How many of you have ever felt hopeless about your spiritual life improving? Paul’s words in Romans 8 should provide us with some hope. We often look at our spiritual lives and feel like we are failing to make any progress. Paul speaks of the reality of this struggle that is going on in each of our lives between the flesh and the Spirit. If we are really honest we often feel like the victory is constantly out of reach. Let’s think about the types of sporting event that we really enjoy watching. We love those final second come from behind victories. Those victories when the teams overcome certain defeat to win the victory. This is exactly what Paul is trying to show us in our text. Although the battle at times seems impossible to win, through the power of the Spirit we can claim victory. The last thing Satan wants to happen is for us to understand that the victory is within our grasp. His purposes will always be better served by Christians displaying a defeatist attitude. Paul is assuring his readers that the path to certain victory involves living our lives according to the Spirit rather than the flesh. Sounds great doesn’t it, but how can we succeed in making this a reality? Today, we are going to look at Paul’s words in Romans 8 and discover how to live a victorious life through Jesus Christ.
I. Gaining the proper perspective on Romans 8.
A. Man’s sin has given rise to a deadly conflict.
1. Paul devotes a tremendous amount of space in his letter to the Romans to showing the reality of the conflict in which we are involved.
2. As Christians we generally make two mistakes with regard to this conflict.
a. We feel hopeless and believe that there is no way we can win the battle.
b. Since we cannot hear or see the enemy we fail to grasp the reality of the conflict.
3. In the first three chapters Paul describes the seriousness of our condition resulting from sin.
4. In chapters 4-5 Paul shows that Jesus through His sacrifice on the cross has provided us with a way to break the grip of sin.
5. In chapter 6 Paul points out the fact that sin no longer has mastery over the life of a Christian.
6. In chapter 7 Paul returns to the reality that sin still causes a conflict in our lives.
B. God has provided a solution for our seemingly hopeless condition.
1. Paul skillfully shows in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit radically changes everything.
2. Paul refers to the Spirit twenty-one times in this chapter.
3. The work of the Spirit enables the tensions of the conflict with sin to be relieved.
4. If you were going to point out a key idea of chapter 8 it would be the assurance of victory over the flesh through the Spirit.
II. The Battle Rages: Our flesh vs. His Spirit.
A. Every believer is involved in the ongoing struggle between the flesh and the Spirit.
1. Each time we fall to sin we are reminded of the constant struggle that exists in our lives of which Paul reminds the Galatians.
2. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. (Galatians 5:17—NIV)
3. Although the struggle is real Paul reminds us that there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ.
4. The significance of this statement is that the penalty that resulted from human sin was paid by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.
5. When we accept God’s gift of grace through Jesus Christ the penalty for our sins is removed.
6. Paul is reminding us that there is no reason to wallow in guilt over our past sins because what God has done through Christ is completely sufficient.
B. The struggle between the Spirit and the flesh will continue as long as we live in this world.
1. When Paul speaks of the mind he is speaking of our mind set. He believes that every one of us lives with one of two mind sets: sinful or spiritual.
2. What we choose to follow will determine what motivates us, our actions, attitudes, priorities and values.
3. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21—NIV)
4. In verse 6 Paul is basically saying that if we choose to live by the flesh we are doing nothing less than committing spiritual suicide.
5. In verse 7 Paul reminds us that if we are living by the flesh we will find it impossible to submit to God because sin puts us in a state of continual rebellion against God.
6. As long as we live according to the flesh there will be no peace because we have cut ourselves off from God.
C. The Spirit brings an entirely new dimension to our lives.
1. When we choose to allow the Spirit to take control of our lives we will discover true life and true peace.
2. Because of God’s grace the Holy Spirit lives in the believer’s life giving them the resources they need to gain the victory over the sinful nature of the flesh.
3. The word Paul uses for lives in the Greek is oikeo which refers to a dwelling place such as a house.
4. Verse 9 seems to indicate that God’s gives us His Spirit when we accept His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
5. As a Christian our lives are no longer under the control of the flesh, our lives are under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
6. Here is the bottom line, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and have been obedient to Him in baptism you have been given the Holy Spirit.
D. When a life is under the control of the Spirit, Paul reminds us that the fruits of the Spirit will become obvious.
1. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23—NIV)
2. Our lives will be characterized by life and peace.
3. Our fears will begin to disappear the closer we get to God.
4. We will have an assurance of our ultimate victory.
5. In verse 26 Paul shows that the Spirit will be there to assist us in prayer.
6. We will have a confidence that God has our best interest in mind.
III. Three important thoughts in regard to the Holy Spirit.
A. There are areas of our earthly experience that the Holy Spirit can open up for us.
1. Jesus never intended for our life upon the earth to be boring and joyless.
2. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10—NIV)
3. When we live according to the Spirit our relationships and experiences go to an entirely new level.
4. The Holy Spirit is there in our lives providing guidance, comfort and encouragement.
5. The Holy Spirit gives us a new perspective in regard to life. Although the world is falling apart this is not our final destiny.
B. There are areas of God’s will that the Holy Spirit desires to show us.
1. Paul showed that it is impossible to please God without the Holy Spirit.
2. The Spirit provides us with the power and resources to truly serve God.
3. The Spirit provides us with knowledge and insight allowing us to more fully understand God’s will for our lives.
4. This should help us to better be able to wait as God’s will unfolds, because we have the confidence that He is in control.
C. There is power for living and serving that is available through the Holy Spirit that we have yet to tap into.
1. The Holy Spirit is like a conduit that allows the power of God to work in our lives.
2. The Spirit will make it possible for us to accomplish things and to go places that we never could have imagined.
3. The Spirit makes up for our weaknesses regardless if they are physical, emotional or spiritual.
4. The truth is that God’s power is best put on display in our weakness.
In his book, "How Great Generals Win", Bevin Alexander tells of "The General Who Beat Hannibal". One of Hannibal’s most effective tactics was the use of elephants in battle. For years Roman soldiers and horses were ineffective against the elephants - until the Roman general Scipio Africanus made a brilliant decision to startle Hannibal’s elephants with trumpets and cause them to retreat in fear. Until the defeat of Hannibal of Carthage, the Romans could not make the move toward becoming a world empire. Like Hannibal, Satan uses intimidating tools to win the spiritual battles against us. We must stand against him with weapons that even he cannot counter. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18—NIV)
