“The Struggle With Indwelling Sin” -- Article Two, The Fifth Point of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness

Hence daily sins of weakness arise, and blemishes cling to even the best works of God’s people, giving them continual cause to humble themselves before God, to flee for refuge to Christ crucified, to put the flesh to death more and more by the Spirit of supplication and by holy exercises of godliness, and to strain toward the goal of perfection, until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven.

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In the first article, the authors of the Canons established the fact that the Bible teaches that indwelling sin remains in the believer even after one is regenerated (born again). In light of this point, article two deals with the reality that the Christian life entails a constant struggle with such indwelling sin. These sins, which are a daily and perpetual occurrence, ought to push Christians to continually return in humility to the cross of Christ for forgiveness. The presence of such sin lies behind John’s exhortation in 1 John 1:5-2:2 regarding the need to acknowledge such sin and continually confess it, knowing that Jesus Christ’s death is a propitiation which turns aside God’s anger toward our sins. This forgiveness is part of our Lord’s ongoing priestly work in making intercession for his people.

Likewise, the Psalmist describes this struggle with indwelling sin in several places. Psalm 32:1-6 comes to mind, as does the entirety of Psalm 51. Steeped in the Psalter, Paul describes the Christian life as an intense struggle between the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). While in Romans 7:14-25 (echoing both the Psalmist and John, as well as his prior comments in Galatians), Paul again speaks of hating the sin and sinful impulses within him (the flesh), yet still giving into them anyway. This prompts the cry of every Christian who honestly looks within themselves and finds such sin, “wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (v. 24).

The consequences of such a view of indwelling sin is that over time, the Christian will come to hate their sins more and more. As stirred by the indwelling Holy Spirit, Christians will strive for perfection (that is, when such sin finally ceases), yet knowing that they will not attain such a state until death or the Lord’s return, whichever comes first. There is no such thing as the victorious Christian life in the New Testament—except for the one lived by Jesus who alone is without sin.

This renders the counsel often given to Christians who struggle with indwelling sin—that unless they eventually gain total victory over all such sins they must not be true believers—to be about as terrible advice that anyone can give. Given the reality of indwelling sin, the struggle itself is a sign of regeneration since only a true Christian will experience such a thing. Furthermore, it is often the case that as Christians mature in their faith, they find that their hatred of and struggle with sin actually intensifies over time as the Holy Spirit within them exercises and strains toward perfection.