Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Holiness and Obedience

My Worst Enemy

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2023-02-03

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver explores Romans 7:18-25 to reveal that the believer's worst enemy is not external adversaries but the indwelling principle of sin within one's own flesh. He explains that while the old man has been crucified with Christ, sin remains as a defeated but still active force, causing internal conflict. The only deliverance comes through Jesus Christ, and believers must fight the battle in the mind by relying on the Spirit and looking to Christ for victory.

[John Weaver] Romans chapter 7, and we're going to be reading verses 18 through 25. I will tell you that the messages I have for the next two Sundays are very, very important.

[John Weaver] And I would trust that each one would be able to really hear and to grasp what I want to convey. I think we're living in desperate times, and these are going to be desperate messages. So, Romans chapter 7, the title of the message today is, My Worst Enemy. Notice, if you would, Romans 7, beginning there with verse 18, the apostle said, For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For a will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil that I would not, that I do. Now if I do that which I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find in a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

[John Weaver] Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. Enemies. The truth of the matter is everyone has enemies. An enemy is an adversary. And so today I want to tell you about my worst enemy. I've had a number of enemies over the years, but one stands out above them all. And yes, the truth of the matter is, like many people, I have been slandered, I've been threatened, I've been lied about, I've been blackballed.

[John Weaver] And the sad part is, most of that has been from Christians, and especially other pastors as well. The truth of the matter is, and most people cannot really believe it, but it is true, that preachers can be just as unkind, unloving, uncaring, and downright hateful, just like any other individual. And moreover, Usually what it is over is they are defending their positions. And if you don't agree with their positions and their determinations, then of course, they're going to act very tyrannical and very hateful toward you as well.

[John Weaver] But enemies are not always obvious. Oftentimes enemies appear as friends, associates, and fellow workers. Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ had his Judas, and of course, Julius Caesar had his Brutus. George Washington had his Benedict Arnold. The country of Norway had its Quisling, and of course Jesse James had his Robert Ford. Enemies do not always seek physical harm, but they do seek harm, that is for sure.

[John Weaver] And the kiss of an enemy can be just as deadly as a blow from an enemy. In fact, the Bible says in Proverbs 27 and verse 6, fateful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. So it would be a wise thing for you to do just to take the word enemy and the word enemies and run them down through the Bible and see how many scriptures there are in relationship to this subject. It may really surprise you and astound you at how many times the word enemy and enemies appears in the Bible. The very first time that the word enemy in the singular appears is found in the book of Exodus chapter 15 And it relates there in verse 6 to Pharaoh. In fact, there Israel is rejoicing over the defeat of Pharaoh, and they sing this,"'Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power, for Thy right hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy.'" And of course, the enemy there refers to Pharaoh and, of course, his army.

[John Weaver] Now, the very first time the word enemies, plural, It's found in the Bible. It's found in the book of Genesis chapter 14 and verse 20. And it's in relationship then to those men who captured Lot and his family and carried them away. And when Abram armed his 318 trained servants, fighting men in his house, and recaptured Lot and everyone, And then, of course, it was Melchizedek who came out to meet him. And Melchizedek said this, and blessed be the Most High God, which has delivered thine enemies into thine hand. And then, of course, the rest of that verse, that he, Abram, gave him tithes of all, that is, to Melchizedek. Now, so the word enemies and the word enemy, the very first time they occur, happen to occur in relationship to the people of God. And in other words, God's people do indeed have enemies.

[John Weaver] In fact, this truth is also enunciated in what is known as the Protoevangelium. The Protoevangelium happens to be the first promise of the Messiah in the Bible. And you'll find that in Genesis 3, verse 15, where the Lord is pronouncing a curse upon the serpent. He said this, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." So the enmity was not just between the serpent and the woman, but also between the woman's seed and the serpent's seed as well.

[John Weaver] So obviously and clearly, from the very outset, from the beginning, we do indeed have enemies, that is for sure. Now, it's absolutely naive in one sense of the word. to think that we don't have enemies. It's also naive to think that, well, I want to be holy, I want to be righteous, I want to be obedient, and therefore I don't expect to have enemies. No. The truth of the matter is you're going to have enemies just because you are saved and just because you want to be holy and righteous.

[John Weaver] Our Lord said in John chapter 15, listen to this, if the world hate you, You know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own." Listen, but because you're not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you. And then he went on to say, remember the word that I've said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord.

[John Weaver] If they've persecuted me, they'll persecute you. If they've listened to you, they're going to also listen to me. Or if they'll listen to me, they're going to also listen to you." So he said, these things they're going to do to you because they do not believe on Him that sent me. So he said, the world is going to hate you just simply because I've chosen you out of the world. Not only that, oftentimes the world will hate us and speak evil of us just because we're different, just because we do not do those things that they do. For instance, Peter said in 1 Peter 4 and verse 4, wherefore they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess and riot, and therefore they speak evil of you. So, they speak evil because you don't want to get drunk, you don't want to commit adultery, you don't want to steal, you don't want to defraud someone, and they're going to speak evil of you. That's what he said. They think it's strange.

[John Weaver] In other words, you don't want to do what they are doing. So, in one sense of the word, It should not be counted strange that Christians have enemies. However, some people do indeed think it's strange that pastors have enemies. You know, it's almost funny in one sense of the word. When you study the Scripture, you will find that God's true preachers have always been hated and despised. And those false prophets that prophesy lies are always loved and respected.

[John Weaver] Jeremiah found this out to the nth degree. So let me show you, whole Romans chapter 7 if you would, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 18, and then we're going to go to Jeremiah chapter 26. I want you to look at this, Jeremiah chapter 18 and verse 18, It's strange how the world loves those false prophets that speak lies, that pamper the flesh, that pumps pride into their lives, and they hate those that speak the truth. So in Jeremiah chapter 18 and verse 18, look what they said concerning Jeremiah. Then said they, come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words." We're not going to listen to him.

[John Weaver] We will lie about him. We will slander him. We will destroy him. Everything he says is completely untrue. We're not going to listen to him. Well, if you look in Jeremiah chapter 26, beginning there with verse 8, you'll see how desperate it did get because Jeremiah is preaching. And look what happens in Jeremiah chapter 26, beginning there with verse 8. Look at it. The Bible says, Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and the city shall be desolate without an inhabitant. And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord." Isn't that amazing? They not only hated Jeremiah, not only wanted to slander and lie about him, but they were actually going to murder him as well.

[John Weaver] So the point I'm trying to make is, God's true preachers have always been counted enemies of those who do not love the truth and do not want the truth. Now let me give you one more illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 21. 1 Kings chapter 21. So it's not just simply the people, and it's not just simply the prophets and the priests, but it also happens to be rulers.

