Even for Christians, the temptation to sin remains an ever-present danger. Mortifying our sin is thus a battle we must earnestly wage, as John Owen wisely said, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you!” But how do we engage this mortal enemy? The Apostle Paul gives four points of wisdom in Romans 8:13-14: First, stop paying the flesh, because you owe it nothing. Second, if you’re fighting sin, know that you’re dead to sin and alive to God. Third, do it by the Spirit—not by asceticism or personal discipline—but by the power of sanctifying grace. And if you do so, you will live! Killing sin doesn’t get you right with God; it shows that you are right with God because His justified people always bear fruit. 

 

Let's talk about how to put to death the deeds of the body. Romans 8, 12, and 13 says this, Therefore brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. This passage addresses the art of war, war against the enemy of our souls.

We often minimize in our minds the spiritual warfare going on all around us. And these verses talk to us about how to resist the impulses of the flesh by putting them to death. And this has to do with how a Christian makes progress in the Christian life, how a Christian puts aside besetting sins and things like that. There's nobody who said it better than John Owen in his book Mortification of Sin. He wrote an entire book on these two verses.

Here's what he said, Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it while you live. Cease not a day from this work. Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.

Putting to death the deeds of the body happens through the power of sanctifying grace. And there are many deeds of the body that need to be put to death. How about anxiety? Jesus forbids anxiety, says also do not fear. He forbids fear.

Anger, Jesus forbids anger. Lust, Jesus forbids lust. He forbids pride and superstition and self-righteousness. And these are things of the flesh that need to be put to death. Killing sin doesn't get you right with God.

It shows that you are right with God. Because the bearing of fruit is a proof that you are right with God, because justified people actually bear fruit. So, Put to death the deeds of the body. Here's what we need to understand. Every un-mortified sin entangles your affections.

Every un-mortified sin hinders your duty. It compromises your relationships. It impacts your spouse. It influences your children. It harms your church.

But every mortified sin makes you stronger. It sweetens your affections, it mobilizes you for duty, it purifies your relationships, It improves your relationship with your spouse. It influences your children and it improves the church. So the apostle is saying it's time to quit. It's time to say I'm done with the deeds of the flesh.

These are the enemies of the soul. And I'll just say it again, those immortal words by John Owen, Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it while you live. Cease not a day from this work.

Be killing sin or it will be killing you. For this is how the Christian puts to death the deeds of the body. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Scripture applied as a production of Church and Family Life. Visit churchandfamilylife.com for more resources.