Some people think the Christian life should be a breeze. Then they seem surprised when it’s not. The apostle Paul describes our faith as a “fight” and a “race” (See 2 Timothy 4:7). John Owen wrote in Temptation and Sin that we should expect the Christian life at times to be tough because there is opposition from sin:

There is no duty that we perform for God that sin does not oppose… Those who seek the most for God experience the most in the way of opposition.

If Owen is right (and I think he is), then we should expect that the Christian life will in some ways get harder as we grow and mature. But there will also be more grace and more help as we train ourselves for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

Has this been your experience? Good news for you: you’ve got a serious ally in this fight, probably in the next room. Do your parents know where you are experiencing opposition from sin? Tell them. They can help.

Categories: five15 blog