[John Weaver] Note if you would, Ahab has murdered Naboth and his sons so that he could steal the garden that Naboth had. And of course you say, Ahab did not personally kill Naboth. No, he did not. But Jezebel sent letters, and of course she had it done, and she stamped it with the king's seal. And so God charges him with murdering Naboth. But if you will look in I Kings chapter 21, beginning there with verse 17, the Bible says, And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, Go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, which is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where there he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs lick the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. Look at this next verse. And Ahab said unto Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?

[John Weaver] And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. But note, Ahab was unabashed in calling the man of God his enemy. Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?

[John Weaver] Now, the truth of the matter is this, we all have enemies. We do not need any more enemies of our own making. Let me explain what I mean by that. We do not need enemies due to our own arrogance, insolence, incivility, thoughtlessness, and forgetfulness. Ah, we've been unkind. We've been uncivil.

[John Weaver] Now, so let me put it to you like this. We should never be unkind or uncivil to anyone unless there is a biblical principle involved. There are some that you cannot be kind unto. There are some that you cannot be civil unto. You say, what are you talking about? Well, look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of 2 John. 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John. Look at it, if you would. 2nd John, and we will begin reading there with verse 7. Here are some folks that you cannot be civil to, you cannot be kind unto, you cannot even have them in your house. Notice, if you would, 2nd John, verse 7.

[John Weaver] For many deceivers are entered into the world, Whoso confesseth not that Jesus is Christ is come in the flesh, this is a deceiver and an antichrist. So if someone does not believe that Jesus Christ is in the flesh, if someone does not believe that Jesus Christ is God, he is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look in verse 8. Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

[John Weaver] Here it is, very plain. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God's speed. For he that bid him God's speed is partaker of his evil deeds. So, when someone comes to my house, knocking on the door, wanting to speak to me and wanting to be, teach me and show me something from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and they do not believe that Jesus Christ is God, God says, I cannot have them in my house, nor can I bid them God's speed. If I even say, God bless you, then He says, I am partaker of their evil deeds.

[John Weaver] I'm just pointing out the fact, unless there is a biblical principle involved, there's no reason to be unkind to anyone and to make an enemy just because we want to make an enemy. But the truth of the matter is, we do have enemies. And enemies may even include, listen to me, enemies may even include God's elect who are not yet saved. You remember that passage in Romans 11 in verse 28, the Bible says, as concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes, but as touching election, they are beloved for the Father's sakes.

[John Weaver] And then here's a good clear illustration. You remember Saul of Tarsus was one of the greatest enemies of Jesus Christ and of the church until you get to Acts chapter 9, and when he was converted. He became the Apostle Paul and became a great friend, not only of Jesus Christ, but of believers as well. But until then, he was consenting to the death of Stephen. He was hauling men and women and casting them into prison, doing all kinds of things that was contrary to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] So let me put it to you like this. If you think, well, I don't have that many enemies that I know of. Well, if you really want to experience just a little bit of persecution and just a little bit of unjust attacks, if you want to experience just a little bit of being slandered and lied about and have fabrications made against you, well, just let the Southern Poverty Law Center get a hold of your name. as well as the woke movement, the cancel culture, BLM, and TIFA. And while I'm mentioning the Southern Poverty Law Center, may I mention the fact that they're really not Southern, even though they are in Mobile, Alabama. Not Mobile, but Birmingham, Alabama. Montgomery. They're in Montgomery, but they're not southern just because they're in Montgomery, Alabama. And they're certainly not in poverty, and they're certainly not a law center. That is, they're not biblical law, and they're not constitutional law. The only thing really accurate about that name is the word center, because it is a center of wokeism and humanism and all kind of other isms, but it's not center of Biblicism.

[John Weaver] All I'm saying is, if you are a Christian, if you are a Southerner, if you are a patriot, you're going to be hated by those people. You're going to be despised by those people. That's all there is to it.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you what the Apostle Paul says about them. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 3, Philippians chapter 3, we're talking about people who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who fight against the Lord Jesus Christ, Note, if you would, what the Apostle Paul says. The book of Philippians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Note, if you would, Philippians chapter 3, beginning there with verse 18. The Bible says this, For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mine earthly things." Note, if you would, he said they are actually enemies of the cross of Christ. They're enemies to Jesus Christ. And they glory in their shame. Their God is their belly.

[John Weaver] That is, they just take care of themselves. They could care less about God, Christ, anyone else. They're looking out for old number one.

[John Weaver] Now, as bad as some of these people are, they're not my worst enemy. I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me. Or to say it more correctly, it is I myself. And I'm going to show you this from the Scripture. But it was Martin Luther, the reformer, who was asked who was the worst pope. And Professor Martin Luther, when he was asked which pope had caused him the most trouble, responded like this, The Pope who sits on the throne in my heart, no Pope in Rome has caused me as much trouble as I have caused myself. Arthur W. Pink wrote many years ago, one of the reasons we don't like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, when he had built the tabernacle up to 5,000 members, was asked by someone which member had caused him the most trouble. And Spurgeon answered, Charles Spurgeon.

[John Weaver] And the man said, What? You mean to tell me you have another man in your congregation with the same name as yours? And Spurgeon replied, No, I refer to myself. No one has given me more trouble than I've given myself. And that is a fact. And this is exactly what Romans chapter 7 is actually teaching us. I'm going to point this out before I get started. Look in verse 18.

[John Weaver] He said, For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. I'm going to stop right there. When you see the word flesh in the Bible, you have to understand that the word flesh is used at least four different ways. The Greek word for flesh is sarx. And it doesn't matter what the word is, and it's sarx. It's the context that determines how the word flesh is used. So sometimes the word flesh refers then basically to all humanity. For instance, in Isaiah 40, the Bible says, And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

[John Weaver] Now listen carefully, the voice said, cry, and he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is as grass, and all the goodness thereof is the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, and the word of the Lord shall endure forever. Now that passage from Isaiah 40, is repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter 1 and verse 24 when the Bible says, For all flesh is as grass, and the glory of man is the flower of the field. The grass withers, and the flower thereof fadeth away. So sometimes the word flesh refers to all humanity. Secondly, sometimes the word flesh just simply refers to the human body.

[John Weaver] Remember it was in Job chapter 19 where Job was making his great confession of faith And he said for I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin Worms destroy this body yet in my flesh Shall I see God whom I shall see for myself mine eyes shall behold him and not another Though my reins be consumed within me. He said I shall see him in my flesh, that is, in my body." So in that instance, the word flesh refers to the body. And then sometimes the word flesh just simply refers to what you and I would call meat. I've heard people say, give me some flesh to eat.

