Willpower Won’t Solve Your Problem
By Rick Warren
“I love God’s law with all my heart. 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.” Romans 7:22-23 (NLT)
You have a war inside of you that will rage for your entire life between who you used to be and who you’ve become in Jesus Christ. Even Paul, the most decorated missionary in the history of Christianity and the author of most of the New Testament, battled with it.
The Bible says in Romans 7:22-23, “I love God’s law with all my heart. 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” (NLT, second edition).
I hate to tell you this, but you’ll always have this battle. You’ll never outgrow it. You can’t read enough Scripture to make the temptations go away. You can’t hide from them.
Until you get to Heaven, you’re stuck with an all-out battle between your two natures. I’ve been a believer for a long time, but my old nature is still there. My old nature wants me to be prideful, lustful, self-centered, deceptive, and downright sinful sometimes.
You have the same old nature always trying to get the best of you. The question is, what are you going to do about it?
Willpower won’t solve the problem. Just because you want to change and put everything into making that change doesn’t mean you’ll make the change. It may work for a bit, but you’ll get tired and stop the effort.
In your spiritual walk, you have to choose to follow your new nature, meaning you choose not to follow your old nature. For instance, if you’re tempted with lust but you immediately remove yourself from the temptation, you’ll starve the old self. If, when you’re tempted with pride, you remember your dependence upon God, your old nature can’t last long.
You have to make choices—maybe a hundred a day—to put the old nature aside and follow your new nature that is becoming like Jesus Christ.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Discover God’s Unique Purpose for You!
God has a unique purpose for your life—a mission only you can accomplish. And we want to help you discover it with the SHAPE Bible study.
This six-session video and workbook Bible study, written by Pastor Rick and taught by Erik Rees, will help you discover the unique ways God takes your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences and uses them all for his glory.
The SHAPE Bible study is our thanks for your gift to help more people embrace their God-given purpose through Daily Hope, so request your copy below when you give.
Thank you for your partnership!
*Video is available in DVD or streaming formats. The workbook will be mailed to you.
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
