Spiritual Warfare – Sin Within Me

The sermon begins by presenting the spiritual warfare that every believer faces, particularly the contradiction between the desire to do good and the ability to be hindered by sin in the flesh. The pastor grounds his message in Romans 7:14-25, where the Apostle Paul describes human helplessness in confronting sin. He emphasizes that the law is holy but the carnal man is sold to sin, creating a situation similar to the two characters in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

The pastor develops his theological argument by explaining that humanity is not a single entity but a conflict between two natures: the nature that desires to obey God's law and the nature driven by the flesh's compulsion toward sin. Through repeated citation of Romans 7, he stresses that "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." This helplessness is not due to the nature of the law but to the bondage of sin within the flesh. The sermon uses powerful imagery from "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" to show that each person carries a "Mr. Hyde" within—a dark part that commits atrocities, causes regret and shame.

The sermon concludes with deliverance through Christ. The pastor cites 1 Timothy 1:15 to remind that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and we are the worst of them. Romans 7:24-25 provides the answer to human wretchedness: "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" This is gospel for those struggling with sin—only Christ can provide deliverance from this wretched condition.