[John Weaver] They're talking about a steak normally. But the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 39, all flesh is not the same Flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds. So sometimes the word flesh refers to all humanity, sometimes it refers to the body, sometimes it refers to meat, and if you look in Romans chapter 7, here's the fourth time, and here is where the word flesh refers to the principle of sin. That's why he said in verse 18, for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing."

[John Weaver] Now, the phrase, no good thing, indicates that there is absolutely nothing pure, upright, honorable, decent, agreeable, and pleasing to God in and of ourselves. Let that sink in. There's nothing in our flesh that's pleasing to God. In fact, the truth of the matter is, our flesh, that is the principle of sin, hates God. If you look in Romans chapter 8, beginning there with verse 5, watch carefully. He says, for they that are after the flesh, that is the principle of sin, do mind the things of the flesh, that same principle, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

[John Weaver] For to be carnally or fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life in peace. Here's why. Because the carnal mind or the fleshly mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Watch carefully. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. So it's impossible in our fleshly body to please God in and out of and from our own flesh because our flesh has involved in it the principle of sin.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to Romans chapter 7 and look at verse 18. Watch this. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me, But how to perform that which is good I find not. Now, if you look in verses 19, he says, For the good I would I do not, but the evil which I would not that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. So in verse 18 it is the flesh, in verse 19 it is the evil, and in verse 20 it is sin. Moreover, what the apostle is saying that good, the good that he intends to do and wants to do, he does not, his flesh cannot accomplish it. Now, it is true, according to Romans chapter 6, that our old man has been crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's also true that we're new creatures in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] It is also true that Romans 6 tells us that we are to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ. However, we are still in the flesh. That is, there are propensities, there are inclinations, there are desires, there are old habits, there are old ways, there are old thoughts. All of these have to be dealt with. John Trapp, one of the old Puritans, said it like this. Listen carefully.

[John Weaver] He said, corruption is, though dejected from its regency, that is its throne, corruption is, though dejected from its regency, is not yet ejected from its inherency, it intermingleth with the best of our works. So he says, while sin is no longer on the throne, it is not out of the body, it's not out of the flesh, it is still here. So what he is saying is basically Romans 6 and verse 12, where he says, Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it and lust thereof. He did not say, Let not sin therefore be in your mortal bodies. It's there. But he said, Don't let it reign, because Jesus Christ has destroyed the power of sin, the kingship of sin, the lordship of sin, and it is not to reign. So sin is in us, but it is not to reign.

[John Weaver] Now here's what Spurgeon said on this verse, listen carefully. He said, Oh, how often men have been struggling after holiness, had to use these words of the apostle. The more holy they become, the more they realize that there is still something better beyond them after which they struggle, but to which they cannot yet attain, so still they cry. The good we would, we do not, but the evil which we would not, that we do.

[John Weaver] So what he is saying is very simple. We want to live holy. We want to live godly. We want to live obedient. We do not want to sin. And yet the stronger we desire to be holy and righteous, it seems like the more the flesh acts up, this principle of sin exposes itself.

[John Weaver] Now, sin is in the body, but it's not to be controlled because sin has been dethroned But yet, on the other hand, it is still trying to regain the throne, so to speak. So here's a very important point, and I want you to listen carefully. He said in Romans 7 and verse 18, For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, for it dwelleth present with me. But how to perform that which is good I find not. In other words, because of the principle of sin, there can be no perfection in the flesh. We cannot be perfect because of the principle of sin.

[John Weaver] Now look what he said. I'm going to expound this just for a moment. He said, For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not.

[John Weaver] Now the word perform actually means to accomplish. It means to achieve. It means to work out with the desired results. So look what he said now. He said, for to will is present with me. In other words, I want to do what's right. I want to be holy. But how to accomplish that, how to work that out, which is good, I find not.

[John Weaver] Now let me give you a quote from Martin Luther on this. He said it like this. But because we cannot accomplish the perfection in this corruptible flesh, he said to the Romans, to will is present with me, but how to accomplish what is good I find not. Or, as the Greek codices have it, to will is present with me, but not to accomplish the good. In other words, it is not present with me to accomplish the good. He does not say to do, but to accomplish the good. For to do good is not to go after lust, but to accomplish the good is to not lust at all." So he's saying, I've got the desire, but I don't have the power in the flesh to accomplish that desire. Now, if you look in verse 18 again, he says, I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The little word for should make you hearken back to verse 17. He says now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me.

[John Weaver] So when he says for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing he's saying it there's no good thing in it simply because of sin. So the principle of sin causes us to not be able to accomplish what we want to accomplish in the flesh. You remember that passage in 1 Corinthians 15, in verse 50, where we were told that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. And the reason it can't inherit it is because of corruption. Now, Paul demonstrates this principle again in Galatians 3. You have to understand in the book of Galatians, these people were wanting to go back into Judaism. They were wanting to go back into legalism. And so Paul asked them in Galatians 3 and verse 3, he said, Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? And he said, You're not going to be made perfect by the flesh. It's impossible. Now, I want you to look in Romans 7 and verse 18 again.

[John Weaver] I'm just trying to show you my worst enemy and your worst enemy. Look in verse 18. He said, For I know that in me that is in my flesh, look at this word, dwelleth no good thing. In my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The word dwelleth is from the Greek word oikeo, which is a verb. The noun is oikos. The word oikos means a house. So literally what he said in verse 18 is this, For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, is housed no good thing. Why? Because the principle of sin is housed in our flesh.

[John Weaver] Now thankfully, there's something else housed in us as well. If you look in Romans 8 and verse 9, Romans eight. Let's see. I've got Romans eight and verse nine. Let me check it out. Yes. He says, but you're not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you.

[John Weaver] Now, if any man have another spirit of Christ, he's none of his. Now, he said, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you and the word dwell, there is a white cow. It's the same Greek word as sin dwelling in us. So in one sense, the word You have the principle of sin still in the flesh, but you also now in the new man, you have the principle of the Holy Spirit who is housed in us as well. So here's the conflict.

[John Weaver] And this is what Paul is trying to give us in Romans chapter seven. I want to be holy. I want to be godly. I want to be obedient. I want the mind of Jesus Christ. And yet as I desire those things and want those things and I struggle after those things, there's something that remains in me that fights against that left and right.

[John Weaver] Now, here is what Charles Hodge wrote years ago on this passage. I want you to listen very carefully for what he said is very true. And he's using this verse. It is not I, but sin that dwelleth in me. He says this, this doctrine of sin as indwelling is irreconcilable with the assumption that sin consists exclusively in acts of the will or even the widest sense of the term involuntary action.

