“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” Romans 6:16-18. 

Before we are born again we are spiritually dead in our sin and trespasses.  When we look at the world today, it becomes easier and easier to see those who are spiritually dead.  They call good evil and evil good.

When a person is dead in sin and trespasses they cannot yield to God, their sin nature will not allow such.  We, in and of ourselves, cannot overcome our sin nature.  If we could, there would be no reason for Jesus to go to the Cross.  It is on the Cross where Jesus was the Sacrifice to pay our sin debt to God.  It is There, on Calvary’s Cross, that Jesus afforded the Believer dominion over our sin nature.

So how does a person get saved if they cannot yield to God? “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44.  Don’t misunderstand what I am saying or what this verse says.  What Jesus did on Calvary’s Cross is for “WHOSOEVER believeth in Him…” (John 3:16).  We are ALL called but only few respond to the draw of the Holy Spirit.

It is only after we respond to the draw of the Holy Spirit and we are born again that we become a “new creature” in Christ.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.  Being baptized into Jesus’ death, we are now dead to our sin nature and alive unto God.  Our sin nature is not dead but we are dead to it through our baptism into Christ.

Being no longer dead in our sin and trespasses we are now able to yield to God.  Please don’t pass over this point.  Before our Salvation we are yielded to satan.  It is purely God’s mercy and grace that has kept satan from destroying the unbeliever, all in hopes they, the unbeliever, will one day respond to the draw of the Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  Sadly, few do respond and die lost.

After our Salvation we are now able to yield to God but, here is the point I’m trying to make – religion will not teach us to yield to God but encourage us to fight the devil.  The only fight we are commissioned to fight is the fight of faith, faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross that broke the dominion of our sin nature.  The definition of yield is to stop resisting something.  Our carnal mind is at enmity with God (Romans 8:6).  When we continue to engage in the struggle for victory over our sin nature, we are resisting God’s plan of grace through faith to overcome.  By engaging the struggle (through psychology, motivation and other religious schemes), we continue to yield to satan.  This is why so many Christians are defeated.  They truly don’t understand Jesus Christ is our Sabbath because they are not resting in His saving grace…they are fighting battles they don’t have to fight.

Now that we are a new creature in Christ Jesus, we are alive to God and empowered to submit to God and resist the devil as long as our faith remains in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  This is the only way the Holy Spirit remains on the throne in our heart, when we continually look to the Cross of Jesus for our victory.  When we submit, yield and stop resisting the Lord’s plan for our victory, the Holy Spirit will enable us to be obedient to the Word of God.

We as Christians have to give up the fight within ourselves to fight a fight we are not commissioned to fight.  Our entire life we fight the devil but after our Salvation we must stop and continue in the belief that Jesus won the victory over sin and He will deliver us from our bondages.  Regrettably, the modern church will direct you to a program or class to overcome sin.  Too many think when I say “stop fighting the devil”, I’m somehow condoning sin.  No, not at all.  I am saying “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.  Instead of continuing to submit to the devil by choosing man’s method for victory over sin and resisting God’s plan for victory – grace through faith in Jesus’ finished work.

What I am trying to say, albeit poorly, is just as we surrendered our life to Jesus Christ the day we accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour, so too submit your will to Him and trust Him to deliver you.  Our self will cannot overcome our sin nature, just as it couldn’t before our Salvation.  However, we now how the blessed assurance of victory over sin through faith in Jesus.  We are no longer dead in our sins and trespasses but alive unto God…surrender your will and seek His.

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

The power that works in a will submitted to God, God’s prescribed order of victory in a Believer’s life through faith in Jesus’ finished work on the Cross, is what allows the Holy Spirit latitude to do His great work in us and on our behalf.  Fight the only fight we are commissioned to fight…the fight of faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

-Donna Clark Warren