The Enemy Within: Chapter 13

This final chapter in The Enemy Within is about the role of faith, or trusting God, in the fight all Christians face against their sinful flesh.

Lundgaard summarizes the book by saying that everything he's talked about so far--meditating on the Cross, watching out for sin, filling our emotions with heaven, using every means of grace, renewing our first love for Christ and hungering for God's glory--will not kill the flesh at the moment of temptation unless these things "are combined with faith" because faith is "the only thing that destroys the flesh" (142).

We often forget in our fight against sin that along with being my responsibility kill my raging flesh it is God's work too, as seen in this important verse: "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil 2:12-13 ESV).

Sanctification (= becoming more holy, more like Christ) is a synergistic activity where I "work out my salvation" and God "works in" me. Also, notice that God works "both to will and to work for his good pleasure." So, the wanting to do God's will and the activity of actually doing God's will both come from God.

The parts of this chapter that help me most and gave me great comfort in my fight against sin came from two passages in Hebrews.

First, Christ is not powerless, but fully able to help me when I'm being tempted: because Jesus "suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" (Heb 2:18 ESV). I need to believe this in the midst of temptation, and my trusting this is seen when I look to Him.

Second, I can't fight sin on my own. In fact, I deserve to be overtaken by sin every time, but when I'm being tempted I can "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:16 NASB).

The daily challenge I took away from this chapter is one C.J. Mahaney has modeled so well, that is, I need to "Look to Christ's death for power. ... Apply his blood to your filth. Do this every day" (147, italics in original). I know. I can take some of C.J.'s suggestions from the end of Living the Cross-Centered Life and incorporate them into my daily routine.

Also, we are not alone in our fight against sin. When your lust "grabs you by the throat" (147) remember that you have the empowering presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit who is the means by which we "put to death the misdeeds of the body" (Rom 8:13). I'm not powerless in the face of temptation, but have the omnipotent power of God in me to give victory.

In the end, it looks like each Person of the Trinity has devoted Himself to my holiness, giving me comfort and evoking praise in this on-going, life-long, never-ending battle to put sin to death in my heart and life because it's "God's pleasure not only to rescue you from hell, but to glorify you with Christ by making you like him" (149).

Therefore, the chapter and book both end with this final call: "In every victory lift your hands to heaven and give thanks--rejoice with a grateful heart in your Deliverer. He is faithful. Soli Deo gloria" (149). Amen.