law, and death has been brought to an end.
This new life is one that is now identified with Christ and directly opposes sin and the Devil. It’s one that shares in every spiritual blessing in order to fight the Devil.
So that is what we do.
Knowing that Satan and his forces will be bombarding us with old life temptations, we fight!
And we fight in order to live life as a picture of the Gospel…for the glory of God.
Perhaps that comes through rightly functioning in the certain relationships that point toward the gospel, like our relationship with our spouse and the ones with our children and the ones with our employers.
For the apostle Paul, he fought so that, as he wrote, “words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…”
For us, it’s the same thing. When it all boils down to it, we fight in order to proclaim and display the Gospel.
May we do that well.
