Constant warfare

John Owen is one of the most powerful Puritan writers. He has a great quote in his book, "The Mortification of Sin," (actually it has many great quotes) which is based off of Romans 8:13. This quote comes after the obvious point that no one is going to be perfect in this life:

"Sin will not only be striving, acting, rebelling, troubling, disquieting; but if let alone, if not continually mortified, it will bring forth great, cursed, scandalous, soul-destroying sins. The apostle tells us what the works and fruits of it are: 'The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleannes, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like' (Gal. 5:19-21). You know what it did in David, and sundry others."

He continues, "Sin always aims at the utmost: every time it rises up to tempt or entice, might it have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin of that kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery, if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression; every thought of unbelief would be atheism, might it grow to its head. Men may come to that, that sin may not be heard speaking a scandalous word in their hearts; that is, provoking to any great sin with scandal in its mouth: but every rise of lust, might it have its course would come to the height of villany. It is like the grave, that is never satisfied. And herein lies no small share of the deceitfulness of sin, by which it prevails to the hardening of men, and so to their ruin (Heb. 3:13). It is modest, as it were in its first motions and proposals; but having once got footing in the heart by them, it constantly makes good its ground, and presseth on to some further degrees in the same kind."

Skipping to what our response is to be: "Now nothing can prevent this, but mortification. That withers the root and strikes at the head of sin every hour, so that it is crossed in whatever it aims at. There is not the best saint in the world but, if he should give over this duty, would fall into as many cursed sins as ever any did of his kind."

This is a daunting task for anyone. It is impossible for those who are not committed followers of Jesus Christ to do this, for Romans 8:13 says, "If you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live" (emphasis added). Only those who are true disciples of Christ have the Spirit. So we need to not rely on our own strength to put sin to death. But as Owen says elsewhere, we are still exhorted to do this. The Spirit gives us the ability and the motivation to do it, so we must do it. The opposite attitude is contrary to the Spirit.

"Be killing sin, or it will be killing you."