Taking our Sin Seriously

Fighting back against our own sinful inclinations

Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash

“Our hearts are the monsters,” said rapper Andy Mineo, “that we should really fight against.”

We are quick to look at others as the problem; we are prone to blaming our peers and society rather than looking within. And, to be sure, others are the problem at times. Sin is everywhere. But as Christians, have we taken the time to examine our own hearts? Have we put out effort in understanding our own sinful tendencies. Said another way: Are we taking our own sin seriously?

As we’ve all perhaps read, the puritan John Owen once wrote, “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” Our fight against sin is just that—a fight. We don’t have the liberty of being lazy with sin; it’s not smart to be apathetic or passive with our sin. If we were transparent and honest about sin’s impact in our lives, we’d take it more serious.

So, it’s glaringly obvious, indeed from Scripture, that we must take our sin seriously. It’s imperative for us to have a plan against sin; to know how to fight back. And not just fight back, of course, but to even throw the “first punch.” How can we do that? What are some practical ways to take seriously the impact of sin in our hearts?

Read your Bible.

If we’re not reading the Bible, we’re not killing sin in our lives. “No spiritual discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it,” Donald Whitney wrote. “There simply is no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture.” Reading Scripture is important for many reasons, including fighting sin.

The Bible is where we learn about God, our nature, our inclinations with sin, and how to fight back against sin. Scripture teaches, more than anything else, that we fight sin by believing in the promise of God more than the promises of sin. We battle against our sin by believing Jesus brings more satisfaction than sin.

Pray without ceasing.

God communicates to us via Scripture; we respond back via prayer. The Apostle Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonian 5:17. This isn’t a command to literally pray 24/7, but to keep open communication with God at all times. It’s more about keeping the Lord at the forefront of your mind; to truly live coram Deo—before the face of God. It’s as simple as this: prayer will suffocate sin, or sin will suffocate prayer. What will it be for you?

Take part in fellowship.

Fighting sin—part of becoming more like Jesus—is a community project. If you want to take your sin seriously, you cannot do so privately. You must be around other like-minded believers. Even if things feel awkward, you need to have open conversations with people who can keep you accountable, who can check in on you, who can pray for you.

This means you’ll have to be vulnerable; you’ll need to be transparent with other Christians who care about your walk with Jesus—and vice versa. Sometimes the best thing to do in your fight with sin is expose it to a trusted Christian. Sin loses its power when it’s out in the open.

Set boundaries.

On a very practical level, if you’re determined to take your sin seriously, you need to set boundaries. Is there something that consistently causes you to stumble? Jesus said cut if off. Does social media give you problems? Perhaps it’s time to shut it down or, at the very least—depending on the severity—limit how much you’re on it.

Maybe the boundary you need to set is cutting ties with a friend or two. Do you spend time around non-Christians who perhaps cause you to stumble in your speech and thought patterns? Or having crude conversations? Or gossip?

Whatever it is, sin is serious enough where we ought to set realistic boundaries in life to keep sin far away. We cannot pet sin and expect to live.

Take preaching to heart.

The preaching of God’s Word is the focal point of Sunday service. Not only do you need to make going to church a priority, but ensure that you’re focusing on the sermon and embracing whatever the Holy Spirit needs to do in your heart, whether that be encouragement, conviction, or anything in-between.

This also means ensuring you’re attending a church that preaches the Bible unapologetically. Your spiritual growth will be stifled if you sit under shallow preaching.

Fight your sin.

Friend, the Christian life is one of battles, of fights, of daily quarrels with our sinful flesh. If we want to progress in holiness, to become more like Jesus, we need to take our sin seriously. We must be active against it, whether it’s reading, praying, fellowship, setting boundaries, listening to biblical preaching, or anything else that’s biblically helpful.