Spiritual Warfare – Sin Within Me

The sermon begins by recalling the main points about spiritual warfare in the believer's life. According to Ephesians 6:12, this warfare is not against flesh and blood but against powers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil. The three main enemies in spiritual warfare are the world, the flesh, and demons. The pastor emphasizes that sin is the most dangerous fleshly enemy, and all people, whether they believe in Christ or not, must face this enemy from birth until death.

The sermon demonstrates this point through the personal experience of Saint Paul recorded in Romans 7:14-21. Paul writes that he is a creature of the flesh, sold to sin, and does not understand what he does because he does not do what he wants but instead does what he hates. The pastor uses the famous horror novel "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886) as a powerful illustration. In the novel, Dr. Jekyll discovers that within himself are two completely different persons: one virtuous and one selfish. Through a potion, he separates these two natures, transforming into Edward Hyde—a completely evil person. This story reflects the biblical truth that each person has an inherent sinful nature within, often hidden and concealed by social masks.

The pastor explains three main points from Romans 7 and the novel. First, inherent in each of us is an evil nature, and this is not some specific defect but rather the ultimate desires of the human heart. Second, this sinful nature is typically hidden and concealed, even from those closest to us. Third, we will never be able to deal with sin through our own determination, willpower, and effort. The pastor emphasizes that Paul, a great saint, still acknowledged that he could not overcome this battle on his own.

The sermon continues to analyze the consequences of trying to overcome sin through one's own strength. First is confusion and perplexity—when people try to do good but end up doing evil, they become bewildered and do not know how to solve the problem. Second is a sense of guilt and shame—when one knows the law is good but still violates it, the conscience becomes heavy. Third is disappointment and discouragement—when one continually fails, one begins to lose hope. Finally, there is despair and giving up—when exhausted by effort, one stops trying and accepts defeat.

The pastor points out that the law itself cannot help us overcome sin; instead, it can even cause sin to flourish. He uses a historical example: the Prohibition Amendment in the United States, rather than reducing alcohol consumption, actually stimulated it. The reason is that the law awakens the stubborn nature of the flesh. The sermon concludes by promising that next week will present the solution: not through increased knowledge or personal effort, but through the power of Jesus Christ our Lord and the spiritual renewal wrought by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:22-24 and Colossians 3:9-10).