This post is part of a 40-Day Prayer Journey through the season of Lent. Click here to learn more and read other posts in the series.
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set youfree from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.And so he condemned sin in the flesh,in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4).
The devil attacks us with two main tactics: temptation and accusation.
Temptation looks different for each of us—we all have different struggles, different sins that we’re more prone to commit. What might be a tough temptation for me might not even be a temptation for you.
What looks similar for each of us is what comes after we’ve fallen into temptation and sinned: the devil’s accusations. And he is so good at needling us with lies laced with half-truths, masterfully playing off the guilt and shame we already feel for falling into sin.
You’re a Christian, aren’t you? You’re not supposed to act that way, say those things, or think those awful thoughts. God won’t forgive you this time—you keep on sinning against him! He can’t possibly still love you and call you his own. All that waits for you is judgment and condemnation for your
sins . . .
We are Christians. God does call us to live in such a way that our thoughts, words, and actions reflect his light and love. We fail to do that—and we rightly deserve God’s wrath and punishment.
However, the devil’s accusations—that God won’t forgive us, that he can’t possibly love us, that judgment and condemnation are all that we have waiting for us—are baseless and empty. They’re hollow words because our God’s words through the apostle Paul ring true: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Why? Because Jesus fulfilled God’s law perfectly in our place. He resisted the devil’s temptations; he never sinned, not even once. The devil had nothing with which to accuse him. Jesus took our place on the cross, bearing our sins upon his back and suffering the condemnation we deserve for our sins.
And now, dear Christian, the devil has nothing with which to accuse us either.
Yes, we all have sins that still weigh on our minds, even though we know that they are forgiven, taken away and gone because of Jesus. And so we need to hear the gospel message again and again and again—every single day.
The gospel message enables us to say to sin, guilt, and shame, “You have no place in my heart. Jesus has redeemed me; I am God’s own child. There’s no condemnation for me because I am in Christ Jesus. His righteousness is mine.”
Today, pray that God would strengthen his people to resist temptation. For those who fall into sin, pray that God would comfort the guilty and ashamed with his words of forgiveness and salvation. Pray that God would focus their attention on their Savior Jesus and his righteousness for them.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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