Sid’s Battle with the Power of Cancelled Sin

Sid knew the truths of the exchanged life well. He had read Lifetime Guarantee, studied The Normal Christian Life, and could recite Galatians 2:20 by heart. He understood that Christ lived in him and that he was no longer a slave to sin. And yet, when night fell and he was alone, the familiar pull of pornography whispered his name.

Each time he fell, shame followed. He would repent, determined that this time would be different. Then, for days—sometimes even weeks—he walked in the joy of freedom, convinced that he had finally entered fully into the exchanged life. Yet, inevitably, the temptation returned. And just as inevitably, he gave in.

One evening, after another failure, he sat in his chair, head in his hands. "Why, Lord? I know the truth. I know that I am dead to sin. I have reckoned myself alive in You. Why do I keep falling?"

A thought surfaced, gentle yet firm: You believe I have forgiven you, but do you believe I have set you free?

Sid sat still, heart pounding. He had always treated freedom as something he had to hold onto, as if it were fragile, easily lost. But Romans 8:2 declared otherwise: "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death."

Has set you free. Not will set you free, not might set you free if you do everything just right. Has set you free.

A memory surfaced—a time when he had been driving on the highway with his old GPS still programmed to his former home address. Every time he got in the car, it told him to turn back, leading him toward a place he no longer lived. He had to intentionally enter his real home address.

For the first time, Sid saw the truth: the power of pornography had already been broken, but he had still been listening to old directions. He had thought his fight was against temptation, but in reality, the battle had already been won. His job was not to struggle, but to rest in the reality that sin’s dominion was gone.

That night, temptation came as it always did, but something was different. He didn’t brace himself for battle. He didn’t grit his teeth or tell himself don’t do it, don’t do it. Instead, he whispered aloud, "Thank You, Lord, that I am free. Thank You that this sin has no claim on me. I do not have to fight it—I am already delivered."

The pull weakened. It didn’t vanish instantly, but for the first time, Sid saw it for what it was—a shadow, a voice from a prison cell that no longer held him. And as he rested in the truth, he found himself walking away.

Not striving. Not wrestling. Simply walking free.

Prayer of Confidence

Father, we rejoice in the truth that sin’s power has been broken. Thank You that we are not merely forgiven but free. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. We no longer live as slaves but as those who walk in the liberty You have already provided. In every moment of temptation, we rest in this unshakable reality: we are not trying to be free—we are free. Amen.

📸 Photo Credit: Unsplash
📖 Based on insights from In Christ by E. Stanley Jones