The longer we walk the Christian journey, the more desperate we become for that which satisfies, frees, and gives us greater peace.

One of my favorite questions for people is this, “Being totally honest, is there any way in which you are disappointed with Christianity as you know it?”

Many refuse to admit they are disappointed, but sometimes a brave soul will admit Christianity has been a hardship; lacking in peace, tranquility, rest, joy, and love.

Why is this? Is it because of striving, faulty beliefs, false teaching or corrupted concepts of God? Yes! But more likely it is because of an incomplete understand- ing of the finished work of Christ.

One of the ways in which the finished work of Christ is minimized has to do with conquering the devil and all his ways. Christians today have no problem believing Christ has provided the solution for sin in terms of forgiveness, but it’s quite another matter to believe the Christian has no role in achieving victory over temptations, or “besetting sins”, as some ancients liked to call them. We often hear, “I need to ask Christ to conquer my addiction, lusts, and sinful passions,” or, “I must conquer these temptations with God’s help.” This reasoning seems so right. However, it is so wrong! In addressing this issue we need to remind ourselves. The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over (Psalm 12:6 Ampl). God means what he says and although translations often use different words in an effort to clarify what God is saying to the reader, paraphrases have often done more harm than good. Consider for example, the following terms:

One pastor took offense when I told him that the word of God is done a disservice when these terms are used interchangeably. He told me that, “peas, corn, carrots, and broccoli may be different vegetables, but really they are all forms of the same thing.” So really, all apples, of course, are fruit. But not all fruit are apples.

The New International Version (NIV) for example, has no problem using old self for the Greek word meaning old man, sinful self for the word flesh, plus other words which are used by the enemy to confuse the saints who study the scriptures. Is it any wonder Christians have difficulty in discovering what Paul wants us to understand about victory over sin in Romans 6? Is it any wonder when people are counseled on how sin is conquered they are taught, coached, and discipled to use primarily human effort?

To bring clarity, let me simplify the teachings on this subject by using strict translations of the Greek words in an effort to offer a clearer look at what Paul wants us to know about our victory over sin.

The apostle wants us to be fully informed of how God views the “old man,” which we believe to be the “unregenerate man,” or “unregenerate spirit.” The phrase “old man” is only referenced three times in the New Testament. Each time, when translated correctly, it is said to be crucified. Therefore it is not the enemy most Christians say it is when they refer to the “old man” or the “old sin nature” as their enemy.

The strict translation of the Greek word “sarx” is the word “flesh.” In simple terms, we refer to it as the self-sufficiency of man as he functions apart from Christ. The flesh can be understood in a multitude of other ways in the Bible, but we use this common under- standing of it.

This word is sometimes used as a “power” and some- times as an “action.” In Romans 6, 7, and 8, it refers to a power (a source of temptation) which is in me, but not me! Notice, for example, Paul’s statement... But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me (Romans 7:17).

The non-Christian is of Adam and thus is, or has, as his identity, the “old man.” Because of this, sin is his master and the non-Christian is a slave to sin’s power. He has no divine life indwelling him and thus has only his own resources and the law to keep him from doing evil.

As an illustration it is like a Roman soldier taking a person captive and putting a ring in the man’s nose, to which a chain is attached. If the slave is tied to the soldier for the rest of his life but is then executed and born anew he would be free. However, if he had the same mind and memory system as when he was a slave, he might never believe and enjoy his new free- dom.

Similarly, when the old man was crucified with Christ, at the time a person becomes a Christian, that person was released from  sin’s  power  over him:

....knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body might be released from sin’s power so that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (Romans 6:6-10).

This co-crucifixion with Christ means that the new Christian died to the law, to sin (as a power), and to the world. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:4 and 6). Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations (Colossians 2:20). And, as noted in Romans 6:7, “he who has died has been freed from sin.”

The Bible is not saying that we died to our sins, but rather that we died to Satan, the world, and to sin as a power. Romans 6:11 tells us... Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God    in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If Christ’s way of dealing with temptation was to die to it, and to include us in His death, what makes us think we can have an alternate way of dealing with temptation by striving, scratching, clawing, groaning and moaning to overcome it as though victory is something we must achieve because Christ failed to over- come it. This is blasphemy! It is a denial of the finished work of Christ!

Let me be clear. The enemy did not lose his power. But he did lose his power over us. We also came alive through Christ’s resurrected life, and the life we now live by faith, is already victorious over our enemies. Again, this in no way implies Satan does not have power to persecute and oppress Christians. Indeed, there continue to be many who die for their faith at the hands of evil ones. Rather, that he lost his power to make us sin. If we sin now, it’s because we choose to sin! I am not suggesting that we died to our sins (actions), rather, I am stating that we died to the enslaving powers of sin, Satan, and the world.