[John Weaver] Let me just stop right there. He's not through, but what he's just got through saying, it's not just an act of the will. It's not just a voluntary action that is sin. Let me continue. An indwelling act is a solacism. The word solacism refers to a breach of good manners, an error, an inconsistency, an impropriety. So he says an indwelling act is a solacism. I'm going to continue. Sin in this, as in so many other places of Scripture, is presented as an abiding state of mind.

[John Weaver] a disposition of principle manifesting itself in acts. It is this that gives sin its power. We have measurably power over our acts, but over our imminent principles, we have no direct control. They master us and not we them. Herein consists our bondage to sin. And as the power of an indwelling principle is increased by exercise, So the strength of sin is increased by every voluntary evil act. No act is isolated. Nothing is more dangerous than the erroneous opinion that an evil act can stand alone, or that a man can commit one sin and then stop. All evil is concatenated, that is, linked as a chain together. And every sin increases the power of the indwelling corruption in a fearful progression until sooner than the sinner dreams of his head swims and he's plunged into the abyss." So, I'm just saying that sin is more than just simply an act of the will. Sin is more than simply a voluntary act. And he said, you're absolutely deceived if you think, if you think that you can sin one time and then stop.

[John Weaver] It's impossible. Because every act of sin then strengthens the principle of sin. So sin then pervades our being, it pervades our mind, so that the whole man is corrupt, even the mind as well. So let me give you an illustration of what I'm trying to talk about. I'm going to ask you some questions, and I already know the answer to the first question. Okay? Here's the first question. Have you ever prayed? And of course the answer is yes. Have you ever had trouble concentrating in prayer? Have you ever gone to sleep in prayer? Or gotten drowsy in prayer? Have you ever had vain, evil, wicked thoughts when you were praying? Have you ever noticed how easily you're distracted in prayer? Have you ever noticed that when you're reading your Bible or studying your Bible, all of a sudden, you think of a multitude of things that you have to do?

[John Weaver] And not only you have to do them, but they are so pressing upon you that you almost have to just close your Bible and get up and do what you need to do. Yeah. How about this? How about listening to the Word of God as it's being taught and as it's being preached? Does your mind wander? Do you concentrate on other things? Are you sitting there planning what your next meal is going to be? Are you sitting there thinking about all the work you've got to do next week?

[John Weaver] How is it that whenever we are trying to do anything that's spiritual, honest, good, and holy, we have trouble concentrating? Do you really hear the Word of God? I mean, do you really, really, really hear the Word of God? And how is it that when you plan to do something that is good, righteous, and holy, a dozen things intervene and try to stop you so that you cannot accomplish your purpose? And if you're a Christian, the answer is a yes to all of these things. Why? And the answer is because our minds still have the principle of sin. On the other hand, have you ever noticed that when your sin is pleasing to your flesh, you're not ever interrupted? You don't ever get interrupted watching a ball game or playing games. Or doing what you really, really like to do. What pleases your flesh. What pleases you. You don't get interrupted. You don't have problems concentrating.

[John Weaver] My father-in-law liked to play chess. And I used to play with him. And he was a quiet man anyhow. He hardly said one sentence to me until after Alice and I got married. But I would sit down and play chess with him. And he would sit there and stare at that board and concentrate and concentrate. And finally, I'd look up at him and I'd say, Pop, say something, anything, just say something, you know. But, you know, when you're enjoying things like that, you don't get distracted. Isn't that amazing?

[John Weaver] What is happening is this. We have the exact same problem the Apostle Paul had. So every time you have a desire to be holy and godly and obedient, your flesh, this evil principle of sin, is going to fight against that.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you. Let's go back to Romans chapter 7 and look in verse 18. He said,"...for I know that in me that is in my flesh is housed no good thing. For the will is present with me." I really want it. But how to accomplish that? Which is good I find not. I can't do it in the flesh. For the good that I would, I do not.

[John Weaver] But the evil that I would not, that I do." In other words, that principle wants to be satisfied.

[John Weaver] Now, if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it. In other words, I really don't want to do it. But sin that dwelleth in me. I find in the law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. Have you ever stopped to think about that? Even when you're praying, evil is present with you. There's enough sin in our prayers to damn us. You know, our prayers are not perfect. So he said, I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me, for I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of the sin of sin, which is in my members.

[John Weaver] And then he says this. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." So the interesting thing is this struggle that the apostle is having is likened in verse 24 to him being tied to a dead man when he said, O wretched man that I am, Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

[John Weaver] And I've told you this before, and you should remember it. But the illustration is when, in earlier times, when a murderer was captured, and the murdered man was still unburied, they would take the man that he murdered and tie him face to face, stomach to stomach, hand to hand, leg to leg, foot to foot, the dead man to the living man, until the worms from the dead man ate the living man, and killed him, or until he starved, or until he perished for lack of water." But this is what the Apostle Paul is giving this illustration. He said, I'm carrying around a dead man, because our old man in Adam has been crucified in Jesus Christ. So we're actually carrying around a dead man.

[John Weaver] Now, So, here's the question, what is the answer? Well, he said in verse 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So here's the perfect answer. The perfect answer is, we'll be absolutely, totally and completely free from this dead man when we die and when we're glorified and have a new glorified body. Because there'll be no sin, no evil desires, no wickedness. Nothing impure and unclean will enter into the presence of God.

[John Weaver] So there will be none of that. That is the perfect answer. But you're going to say, but I'm not yet glorified. I'm still around. So what is the answer for me right now? Well, He still gives you the answer when He says, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let me give you what Spurgeon said on this verse. Listen carefully. He hits the nail on the head and he says this, what a mercy it is that the Lord Jesus Christ has struck a deadly blow at our sin. He's broken the head of it. It is a monster and has immense vitality, but it is a broken back, broken leg and broken headed monster. There it is.

[John Weaver] It lies hissing, smitting, and writhing, capable of doing us much mischief. But he that has wounded it will smite it again and again, until at last it shall utterly die." When I read that quote, I thought of a number of rattlesnakes that I've killed. Alice oftentimes is out in the yard, and I'm inside studying. She'll call me on the phone and she'll say, bring your Glock, there's a snake out here. So I always jokingly say, really? Yes. How much ammunition do I need?

[John Weaver] And she laughed, just one round, just come on. But you know what I found? I've killed a number of them with one round right through the head. But there, the last one I killed, it took three rounds through the head. And the first one was dead center. And you know what that snake was doing? Writhing, hissing, rattling. He was dying. If I had not pumped two more rounds in him, he would have died. But guess what?

