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Ephesians 4:11–16
. . . till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13).
Obedience. Holiness. Righteousness. Christlikeness. Sanctification. Call it what you will, Christians are called to pursue it. It doesn’t come easily, as the apostle Paul’s testimony of his own struggle to obey attests. The fact is, the Christian life is a war. Thankfully, God does not leave us without aid in the fight, for His Word and Spirit offer abundant direction and encouragement. Because this calling is so central to the Christian life, we will pause from our studies in Romans this week to consider some of what Scripture teaches on this issue. We will draw from Dr. R.C. Sproul’s teaching series Developing Christian Character.
In the first place, why is growth so difficult? We have touched on some of the reasons in our Romans studies, but Martin Luther provided a classic summary of the major obstacles that impede growth. The great Reformer said we are called to wage a three-front war against the world, the flesh, and the devil. When Luther spoke of “the world,” he referred to the physical environment in which we live. It is an enemy to our growth because it is under the curse of sin as we are. Creation is mired in “futility” and “groans and labors” (Rom. 8:20, 22) because of sin and God’s curse, by which He decreed that man’s labor should become toil and childbirth should bring exceeding pain (Gen. 3:16–19). Because of this and the destructive nature of sin, the world is filled with death, disease, and violence. Man still must strive to fulfill the creation mandate (Gen. 1:28), but the task is now filled with difficulty and frustration. The only comfort comes from knowing that God has willed that nature resist man at least in part to aid the sanctification of Christians. “The flesh,” of course, refers to our sinful natures, as we have seen from Romans. Like Paul, we are at war within, desiring to please and obey God, and yet also desiring to give rein to our sinful impulses. We are our own worst enemies. Finally, “the devil,” or Satan, also impedes our growth. He is bent on accusing, deceiving, and defeating Christians. He is a potent enemy, far more powerful than we, and extremely cunning. Not for nothing did Jesus tell His disciples to pray, “ ‘Deliver us from the evil one’ ” (Matt. 6:13).
These, then, are the obstacles between us and growth in holiness. Thankfully, God has given His Holy Spirit to help us and has provided means of grace to strengthen us, as we will see in a later study.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Awareness of the enemies that oppose our growth is the first step toward victory over them. Take time today to consider how the world, the flesh, and the devil may impede your own advancement in Christlikeness. After identifying areas of concern, make them special items of prayer, seeking the divine help without which victory is impossible.
For Further Study
- Galatians 5:17
- Ephesians 6:11
- 2 Timothy 2:26
- 1 Peter 5:8
- 1 John 2:16