In our fight with sin, we must rely and rest upon Christ. But what does that mean? To some, this is a spiritual cliché. Counselors and counselees alike will use “relying/resting on Christ” as the answer to overcoming a besetting sin. Okay. What does that look like? If I am relying on Christ, does that mean that I am completely passive while he infuses me with some sort of sanctification gas that will eliminate my sinful passions? Am I to “let go and let God” so that I become a marionette, my will and actions being completely overruled by the Spirit so that he is entirely in control?
None of these ideas of relying or resting on Christ fits with the commands of Scripture. This sort of passivity is like saying that you are not going to work or eat because you are relying on Christ to give you life.
Resting in Christ is active obedience. Relying on Christ and his Spirit means relying upon his word. Relying on Christ’s word means that you are fully engaged in the fight with sin. You are working out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:13). You are putting to death the sinful deeds of the body (Col 3:5). You are actively pursuing godliness (Eph 4:22ff.). In short, relying on Christ means that you are trusting that your obedience to him will produce the fruit that he promises.
Resting in Christ in your battle with sin means that you will engage the fight in at least these three interrelated ways.
First, you will discipline yourself. Discipline isn’t always fun. In fact, sometimes it is painful (Heb 12:11). Discipline involves self-denial, and denying ourselves our desires is unpleasant. However, you discipline yourself and yield to the Lord’s discipline, saying no to your sinful desires, because you are resting in Christ’s promise that this death of discipline will end in resurrection holiness (Heb 12:7-11; Proverbs passim). Relying on Christ is not strongly believing he will take the desire away and waiting for its absence to do what is right. Resting in Christ is saying no to your strongest sinful inclinations, believing that your fight will end with victory because Christ promised it.
Second, you must renew your mind (Rom 12:2). Much is involved with this, but the basic principle involves having the way you think about God, yourself, the world around you, and the relationships between them all conformed to God’s thoughts revealed in his Word. Saturate your mind with Scripture bathed in prayer within the fellowship of the church. Stop letting the world dictate to you the way you ought to think.
Third, rely on others for instruction and encouragement. No one, absolutely no one, can fight your fight for you. If you are yielding to temptations and making a mess out of your life, it is no one’s fault but yours. You will stand before God one day and give an account of yourself, and you will stand alone with no one else to blame. You are responsible. What others can do for you is instruct you and encourage you. Wise Christians can teach you the Scriptures and how they have applied them so that you may sharpen your weapons or add to your arsenal in the fight. When you are discouraged, others can encourage you by giving you a good word that may be gentle or a kick in the pants. You need to be fighting personal sin within the close fellowship of the saints. That means you need to be involved in the life of your church, not just showing up every now and again for worship service. Develop healthy friendships with godly people. As you rely on the body of Christ, you are relying on Christ himself.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. As you do, know that it is “God who works in you both to will and do of his good pleasure” (Phil 2:13).