[John Weaver] If I had stuck my hand down there, he would have still bit me. This is exactly what he's talking about. Our old man has been crucified in Christ, and yet at the same time as he's dying, he's still writhing and spitting and hissing and doing everything he can to keep us from being holy and righteous and godly. The Apostle Paul says our only victory is through the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember that passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 57 when he said, But thanks be unto God, who always giveth us a victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanks be unto Him. You know, our victory over our sin, our victory over our fleshly thoughts, our victory over our fleshly desires, our victory over our wicked and vile desires, all of this is found only in Jesus Christ. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles. to the book of Galatians, chapter 5, and look, if you would, at verses 16 and 17. Galatians, chapter 5, verses 16 and 17. You remember when our Lord was about to go away, He told His disciples, If I go away, I will not leave you comfortless. I will come unto you. Then He said, I will send the Spirit unto you. So the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father and God the Son, And the Bible tells us in Galatians 5 in verse 16, This I say, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit never leads us contrary to the Word of God. He always leads us in obedience to the Word of God. He says, This I say, then walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Four, the flesh this principle of sin, lusteth against the spirit, that is, it fights against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary, the one to the other, watch, so that you cannot do the things that you would."

[John Weaver] Wow. So when you and I do that which is normal, natural, fleshly, we sin against God. It's when we do not do that which is normal, natural, fleshly, that we're obedient to God. So if someone slaps me, the very first desire I have is to slap them back. Somebody cusses me, the flesh wants to cuss him back. See, this is what he's saying. If you walk in the Spirit, you're not going to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Why? The flesh lusts against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh.

[John Weaver] They're contrary to one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. Moreover, listen to this. The Bible says in Philippians 2 and verse 5, let this mind be in you which also is in Christ Jesus. In Ephesians 4, I think it's verse 17, he said, be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Since this principle of sin deals with our minds, you understand this, I know. You can't do one thing without first thinking about it. Do you understand that? I could say, well I'm going to pick up that phone, but I can't pick it up until I already think about it. I could say, I'm going to slap Clay upside the head, but I can't slap him upside the head until I already think it. You follow that? This is why it is the mind that is in reality the real true battleground.

[John Weaver] Now, Charles Hodge said it like this, listen carefully. The feeling of helplessness is not only consistent with a sense of acknowledgement of accountability, but is always found united with genuine self-condemnation and penitence. Let me just stop right there. Do you realize the more holy you wish to be, the more godly you wish to be, the more spiritual you wish to be, the more wretched you see yourself to be? And the more you want to repent, because you see how wicked you really truly are.

[John Weaver] And you know, you think, oh God, oh God, how could I love you and think these thoughts? How in the world, Lord, could I be praying to you and have these rude, wicked, vain thoughts run through my mind? Lord, I'm so wicked. This is what he's saying. You cannot really have a desire to be holy without at the same time recognizing your own wretchedness, and I will say it like this, the more holy you become, the more wretched you see yourself.

[John Weaver] He goes on, there are in general a few stronger indications of ignorance of the power and evil of sin than the confident assertion of our ability to resist and subdue it. In other words, he's saying that's complete ignorance to say, I can control this. It's just like someone saying, I can take this meth, I can take this drugs, this dope one time and that's it. No, no, no, no.

[John Weaver] You're stupid if you think that. Think about the people who took that stuff one time and it killed them. I'm just simply saying this is what he's saying. He says, Paul groaned beneath its bondage as if it held him in a loathsome embrace of the body of death. The apostle's object, therefore, is not to apologize for sin, but to show that the experience detailed in Romans 7 is consistent with his being a Christian.

[John Weaver] It is true that I really approve and love the law and desire to be conformed to it. I'm no longer the willing slave of sin. To the depth and power of the original evil is to be attributed to the fact that I am not entirely delivered from its influence." In other words, the old man has been crucified, but there's still that writhing, slivering, spitting, rattling snake around. He goes on to say, this is obviously connected with the main object of the whole passage, for if sin remains and exerts its power notwithstanding our disapproval, and in despite of all of our efforts, it is clear that we must look for deliverance to something outside of ourselves, and that the mere perceptive power of the law cannot remove the evil." In other words, there's nothing that we can do in our flesh. There's nothing that we can do in being more obedient that will get rid of this. The only thing that we can do is look beyond ourselves and outside of ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn, if you would, to the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. I want you to look at this because I get calls from Christians all of the time, and they tell me Brother Weaver, I'm fighting, I'm fighting. I get so tired of fighting. I don't understand where these thoughts come from. And I surprise them and I say, well, number one, congratulations, because you're finding out really what it means to be a Christian and fight against sin. But, I said, you really haven't fought as much as you really could. I'm going to show you what I'm talking about.

[John Weaver] But you know, the same thing hits me. And I think, Lord, where in the world did that thought come from? Lord, I hate that. I don't want that. I refuse. Where did it come from? It came from that principle of sin.

[John Weaver] Now look what he said. Hebrews chapter 12, watch if you would please, beginning there in verse 2. The Bible says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now watch. For consider him, that is you better meditate upon this, you better think upon this, for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds."

[John Weaver] I want to bring a message on that one day soon. He said you better consider him and everything that he endured, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Here it is. You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin. How many of you have actually bled fighting against sin? Not one. Not one. So the apostle is saying until we actually bleed fighting against sin, We really haven't fought against sin the way we should.

[John Weaver] You have to remember this too. There is no perfection in this life. What did the Apostle Paul say? I die how often? Tell me, daily. Sometimes it's hourly, sometimes it's minute by minute. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact that there is this principle of sin and we have to fight against it. Let me make some applications. The first one should be extremely obvious. Number one, no man is perfectly sanctified in this life. You may desire perfection, you may strive for perfection, you may want it, you may pray for it, but you will never ever have it in this life. That does not mean that we can excuse our sins, does not mean that we can give up, does not mean that we can quit, does not mean that we can just say, well, I'm a sinner and I'm going to sin.

[John Weaver] No, no, no, not at all whatsoever. But it just simply means that we're not going to reach perfection in our flesh or in our works. We're just not going to do it. John Calvin said it like this, this is not the pleading of one excusing himself as though he was blameless as the cases with many triflers who think that they have a sufficient defense to cover all their wickedness when they cast the blame upon the flesh. But it is a declaration by which he shows how very far he dissented from his own flesh in his spiritual feeling. For the faithful are carried along in their obedience to God with such fervor of spirit that they deny the flesh.

