Notice the obligation laid on us in Romans 6:12: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."

Throughout the centuries a lie has been preached. It is that Jesus accomplished all the aspects of our redemption and our task is only to believe that Jesus has done it, that Jesus has overcome sin.

The same lie is being taught today. When we protest that the New Testament writings admonish us concerning several areas of behavior we are accused of legalism.

There is a false rest, a false assurance, a false peace that comes with the teaching that "Jesus did it all." While such doctrine may give temporary relief to some soul who is in despair attempting to overcome sin, it is not the true scriptural relief.

The true scriptural relief is the assurance that we are without condemnation while we are following the Spirit of the Lord. He who would live the victorious Christian life must know when to rest in the Lord's finished work and when to follow the Lord into battle. We must overcome as He also was required to overcome. Our victory is possible because of His victory and because He assists us. Nevertheless, it is our victory.

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."

It is we who prevent sin from governing our mortal body.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Revelation 3:21)

"To him that overcometh." "Even as I also overcame."

There is a time to emphasize The Overcomer. Then there is a time to stress the victorious saint. When we overemphasize The Overcomer, that Jesus did it all, we do not grow in moral purity and strength of character. When we overemphasize the victorious saint, the victory to be gained by the saint, we may become discouraged and defeated. We must keep the two concepts in balance if we would attain the rewards offered to the overcomer.

The Lord assists us as we battle our way into Canaan. He helps us and makes victory possible. We do the fighting.

Evil dwells in our mortal body. It is our responsibility to lay hold on the grace of God in Christ until the evil has been overcome.

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:13)

The sixth chapter of Romans speaks of yielding, of choosing whose slave we are. Human beings are not capable of being independent. We have been created male or female, a condition not true of the angels of God. We have been created to cleave to God in love, to worship and adore God. We are free only when we are God's slave.

Satan, and Satan-filled people, desire and seek our adoration, our love. The demons desire and seek our attention and our compliance with their lusts.

Sin always is clamoring for our attention and worship. Satan went so far as to request worship from the Lord of Glory (there is no end to the presumption of the wicked!).

To be continued.