As soon as a sinner has been born again by the Holy Ghost he finds himself in conflict. When in and of the world, all was smooth, but when he became a Christian he found many elements opposing. Now, the question is, what is the Christian's proper conflict? for the Scriptures speak of three: there is Rom. 7: 14 to 24, Gal. 5:1717For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17), and Eph. 6:1212For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12). Let us then prayerfully, and without prejudice, look at each of these conflicts, and see which is the proper one for the true child of God.
In the well-known conflict of Rom. 7, we have a believer, with strong desires after holiness, longing with the greatest anxiety to keep the law of God; but, instead of doing so, we find he is doing the very opposite. Observe what he says, "that which I do I allow not, for what I would that do I not, but what I hate that do I" (Rom. 7. 15). He knows and desires to do what is right, but does it not but just the reverse; as he says, "the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do" (v. 19). Consequently there is no peace, no joy, no liberty. Now, can it be the mind of God that such should be the experience of His children? Surely not, for He says, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord," and here is one doing that which He allows not. Moreover, God would have us rejoice evermore—to have peace with Him, and liberty in the Holy Ghost. Many dear Christians, and it may be some of my readers, are amongst the number who think that this 7th of Romans' conflict is the proper experience of a Christian. I am free to admit that I believe all have to pass through it, sooner or later, but not to continue in it, because God would have us to have fullness of joy; but to one in Rom. 7 there is nothing of the kind, it is all fear and bondage—the soul crying out for deliverance, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" We shall no doubt see this more distinctly if we examine the conflict itself, and at the same time see how we may get out of it, and in doing so let us go step by step.
The first step will be to ascertain who or what they are that are in conflict, and verse 14 shows us this. On the one hand we have the law, which is spiritual, holy, just, and good; then on the other hand there is "I." Now, what am I? I am carnal, sold under sin, unholy, unjust, bad. Well, bring together these two which are so opposite in their nature, and what will, what must, be the result? Conflict. If two walk together they must be agreed. Bring fire and water together, and you have conflict, and that, too, to the death of the one or the other. It is just so with the law of God and myself: the law is holy, just, and good, but I am the very opposite, and hence the conflict of Rom. 7. I see the law of God and its demands, and I long to keep and obey them, but then I am carnal, and how can that which is carnal do that which is spiritual? It is impossible. The law, while it makes its demands, does not give me power to meet them, and I have none of my own: "to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not" (ver. 18). Under these circumstances, then, what is to be done? It is quite clear that if the law and I are to go on together, we must become alike; that is to say, I must either bring the holy law of God down to my level, or I must make myself like the law. The first thought, that is, of bringing the law of God to our level, or making new definitions of sin, is quite impossible and absurd, to say no more; and therefore we will not waste time in discussing it. But can I bring myself up to the level of the law of God, so as to be able to say, Now I am spiritual as the law is, and holy, just, and good? If so, then the law and I can go on happily together, for we shall be agreed. But it is written in the Scriptures, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil" (Jer. 13:2323Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23)). And, by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3); the law entered that the offense might abound (Rom. 5); and, further, the motions of sins which were of the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death (Rom. 7:55For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (Romans 7:5)). It seems, then, from these Scriptures, that the nature and object of law is to bring out man's sinfulness and deformities. But again, the law is our schoolmaster unto Christ (Gal. 3:2424Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)), and therefore, as a schoolmaster, it has something to teach, and that is, that "in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing (Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18))." Now, if I have not learned, or am not learning, this all-important lesson, what does it prove? Just this, that I am not honestly at school, and that I am, in spite of all I may say to the contrary, playing the truant. Many are contending for being under law, and yet how few have learned, or are learning, that in them,—that is, in their flesh,—dwelleth no good thing. This schoolmaster, law, is holy, just, and good, and therefore will be sure to be true and faithful in teaching the lesson that I have no good in me at all. Well, then, how can I become like this law-schoolmaster when it does nothing but show me my carnality and total helplessness? This is, however, an all-important and blessed lesson to learn—one we all, sooner or later, must learn. There can be no real deliverance—no settled peace, until I have learned that there is no good in me at all, and that I have no power to produce any. And then, having thus learned myself, Christ comes in and reveals Himself to me as my wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
Seeing, then, we carnal creatures cannot make ourselves spiritual—that we unholy, unjust, and bad creatures cannot make ourselves holy, just, and good, the question once more arises, What is to be done? Well, if two quarrelsome persons are walking together, and they cannot agree, the only thing is to separate, and each go his own way alone. Now, if the reader will still follow me, it will be clearly seen that this is just the argument of the Apostle in Rom. 7. Note the first verse, 'The law has dominion over a man so long as he lives." This is simple enough: if I owe my tradesman a sum of money, and will not pay him, the law is open, and he can compel me to do so; but suppose I have died, what can my tradesman do with me? Nothing. What the law? Nothing. There is no sense nor use in summoning a dead man to pay his debts; but so long as he is alive, the law has of course power and authority over him. Some time since, in London, a murder was committed, and the police secured the man who no doubt was guilty, but they did not take him to prison, nor yet before the magistrate. You will say, How strange that the police should have a murderer in their power, and yet never seek his due punishment according to the law! The simple reason why they so acted was, because the man had committed suicide—he was dead. What could they do with him? It was no use to bring him for trial, he was dead; and all they could do with him was to bury him. The law is powerful enough so long as a man lives, but it is perfectly powerless when the man is dead.