[John Weaver] In other words, when those evil thoughts come in your mind, you have to say, I hate it. I'm not going to have it. I'm not going to think on that. I will place my mind upon the Lord Jesus Christ. I will place my mind upon the Word of God. I'll think of the promises. I'll think of anything else. Or I'll do what the apostles said, whatsoever is lovely, whatsoever is honest, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is virtuous. Think on these things. We don't have to think about those thoughts. Now, I've used this before, and I'm going to use it one more time. Please understand this.

[John Weaver] Here's an old adage I heard since I was a boy. You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair. What does that mean? The flesh can throw thoughts in your mind like lightning. You can't stop that. Those thoughts come with lightning-like speed and they're there before you realize it. But you do not have to retain those thoughts. You do not have to keep those thoughts. You do not have to meditate upon those thoughts. You can refuse those thoughts, and you do not have to think about those thoughts.

[John Weaver] So that brings you to the second application, and you should know it by now. The mind is the battlefield. And the real man, this is what the Apostle Paul is saying in Romans chapter 7, the real man is the man that he is in Jesus Christ, not the man that he was in the old Adam. Although the old Adam still has some propensities, he's still writhing, he's still rattling, he's still hissing, and he's still spitting, but our Lord is going to continue to stomp him and put him to death.

[John Weaver] And we'll do so in our glorification. Now, that means this. Romans 12, 1 and 2. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed, how? By the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God. That's why He said, let this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus. We have to learn to look to Jesus Christ for deliverance.

[John Weaver] It's not going to come from our flesh. It's not going to come from our determination. It's going to come only, only from the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His grace. It is His mercy. Fight the good fight of faith. That's what the Apostle Paul told Timothy. We cannot give in, we cannot give up, we cannot give out, and we must strive to be holy and godly, depending upon the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Father, in thy name we pray to thee this day. We ask you for your grace, for your mercy, for your help. May we see, Lord, that each of us struggle, but Lord, there is an answer, and that answer is Jesus Christ. The answer is obedience to Jesus Christ, submission to Jesus Christ, and help us, Lord, to determine in our lives that we're going to be as holy and as godly and as obedient as we can be by your infinite grace and mercy in Christ Jesus. We commit ourselves unto thee and ask you to establish our thoughts, direct our steps, order our ways, and make us, Lord, pleasing unto thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] you you

My Worst Enemy

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	u59w47CVVx0
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Holiness and Obedience
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-02-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 135: Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification - Volume 2 — Chapter 35
Source Timed Segments	88

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: Everyone Has Enemies

Weaver opens by stating that everyone has enemies, sharing personal experiences of slander and threats, often from fellow Christians. He notes that enemies can appear as friends and that God's people have always had adversaries.

Romans chapter 7, and we're going to be reading verses 18 through 25. I will tell you that the messages I have for the next two Sundays are very, very important.

And I would trust that each one would be able to really hear and to grasp what I want to convey. I think we're living in desperate times, and these are going to be desperate messages. So, Romans chapter 7, the title of the message today is, "My Worst Enemy." Notice, if you would, Romans 7, beginning there with verse 18, the apostle said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:18-25

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Enemies. The truth of the matter is everyone has enemies. An enemy is an adversary. And so today I want to tell you about my worst enemy. I've had a number of enemies over the years, but one stands out above them all. And yes, the truth of the matter is, like many people, I have been slandered, I've been threatened, I've been lied about, I've been blackballed.

And the sad part is, most of that has been from Christians, and especially other pastors as well. The truth of the matter is, and most people cannot really believe it, but it is true, that preachers can be just as unkind, unloving, uncaring, and downright hateful, just like any other individual. And moreover, usually what it is over is they are defending their positions. And if you don't agree with their positions and their determinations, then of course, they're going to act very tyrannical and very hateful toward you as well.

But enemies are not always obvious. Oftentimes enemies appear as friends, associates, and fellow workers. Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ had his Judas, and of course, Julius Caesar had his Brutus. George Washington had his Benedict Arnold. The country of Norway had its Quisling, and of course Jesse James had his Robert Ford. Enemies do not always seek physical harm, but they do seek harm, that is for sure.

Biblical Examples of Enemies

He traces the first uses of 'enemy' and 'enemies' in Scripture, showing that God's people have always faced opposition, from Pharaoh to the captors of Lot. He emphasizes that enmity was prophesied in Genesis 3:15.

And the kiss of an enemy can be just as deadly as a blow from an enemy. In fact, the Bible says in Proverbs 27 and verse 6,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:6

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

So it would be a wise thing for you to do just to take the word enemy and the word enemies and run them down through the Bible and see how many scriptures there are in relationship to this subject. It may really surprise you and astound you at how many times the word enemy and enemies appears in the Bible. The very first time that the word enemy in the singular appears is found in the book of Exodus chapter 15, and it relates there in verse 6 to Pharaoh. In fact, there Israel is rejoicing over the defeat of Pharaoh, and they sing this, "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy." And of course, the enemy there refers to Pharaoh and, of course, his army.

Now, the very first time the word enemies, plural, is found in the Bible, it's found in the book of Genesis chapter 14 and verse 20. And it's in relationship then to those men who captured Lot and his family and carried them away. And when Abram armed his 318 trained servants, fighting men in his house, and recaptured Lot and everyone, and then, of course, it was Melchizedek who came out to meet him. And Melchizedek said this, "And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." And then, of course, the rest of that verse, that he, Abram, gave him tithes of all, that is, to Melchizedek. Now, so the word enemies and the word enemy, the very first time they occur, happen to occur in relationship to the people of God. And in other words, God's people do indeed have enemies.

In fact, this truth is also enunciated in what is known as the Protoevangelium. The Protoevangelium happens to be the first promise of the Messiah in the Bible. And you'll find that in Genesis 3, verse 15, where the Lord is pronouncing a curse upon the serpent. He said this,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:15

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

So the enmity was not just between the serpent and the woman, but also between the woman's seed and the serpent's seed as well.

So obviously and clearly, from the very outset, from the beginning, we do indeed have enemies, that is for sure. Now, it's absolutely naive in one sense of the word to think that we don't have enemies. It's also naive to think that, well, I want to be holy, I want to be righteous, I want to be obedient, and therefore I don't expect to have enemies. No. The truth of the matter is you're going to have enemies just because you are saved and just because you want to be holy and righteous.

Christians Will Be Hated by the World

Weaver cites John 15 and 1 Peter 4 to explain that the world hates Christians because they are chosen out of the world and do not participate in sinful practices.

Our Lord said in John chapter 15, listen to this,

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-21

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own."

