I Thought That Thing Was Dead

Today I read an article about a chef in China who was bit and killed by cobra - a dead cobra!  The chef had cut the head off the cobra and chopped its body up for a soup he was preparing.  20 minutes later he went to throw the severed head away and it bit him.  The chef died before anti-venom could be administered to him.  He thought the snake was dead, that he could handle it without caution, and it bit him.

That story makes me think about sin in the Christian's life.  Sometimes there is a sin or several sins that we've struggled with and it seems like we have overcome them.  We've prayed for and received strength to overcome them, avoided their temptation, or made ourselves accountable to family and friends to not fall into them.  Then, in a moment of time, that old sin we thought was dead bites us and we fall back into it again.  The result is discouragement, heartache, feelings of failure, loss of fellowship with the Lord, shame - the list can go on and on.  I have to admit, I've experienced this in my walk with the Lord.

We need to keep in mind that while we have been saved, we will continue to struggle with sin and its power and influence in our lives until we get to heaven.  Yes, when we are saved we become new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and have a new nature that hates sin.  But we still have our old sin nature that can pull us back into those things that we are ashamed of.  The apostle Paul describes this in Romans 7:15-25.  Please take a moment to read those verses.

Here are some key truths to keep in mind about our struggle with sin.

• Sin is deceptive (Hebrews 3:13)
• Sin can easily ensnare us and trip us up (Hebrews 12:1)
• We must constantly be on guard against sin and temptation (Matthew 26:41)
• We can overcome sin when tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13)
• When we walk with the Lord, we can overcome sin (Colossians 2:6; Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:16-17)

Remember, if you get bit by that thing you thought was dead, confess and repent of your sin and the Lord will forgive you.  Stand upon the truth of 1 John 1:9 and don't allow shame to ruin your walk with the Lord.