In this corner sin and in the other corner the believer. Who will win?

    Man's greatest battle is that against sin. We were fighting it when we did not even know it, that is before we got saved (If you are not saved, you are still fighting that battle and don't even realize perhaps that he devil is beating you up. Go to thejourneybloomington.com and click on "Know Jesus" for more information about salvation.). But when we got saved we entered into victory. Jesus registered a death blow to sin and death on the cross and when we put our faith in him we become victors over those things.
    Here is the hard part. Salvation brings us to instant perfection in our Spirit. That part inside of us that was dead due to sin is know made alive (Ephesians 2:4-5). But our mind and body were not instantly perfected. So there is still a battle going on between our Spirit and our Body and our Mind is the battle field. You know those cartoons where the guy has got the devil on one shoulder and a angel on the other shoulder? It is just like that, but in side of us it is the devil saying do wrong and the Spirit of God saying do right.
    Which one will win? The answer is, the one you feed the most. Romans 6 gives us incredible advice about how to overcome sin.

1. First of all accept Christ as your savior. You have know chance of overcoming sin without Jesus. Ever heard someone say, "Well once I get my life cleaned up" or "Once I am sure I can live it, then I'll get saved". Problem is you can't live it or get your life cleaned up without being saved. If they wait until they can do it they will die and go to hell. The whole point is that we can't do it. We need Jesus.
2. Remember that your baptism pointed out that a change took place in you (1-5). First off, if you have not been baptized, what are you waiting for? Honor and obey Jesus by following him in baptism, displaying that your life has been changed.
3. What happened when you got saved and what was pictured when you got baptized is that the old man who was a slave to sin died and was buried and a new man, who is not a slave to sin resurrected to live in his place (6).
4. A huge part of overcoming sin after you are saved is having the right understanding and attitude.
    A. The understanding is that I AM FREE. Sin no longer has a hold on me because Jesus broke the chains (7-10).
    B. The attitude is that I AM NOT GOING TO VOLUNTARILY GO BACK INTO SLAVERY. He tells us to be in charge of this with statements like, "reckon yourselves", "do not let", and "do not present" (11-13).
5. Really it is a decision to trade masters. Before salvation you were a slave to sin, now you are a slave to righteousness. Be determined to serve the right master (14-23).

    We have ultimately overcome through our salvation, but even  in this life we can be victorious if we are determined to serve the right master.