Sermon Tone Analysis

THE INVISIBLE WAR

WINNING THE WAR INSIDE OF ME

Sunday June 13, 2021

Scripture Reference: Romans 7:15-25 (NLT2)

"I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it.

Instead, I do what I hate.

16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.

17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.

I want to do what is right, but I can't.

19 I want to do what is good, but I don't.

I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

20 But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life-that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.

22 I love God's law with all my heart.

23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind.

This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

25 Thank God!

The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Romans 7:15-25 (NLT2)

Intro.

A. Today I am taking up where I left off last week as we begin to talk about winning this war that is going on inside of us.

We are considering two things here, the cost of this battle and today I will finish up a couple points about the cost that I couldn't get to last week, then we will consider the cause of this inner war and then I will give you some insights into what we will be talking about next week as we explore Romans chapter eight.

1.

For those who were not here and even those of you who were let me give you the four of the costs of this inner war.

If you missed the message, I recommend you watch it on our Facebook or YouTube page and you can find those on our web site.

I won't elaborate on these points because I have a lot I still need to share today.

Cost number one was:

a) Confusion

b) Guilt and Shame

c) Compulsions and Addictions

d) Self-Condemnation

Trans.

OK let's look at two more costs we pay for this inner battle.

I. THE COST OF THE BATTLE.

The fifth cost is:

A. Frustration

1.

This is what we see in a Christian who is trying to win this battle in their own power.

Look at what Paul said in V.17-20 from The Message.

"But I need something more!

For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help!

I realize that I don't have what it takes.

I can will it, but I can't do it.

I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.

My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions.

Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time."

Romans 7:17-20 (MG)

2. Friends this might be frustrating to hear, but no matter how strong of a person you think you are you do not have the power within yourself to conquer sin.

It's like trying to defy the law of gravity.

I don't care how much you believe you can fly, if you try to jump out a plane and flap your arms the end result will not be good.

Let me read you part of a children's story that you might have read to your children at one time.

It's from a series called Frog and Toad Together and this is from a story called cookies.

"These cookies smell really good," said Toad. "I ate one and they tasted even better," he said.

So, Toad ran over to Frog's house.

"Frog!

Frog!" cried Toad.

"Taste these cookies that I've made."

Frog ate one of the cookies.

"These are the best cookies I have ever eaten," said Frog.

So, Frog and Toad ate many, many cookies one after another.

"You know, Toad," said Frog with his mouth full, "I think we should stop eating.

We will soon be sick."

"You are right," said Toad. "Let us eat one last cookie.

Then we will stop."

So, Frog and Toad ate one last cookie.

But there were very many cookies still left in the bowl.

"Frog," said Toad, "Let us eat one very last cookie.

And then we will stop eating cookies."

Frog and Toad ate one very last cookie.

"We must stop eating," cried Toad as he ate another.

"Yes," said Frog reaching for a cookie, "We need willpower."

"What is willpower?"

asked Toad.

Frog said, "Willpower is trying hard not to do something that you really want to do." "You mean like trying not to eat all these cookies?" asked Toad.

"Right," said Frog.

So, Frog put the cookies in a box.

"There," said Frog. "Now we will not eat any more cookies."

"But we can open the box," said Toad. "This is true."

So, Frog tied some string around the box.

"There," he said.

"Now we will not eat any more cookies."

Toad said, "But we can cut the string and open the box," "That is true," said Frog.

So, Frog got a ladder and he put the box up high on a shelf.

"There," said Frog. "Now we will not eat any more cookies."

"But" Toad said, "We can climb the ladder and take the box down from the shelf and cut the string and open the box."

"That is true," said Frog.

So, Frog climbed up the ladder and he took the box down from the shelf and he cut the string and he opened the box and Frog took the box outside and he threw all the cookies out and he shouted in a loud voice, "Hey birds!

Here are free cookies."

Birds came from everywhere.

They picked up all the cookies in their beaks and they flew away.

"Now, we have no more cookies," said Frog. "But we have lots and lots of willpower."

"You may keep it all, Frog," said Toad. "I'm going home now to bake a cake."

3. How many times have you played this game with yourself?

You think you can invent a way to prevent yourself from doing the thing you don't want to do, but just as you invented the way to stop you invent the way to do it again anyway.

It's frustrating, isn't it?

OK let me give you one more cost of this battle.

B. Discouragement and Despair.

1.

I think that it is sort of obvious that this is going to happen to us.

I mean just look at all the other costs that have been added up.