Now, please look at the 6th verse of the 6th of Rom. I will quote it, but it is always as well to turn to the word itself: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." This evil nature, which is carnal, sold under sin, unholy, unjust, and bad, has been crucified with Christ—it is dead with Him; and it is for the believer to take God at His word, and believe what He says and to reckon himself dead with Christ (Rom. 6:1111Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)). This, my dear reader, is the great truth we need to learn after we have confessed that there is nothing good in us, that we are dead as before God—no longer in the flesh (that is, our evil nature). As to the old Adam, we are set aside, as before God, and we have no longer any standing before God in Adam our first parent. I repeat the words "before God," because while we are crucified and dead with Christ, yet we, in our experience, find the flesh about us: but then we are to "reckon it dead."
Is it not plain, then, that if we are dead with Christ, and the law can only have dominion over a man so long as he lives, that we are become "dead to law," as it is written in Rom. 7:44Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:4): and also "delivered from it," as in Rom. 7:66But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6)? The law cannot have power over us, because we are dead. But, further, seeing that the old nature is dead, we can be married (to use the Apostle's illustration) to another, even to Him whom God has raised from the dead—the glorified Christ in heaven (Rom. 7:2-42For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:2‑4)). So long as we are in the flesh—united to the first Adam, we cannot be united to Christ the last Adam. There can be no adding the new to the old, nor yet a mingling the two into one. Clearly not! God's ways are quite different: He set aside and made an end of the old Adam and its belongings at the Cross. This being done, the ground was clear for Him to introduce an entirely new creation.
This He did by raising Christ from the dead and setting Him far above all principalities and powers in heaven, as the last Adam—the Head of the new creation. Now, as the Apostle says, we are married to Him—made one with Him, by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, that we should bring forth fruit unto God; for when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death (Rom. 7:4, 5). The law demanded holiness, but never gave power to produce it; on the contrary, it produced motions of sin. Grace has come by Jesus Christ, and it gives a new nature, and a power to glorify God in bringing forth much fruit. We are not under law, but under grace (Rom. 6:1414For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)). But some may object, and say, "I do not approve of your setting the law aside." I beg pardon, I have not done so, neither have I the least thought of setting it aside, but quite the reverse; we maintain it, nay, as the Apostle says, "we establish the law." Is the law of capital punishment set aside because that murderer died, and so escaped the penalty of the law? Certainly not. So with the law of God. We who believe in Christ have died with Him, and therefore the law cannot touch us; but the law has never yet been set aside. It is we who have been set aside, and made new creatures in Christ. It is thus the believer is delivered from the terrible conflict of Rom. 7.
But there is a second conflict (Gal. 5:1717For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17)). Here the enemies are different from those of Rom. 7.: there it was the law and myself, but in Galatians it is the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. The believer has received the Holy Ghost, and has thus learned his union with Christ and deliverance from all bondage and fear. And so in Galatians, we have the Holy Ghost, which we have not in the 7th of Romans. We would walk in and with the Spirit, bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, etc., but the flesh would hinder. Now, the great secret is to keep the flesh judged and reckoned dead, so that the Spirit may be ungrieved, and that we, maintaining the consciousness of our union with Christ, the flesh might not work.
There is, however, a third conflict, referred to in Eph. 6:1212For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12). Here the enemies are totally distinct from those of Rom. 7. or Gal. 5. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," or as it is better translated in the margin, "wicked spirits in heavenly places." This is indeed a fearful array. It is not merely the darkness, but the rulers of the darkness—not merely spiritual wickedness, but wicked spirits—Satan the prince of the power of the air, the head and leader of them.
Now it is of great moment that we clearly understand the sphere or range of this conflict. It is not in the world, nor in the wilderness, but it is in the heavenlies; and this last is the true position of the children of God, for they have been made to sit in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 2:5, 65Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:5‑6)). And therefore in proportion as we are in the conscious enjoyment of our place and portion in Christ in the heavenlies, so we come in contact with Satan, who is not yet cast down into hell, but who is the "prince of the power of the air" (Rev. 12:9, 10; 20:109And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:9‑10)
10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10); Eph. 2:1212That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:12)), and these wicked spirits in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:1212For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)). Now, what provision have we to meet and overcome these terrible foes? God in His grace has made the fullest provision, so that we might be able to maintain the enjoyment of our place and position in the most intimate fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. In the first place He bids us to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might; thus we have almighty power, and a resource that is infinite, and "if God be for us, who can be against us?" Then He has provided a complete set of armor. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Eph. 6:13-1813Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:13‑18)).
It must be very particularly observed that this armor is to be used in the heavenly places, and therefore we must know our place there to take and use it. It is not, therefore, to be used to get to God in the heavenlies (we do that by believing in Christ), but that, overcoming the wiles of the devil, we may be able to stand, and continually enjoy our place and blessings in Christ there. We are seated in Christ in the heavenly places, and Jesus said, In that day (when the Holy Ghost should come) you shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you (John 14:2020At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (John 14:20)). It is Satan's aim, not to rob Christ of us, or us of Christ—he knows he can do neither the one nor the other; but he can and he will, if we use not the power of God's might and His whole armor, rob and spoil us of our enjoyment of this our wondrous place and portion, and by his so doing, our testimony for a despised and rejected Christ will be marred and blotted.
The Lord give us all more and more, by the Holy Ghost's indwelling presence, to know and enjoy and live our true standing before God in Christ. God in His marvelous grace has given the true believer in Christ the best of positions and the fullest of blessings. He has set him in heavenly places in Christ, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwells, and made him complete in Him (Eph. 2:5, 65Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:5‑6); Col. 2: 9, 10).
Now God, dear reader, expects of us that we shall never be content with the enjoyment of anything less than all which He in His love and good pleasure has given us. He has blessed us freely and fully, and He counts on our ready response; and there is no response so delights Him as seeing us use and enjoy all He has so bountifully given. And, what is better than all, He would have us enjoy all things, not alone, but reverently, in intimate fellowship with Himself, without fear and trembling, resting in the full sense of His favor, and abiding in His love.