The world tells us to believe in ourselves, that we have the ultimate power when it comes our lives and that when there are problems, all we have to do is look within to find the answer. And the more I read and listen to what is going on in local churches today, I see that many professing Christians have bought into the world’s ways and created an unholy brew of Biblical doctrine and the world’s wisdom.

As a result, it should be no shock when we see professing Christians having nothing to distinguish them from the world when we witness their fruits. But I want to focus in on those professing believers who want to overcome their sins and live a life that God would be pleased but are trapped in sin. You have tried every option you could think of but keep finding yourself back in the same position again where you are asking God for forgiveness. This article is for you.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
(John 15:5 - ESV)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are merely branches within the vine of Jesus. And Jesus says that apart from Him, we can do nothing. What are the implications of Jesus’ statement here? The implications are that all the things we think we can do for God and all the efforts that we give under our own strength and own resolve are nothing more than wasted efforts. What’s the bottom line to all of this? It is that we can not live a holy and righteous life by ourselves but it must be the work of Christ in our lives that allows these things to be so.

He must increase, but I must decrease.”
(John 3:30 - ESV)

In our human nature, we want to be able to solve all of our problems by our own efforts. And we see this reinforced in the world every day. But it doesn’t work that way when it comes to being a Christian. While in the world, the idea of “me, myself and I” will advance you in secular society, that same idea will get us nowhere in our Christian walk. Things are different with Jesus and that is why Romans 12 is true when it says that we must be renewed in our minds.

The biggest obstacle to overcome in our faith isn’t the devil. It is you and me, ourselves. We are the ones who will continually get in the way of what God wants to do in our lives because we haven’t quite yet learned the humility it takes to be fully surrendered to Christ. And my friends, this is why many of us today are constantly being defeated by sin in our lives--because we don’t know how to get out of the way and let God work. John the Baptist could have been an obstacle to Jesus’ ministry but he chose to move out of the way so that Jesus could do His work. The same thing must take place in our lives.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
(John 6:44 - ESV)

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
(Romans 12:3 - ESV)

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
(Ezekiel 36:26-27 - ESV)

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
(Philippians 1:6 - ESV)

Look at how much God is at work in these scriptures. We come to know who God, Jesus and the gospel are because God reveals Himself to us. We come to be able to have faith because God has given it to us. We have a new heart, a new spirit and the ability to live the holy life God calls us to because He is causing us to do so. And God wants to bring to completion the work that He has started in us.

Does God need Christians who go above and beyond Him? No. Does He expect Christians to do everything He says after they repent and believe in Jesus simply by their own efforts? No. What God desires is not for us to be strong for Him but for Him to be strong in us.

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:7-10 - ESV)

These verses come from Paul’s vision of the third heaven. And so that he didn’t become prideful and conceited, God allowed for there to be a thorn in Paul’s flesh. Check out the answer the Lord gives Paul after he had asked 3 times for the thorn to be taken away. Does this mean we have to find ways to make ourselves purposely weak in order to know God’s strength? No, it means that we fully accept that we already are too weak and in our humility, God will respond by working His strength in us.

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
(2 Timothy 2:20-21 - ESV)

While believers are likened to conquerors, kings and priests, Christians are also likened to sheep, vessels and temples. Sheep can do no nothing without being led by a shepherd, vessels can do nothing without someone putting it to use and temples mean nothing without God’s glory being upon it. The point is when it comes to spiritual things, we are helpless and we need Jesus, not just when we become converted but for our whole lives. God wants to use us for His glory but we have to allow Him to use us and not fight against Him.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:13 - ESV)

Sometimes, we can believe that the only thing Jesus helps us with is just having the forgiveness of sins initially when we are converted. But the truth is we need Jesus all the time, every day. And when we ask God for help with our sins, at that point, our efforts need to stop and we need to allow God to work. I can attest to this because I have made that mistake many times and it wasn’t until I realized that it has to be God who conquers for me that I then become the conqueror. We’re not more than conquerors because of our own efforts but only through Christ Jesus. Let’s not forget that.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
(Romans 12:1 - ESV)

God simply desires us to present ourselves as living sacrifices. Now, a sacrifice is totally surrendered to the one he/she is being sacrificed to. God doesn’t desire “Super Christians” who steal glory from Him. He desires people who will yield to Him like sacrifices, like vessels and like sheep so that He can use us, mold us, direct us and be glorified through us. By doing this, you will find the victory you are looking for.

We can’t do it. We aren’t good enough. We are weak. But Jesus is all those things we lack. Trust in Him.