Soldiers don't get bathroom breaks.

Recently I’ve been reading through John Owens “The Mortification of Sin.” It is an EXCELLENT book, and I would definitely recommend reading it if you have not already. While reading through the book, God has brought several things to my attention. First and foremost is the severity of sin. It is a very serious matter, and I don’t think we give it proper attention. The Christianity I am used to is full of heart-warming, inspirational quotes about how God is for us. Those quotes are absolutely true- but they do not stand alone. It is so important to recognize the grace and mercy of God, to rest in the truth of that and let it wash over us. However, the grace of God cannot be fully appreciated with out recognizing the severity of sin. If we fail to see how offensive and heinous sin is in the eyes of God, we cannot see the extreme extent of His mercy. When sin is mentioned in the Bible, it is never a light, trivial matter. Sin is a most grievous offense against the God of the universe. When we sin, we are choosing the pleasures of the flesh over the glory of our Savior. Certainly, most of us don’t think like that as we sin. We use euphemisms to lighten the blow of our sin. We say we’re “frustrated” not “angry,” “anxious,” not “I’m failing to trust in the Lord.” Yet Jesus tells us that the Lord looks at our heart- if we look at someone lustfully, we are guilty of adultery. Stop and consider that a moment- the way we think about people is counted as sin before the Lord. Who among us has not lusted? Hasn’t been angry with someone, which God considers equal to murder? Who has been able to “take every thought captive”? Certainly not me! Once I started to think about my sin in this way, the weight of it truly hit me. I am a wretched sinner. Don’t worry- so are you. ☺ But let that sink in. There is NO goodness in me, apart from the Holy Spirit. When the Bible says “the light shines from the darkness,” I am that darkness. The only light I can offer is the Holy Spirit- it isn’t something I am able to conjure up on my own. That is quite sobering. I have nothing good to offer, except Christ in me the hope of glory. Scripture tells us that our best works are filthy rags before the Lord. The word “filthy rags” in the Greek means “menstrual rags.” Think about that. On our best day, with out the work of Christ, we are a used tampon before the Lord. THAT is how serious our sin is. That is why it is essential that we take it seriously, that we labor each and every day to put it to death. What does that look like? To put our sin to death is something that is frequently talked about, but I’ve rarely heard it broken down in to a practical application. This is where John Owen’s book is FABULOUS. He outlines the importance of mortifying our sin, then explains how it is to be done. Obviously I am not able to summarize the book in a short paragraph, but I’ll give you some highlights. First, mortification (killing) of sin is impossible with out the Holy Spirit. We aren’t able to do it on our own. Second, the mortification is not instantaneous- it is a battle that is fought DAILY. We WRESTLE with our sin. And sin is not simply our outward actions. That is simply the fruit of a sinful heart. As soldiers of Christ, we battle to take every thought captive, giving the enemy no foothold in our lives. That means constant battle. Hate to break it to you, dear friends, but soldiers don’t usually get bathroom breaks in the heat of battle. When we’re in the heat of battle, we focus on defeating our enemy. The battle is hard fought and grueling- but the victory is oh so sweet. For me, this has opened my eyes in so many areas. First- EVERY thought matters. Every desire, ambition, hope, dream, and affection matters. I must struggle to lay every desires and affection before the Lord, ask Him to make it holy. I must take every thought captive, and hate the sin that dwells so strongly in me. And I must fight. Constantly. Every moment of every day. And Lord knows I get tired. I grow weary. I want to lay down my sword and rest for just a moment. But He strengthens me; He gives me new energy; He guards me, lifts me up, and banishes the enemy. But the battle is still hard fought. There are victories, and there are losses. Some victories are more difficult than others; some losses more painful. But EACH BATTLE MATTERS. And I must continue to fight.