Listen,

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-21

"but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

And then he went on to say,

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-21

"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord." "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also."

So he said,

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-21

"But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me."

So he said, the world is going to hate you just simply because I've chosen you out of the world. Not only that, oftentimes the world will hate us and speak evil of us just because we're different, just because we do not do those things that they do. For instance, Peter said in 1 Peter 4 and verse 4, "Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." So, they speak evil because you don't want to get drunk, you don't want to commit adultery, you don't want to steal, you don't want to defraud someone, and they're going to speak evil of you. That's what he said. They think it's strange.

In other words, you don't want to do what they are doing. So, in one sense of the word, it should not be counted strange that Christians have enemies. However, some people do indeed think it's strange that pastors have enemies. You know, it's almost funny in one sense of the word. When you study the Scripture, you will find that God's true preachers have always been hated and despised. And those false prophets that prophesy lies are always loved and respected.

True Preachers Are Often Despised

Using Jeremiah 18 and 26, and 1 Kings 21 (Elijah and Ahab), he illustrates that God's true messengers have always been hated, while false prophets are loved.

Jeremiah found this out to the nth degree. So let me show you, hold Romans chapter 7 if you would, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 18, and then we're going to go to Jeremiah chapter 26. I want you to look at this, Jeremiah chapter 18 and verse 18. It's strange how the world loves those false prophets that speak lies, that pamper the flesh, that pumps pride into their lives, and they hate those that speak the truth. So in Jeremiah chapter 18 and verse 18, look what they said concerning Jeremiah.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:18

"Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words."

We're not going to listen to him.

We will lie about him. We will slander him. We will destroy him. Everything he says is completely untrue. We're not going to listen to him. Well, if you look in Jeremiah chapter 26, beginning there with verse 8, you'll see how desperate it did get because Jeremiah is preaching. And look what happens in Jeremiah chapter 26, beginning there with verse 8. Look at it. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 26:8-9

"Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD."

Isn't that amazing? They not only hated Jeremiah, not only wanted to slander and lie about him, but they were actually going to murder him as well.

So the point I'm trying to make is, God's true preachers have always been counted enemies of those who do not love the truth and do not want the truth. Now let me give you one more illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 21. 1 Kings chapter 21. So it's not just simply the people, and it's not just simply the prophets and the priests, but it also happens to be rulers. Note if you would, Ahab has murdered Naboth and his sons so that he could steal the garden that Naboth had. And of course you say, Ahab did not personally kill Naboth. No, he did not. But Jezebel sent letters, and of course she had it done, and she stamped it with the king's seal. And so God charges him with murdering Naboth. But if you will look in 1 Kings chapter 21, beginning there with verse 17, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 21:17-20

"And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine."

Look at this next verse.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 21:17-20

"And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?"

And he answered, "I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD." But note, Ahab was unabashed in calling the man of God his enemy. "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" Now, the truth of the matter is this, we all have enemies. We do not need any more enemies of our own making. Let me explain what I mean by that. We do not need enemies due to our own arrogance, insolence, incivility, thoughtlessness, and forgetfulness. Ah, we've been unkind. We've been uncivil.

Avoid Making Unnecessary Enemies

Weaver warns against creating enemies through arrogance or unkindness, but notes that biblical principles may require separation from false teachers, citing 2 John 7-11.

Now, so let me put it to you like this. We should never be unkind or uncivil to anyone unless there is a biblical principle involved. There are some that you cannot be kind unto. There are some that you cannot be civil unto. You say, what are you talking about? Well, look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of 2 John. 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John. Look at it, if you would. 2nd John, and we will begin reading there with verse 7. Here are some folks that you cannot be civil to, you cannot be kind unto, you cannot even have them in your house. Notice, if you would, 2nd John, verse 7.

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." So if someone does not believe that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, if someone does not believe that Jesus Christ is God, he is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look in verse 8. "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." Here it is, very plain. "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." So, when someone comes to my house, knocking on the door, wanting to speak to me and wanting to teach me and show me something from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and they do not believe that Jesus Christ is God, God says, I cannot have them in my house, nor can I bid them God speed. If I even say, "God bless you," then He says, I am partaker of their evil deeds.

I'm just pointing out the fact, unless there is a biblical principle involved, there's no reason to be unkind to anyone and to make an enemy just because we want to make an enemy. But the truth of the matter is, we do have enemies. And enemies may even include, listen to me, enemies may even include God's elect who are not yet saved. You remember that passage in Romans 11 in verse 28, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 11:28

"As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes."

The Worst Enemy Is Self

He reveals that his worst enemy is himself, quoting Luther, Pink, and Spurgeon. He then expounds Romans 7:18-25, explaining that the flesh (the principle of sin) houses no good thing and prevents perfect holiness.

Now, as bad as some of these people are, they're not my worst enemy. I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me. Or to say it more correctly, it is I myself. And I'm going to show you this from the Scripture. But it was Martin Luther, the reformer, who was asked who was the worst pope. And Professor Martin Luther, when he was asked which pope had caused him the most trouble, responded like this, "The Pope who sits on the throne in my heart, no Pope in Rome has caused me as much trouble as I have caused myself." Arthur W. Pink wrote many years ago, "One of the reasons we don't like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves." Charles Haddon Spurgeon, when he had built the tabernacle up to 5,000 members, was asked by someone which member had caused him the most trouble. And Spurgeon answered, "Charles Spurgeon."

And the man said, "What? You mean to tell me you have another man in your congregation with the same name as yours?" And Spurgeon replied, "No, I refer to myself. No one has given me more trouble than I've given myself." And that is a fact. And this is exactly what Romans chapter 7 is actually teaching us. I'm going to point this out before I get started. Look in verse 18. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." I'm going to stop right there. When you see the word flesh in the Bible, you have to understand that the word flesh is used at least four different ways. The Greek word for flesh is sarx. And it doesn't matter what the word is, and it's sarx. It's the context that determines how the word flesh is used. So sometimes the word flesh refers then basically to all humanity. For instance, in Isaiah 40, the Bible says, "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

Now listen carefully,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:5-8

"The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

Now that passage from Isaiah 40 is repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter 1 and verse 24 when the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:5-8

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away."

So sometimes the word flesh refers to all humanity. Secondly, sometimes the word flesh just simply refers to the human body. Remember it was in Job chapter 19 where Job was making his great confession of faith. And he said, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." He said, "I shall see him in my flesh," that is, in my body. So in that instance, the word flesh refers to the body. And then sometimes the word flesh just simply refers to what you and I would call meat. I've heard people say, "Give me some flesh to eat."

