By Joey Krol
There are moments when sin feels like chains you will never break.
You fall again. You feel ashamed again. You promise yourself it will be different next time. Then the same temptation comes back, and that voice of condemnation whispers, “This is who you are. You will never change.”
Maybe you have felt that way.
Maybe your struggle is pornography. Maybe it is lust, anger, bitterness, dishonesty, pride, or something else you keep hidden. Whatever the stronghold may be, the question is the same:
How does a person truly overcome sin?
The answer is not found in trying harder. It is not found in willpower alone. It is not found in a program, a book, or a better plan.
True freedom is found in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross.
Romans 6 shows us this clearly.
Grace Is Not Permission to Stay in Sin
Romans 6 begins with a serious question:
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”
(Romans 6:1)
In other words, if God is full of grace, should we just keep sinning?
Paul answers clearly:
“Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
(Romans 6:2)
Grace is not permission to stay in sin. Grace is the power of God that brings us out of sin.
The gospel does not say, “Keep living in darkness because God will forgive you.”
The gospel says, “Jesus has made a way for you to walk in freedom.”
Jesus Did More Than Forgive You
Many people know that Jesus died for their sins. That is true, and it is wonderful. Through the blood of Jesus, we can be forgiven and made right with God.
But Romans 6 teaches something more.
“Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”
(Romans 6:3)
When Jesus died on the Cross, He did not only die to forgive your sin. He died to break the power of sin over your life.
Your old life was placed there with Him.
The person enslaved to sin.
The person controlled by lust.
The person trapped in shame.
The person who thought, “I will never change.”
That old life was crucified with Christ.
Then Romans 6:4 says:
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
That phrase matters:
“Walk in newness of life.”
Jesus did not rise from the dead so you could remain in the same chains. He rose so you could walk in a new life.
The Problem with Self-Effort
When people want to overcome sin, they usually begin with themselves.
They say:
“I’ll try harder.”
“I’ll be more disciplined.”
“I’ll never do it again.”
“I’ll fix myself.”
However, you’re not that strong.
Programs can be helpful, but they cannot save you.
Books can teach you, but they cannot crucify the flesh.
Counseling can provide wisdom, but it cannot replace the power of Christ.
Accountability is important, but accountability is not the source of victory.
The source of victory is Jesus Christ.
Always Jesus.
Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
He did not say a 12-step plan sets you free. He did not say a self-help book sets you free. He did not say worldly wisdom sets you free. True freedom comes from Christ alone.
God’s word says: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)
Human strength may restrain sin for a season, but only the power of God can change the heart.
Grace Is More Than Forgiveness
Many people understand forgiving grace.
They sin, feel convicted, and ask God to forgive them.
And if they come to Him in repentance, He does forgive.
But too many people stop there.
They receive forgiveness, but never learn how to walk in freedom.
Romans 6:14 says:
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Read that carefully.
It does not say sin should not have dominion over you.
It says sin shall not have dominion over you.
That means sin is no longer your master.
If you belong to Jesus Christ, sin may still tempt you, but it does not own you. It may still call your name, but you do not have to answer. It may still try to pull you back, but it no longer has the final authority over your life.
Why?
Because Jesus broke sin’s authority at the Cross.
Believe What God Says
Romans 6:11 says:
“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
That word “consider” means to believe what God says is true.
God says you died with Christ.
Believe it.
God says you are alive in Christ.
Believe it.
God says sin is no longer your master.
Believe it.
God says you can walk in newness of life.
Believe it.
The Christian life is not lived by trying to become something in your own strength. It is lived by believing what God has already done for you in Christ.
Victory begins when your faith is placed in Jesus and His finished work on the Cross.
Freedom Is Possible
Freedom is possible because Jesus died, Jesus rose again, and Jesus gives new life to those who trust in Him.
If you are not a believer, this is where freedom begins. You need more than behavior change. You need Jesus Christ. You need forgiveness. You need a new heart. You need to be made alive in Him.
If you are a believer, you need to remember what is already true. You are not a slave to sin anymore. You belong to Christ. You have been raised to walk in newness of life.
Do Not Stop at “I’m Sorry”
Many people confess the same sin over and over again.
They say, “God, I’m sorry.”
Then they fall again.
Then they say it again.
Yes, confession matters. Repentance matters. Forgiveness matters.
But do not stop at “I’m sorry.”
You also need to say, “Lord, I believe.”
I believe You died for me.
I believe my old life was crucified with You.
I believe You rose from the dead.
I believe I can walk in newness of life.
I believe sin is no longer my master.
I believe Your grace is not only pardon. It is power.
The same Cross that forgives your past gives you power for today.
Simply Put:
You overcome sin by placing your faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for you on the Cross. He did not only die to forgive your sin. He died to break sin’s power over your life.
Believe what God says in Romans 6. Your old life was crucified with Christ. You have been raised with Him. Sin is no longer your master.
Jesus did not go to the Cross only to leave you in chains. He died and rose again so that you could walk in newness of life.
So do not go back to the grave.
You do not belong there anymore.
You have been raised with Christ.
Now walk in it.
Joey Krol is a former pastor and Christian radio host, and the Founder and CEO of Redeem These Ashes. To contact him, visit our Contact Us page.
