“For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.” Romans 6:10

If the Lord Jesus Christ died for us to have dominion over sin, which He surely did, don’t you also believe He wants us to have this great victory?  Why then do so many Believers remain in bondage to sin? 

Before our Salvation, our sin nature had dominion over us.  Even us strong willed personalities, or as some prefer to say, stubborn personalities could not say no to sin.  Sin is not static and satan will raise the bar until the unbeliever can no longer resist the temptation when we are ruled by our sin nature.  However, glory be to God, upon our Salvation we are declared dead to sin.  The sin nature is no longer effective in our lives as we become partakers of the Divine Nature.  The sin nature is not dead, as is obvious, but we are dead to it through our belief in Jesus Christ’s atoning Sacrifice for our sin. 

So what happened, why are so many Believers still in bondage over sin?  It is certainly NOT because Jesus’ finished work failed.  It is NOT because the Lord doesn’t want you to have victory over sin.  So what is it then?

“For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.  You see the Law of the Spirit will not override the Believer’s will or any attempts to defeat sin ourselves which can only be done by the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work.  It is not our will, our ways or our devised methods that overcame sin but Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and only Jesus Christ and Him Crucified that overcame sin, death and hell.  So it is our faith there, in HIS finished work that allows the Holy Spirit to operate and give us dominion over sin. It is there, through the Cross of Jesus Christ that we are able to be partakers in the Divine Nature.  All of our other methods are works not faith, no matter the appearance of holiness. 

The bondage which many Believers remain under is because they are still in a relationship with the sin nature and not partaking in the Divine Nature.  This relationship with the sin nature is due to their works, their sincere trying to overcome sin all on their own accord.  They struggle to defeat sin because they hate it but fail time and time again. They Holy Spirit’s hands are tied because they are busy trying with all of the sincerity in their heart but their faith has been directed to their works and not His works and the Holy Spirit is rendered helpless in their struggle because He has not been commissioned to do our will but His will.  Because this relationship with the sin nature seems holy and righteous through its good works, it is not recognized as partaking in the sin nature but instead believe it to be partaking in the Divine Nature, yet this Divine Nature is not breaking bondages like we understood it to do.  Confusion results and unfortunately faith can be destroyed…which of course is satan’s goal. 

The Word of God does not teach sinless perfection this side of Glory.  However, it teaches sin is not to have dominion over Believers.  As a born again Believer in the finished work of Jesus Christ we hate sin and love holiness….even when it’s our own sin.  We walk, we talk, we think and we act like Christians because that is who we are; we are partakers of the Divine Nature through Jesus Christ.  If you are reading this and you are a Christian who is under bondage, this does not mean you are any less a Christian.  This means that you are to know and understand that the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made you free from the law of sin and death through your faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work.  You are to know that your only battle is the battle of faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  Do not allow your faith to be misdirected anywhere else, your deliverance is coming down that dusty road called Calvary and His name is above all names, Jesus!  -Donna Clark Warren