They're talking about a steak normally. But the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 39,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."

So sometimes the word flesh refers to all humanity, sometimes it refers to the body, sometimes it refers to meat, and if you look in Romans chapter 7, here's the fourth time, and here is where the word flesh refers to the principle of sin. That's why he said in verse 18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." Now, the phrase "no good thing" indicates that there is absolutely nothing pure, upright, honorable, decent, agreeable, and pleasing to God in and of ourselves. Let that sink in. There's nothing in our flesh that's pleasing to God. In fact, the truth of the matter is, our flesh, that is the principle of sin, hates God. If you look in Romans chapter 8, beginning there with verse 5, watch carefully. He says, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit."

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:5-8

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

So it's impossible in our fleshly body to please God in and out of and from our own flesh because our flesh has involved in it the principle of sin. Now, I want you to go back to Romans chapter 7 and look at verse 18. Watch this. "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Now, if you look in verse 19, he says, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." So in verse 18 it is the flesh, in verse 19 it is the evil, and in verse 20 it is sin. Moreover, what the apostle is saying that good, the good that he intends to do and wants to do, he does not, his flesh cannot accomplish it. Now, it is true, according to Romans chapter 6, that our old man has been crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's also true that we're new creatures in Jesus Christ.

The Internal Conflict and the Mind as Battlefield

Weaver describes the struggle between the desire for holiness and the indwelling sin, using the illustration of a dead man tied to a living one. He emphasizes that the mind is the primary battleground and that victory comes only through Jesus Christ.

It is also true that Romans 6 tells us that we are to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ. However, we are still in the flesh. That is, there are propensities, there are inclinations, there are desires, there are old habits, there are old ways, there are old thoughts. All of these have to be dealt with. John Trapp, one of the old Puritans, said it like this. Listen carefully. He said, "Corruption is, though dejected from its regency, that is its throne, corruption is, though dejected from its regency, is not yet ejected from its inherency, it intermingleth with the best of our works." So he says, while sin is no longer on the throne, it is not out of the body, it's not out of the flesh, it is still here. So what he is saying is basically Romans 6 and verse 12, where he says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." He did not say, "Let not sin therefore be in your mortal bodies." It's there. But he said, "Don't let it reign, because Jesus Christ has destroyed the power of sin, the kingship of sin, the lordship of sin, and it is not to reign." So sin is in us, but it is not to reign.

Now here's what Spurgeon said on this verse, listen carefully. He said, "Oh, how often have men been struggling after holiness, had to use these words of the apostle. The more holy they become, the more they realize that there is still something better beyond them after which they struggle, but to which they cannot yet attain, so still they cry, 'The good we would, we do not, but the evil which we would not, that we do.'" So what he is saying is very simple. We want to live holy. We want to live godly. We want to live obedient. We do not want to sin. And yet the stronger we desire to be holy and righteous, it seems like the more the flesh acts up, this principle of sin exposes itself.

Now, sin is in the body, but it's not to be controlled because sin has been dethroned. But yet, on the other hand, it is still trying to regain the throne, so to speak. So here's a very important point, and I want you to listen carefully. He said in Romans 7 and verse 18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." In other words, because of the principle of sin, there can be no perfection in the flesh. We cannot be perfect because of the principle of sin.

Now look what he said. I'm going to expound this just for a moment. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Now the word perform actually means to accomplish. It means to achieve. It means to work out with the desired results. So look what he said now. He said, "For to will is present with me." In other words, I want to do what's right. I want to be holy. "But how to perform that which is good I find not."

Now let me give you a quote from Martin Luther on this. He said it like this. "But because we cannot accomplish the perfection in this corruptible flesh, he said to the Romans, 'To will is present with me, but how to accomplish what is good I find not.' Or, as the Greek codices have it, 'To will is present with me, but not to accomplish the good.' In other words, it is not present with me to accomplish the good. He does not say 'to do,' but 'to accomplish the good.' For to do good is not to go after lust, but to accomplish the good is to not lust at all." So he's saying, I've got the desire, but I don't have the power in the flesh to accomplish that desire. Now, if you look in verse 18 again, he says, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." The little word "for" should make you hearken back to verse 17. He says, "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

So when he says, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing," he's saying it's no good thing in it simply because of sin. So the principle of sin causes us to not be able to accomplish what we want to accomplish in the flesh. You remember that passage in 1 Corinthians 15, in verse 50, where we were told that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. And the reason it can't inherit it is because of corruption. Now, Paul demonstrates this principle again in Galatians 3. You have to understand in the book of Galatians, these people were wanting to go back into Judaism. They were wanting to go back into legalism. And so Paul asked them in Galatians 3 and verse 3, he said,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 3:3

"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

And he said,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 3:3

"You're not going to be made perfect by the flesh. It's impossible."

Now, I want you to look in Romans 7 and verse 18 again.

I'm just trying to show you my worst enemy and your worst enemy. Look in verse 18. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." In my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The word dwelleth is from the Greek word oikeo, which is a verb. The noun is oikos. The word oikos means a house. So literally what he said in verse 18 is this, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) is housed no good thing." Why? Because the principle of sin is housed in our flesh.

Now thankfully, there's something else housed in us as well. If you look in Romans 8 and verse 9, Romans 8. Let's see. I've got Romans 8 and verse 9. Let me check it out. Yes. He says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you."

"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Now, he said, "if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you," and the word dwell there is oikeo. It's the same Greek word as sin dwelling in us. So in one sense, you have the principle of sin still in the flesh, but you also now in the new man, you have the principle of the Holy Spirit who is housed in us as well. So here's the conflict. And this is what Paul is trying to give us in Romans chapter 7. I want to be holy. I want to be godly. I want to be obedient. I want the mind of Jesus Christ. And yet as I desire those things and want those things and I struggle after those things, there's something that remains in me that fights against that left and right.

Now, here is what Charles Hodge wrote years ago on this passage. I want you to listen very carefully for what he said is very true. And he's using this verse. "It is not I, but sin that dwelleth in me." He says this, "This doctrine of sin as indwelling is irreconcilable with the assumption that sin consists exclusively in acts of the will or even the widest sense of the term involuntary action." Let me just stop right there. He's not through, but what he's just got through saying, it's not just an act of the will. It's not just a voluntary action that is sin. Let me continue. "An indwelling act is a solecism." The word solecism refers to a breach of good manners, an error, an inconsistency, an impropriety. So he says an indwelling act is a solecism. I'm going to continue. "Sin in this, as in so many other places of Scripture, is presented as an abiding state of mind."

"a disposition of principle manifesting itself in acts. It is this that gives sin its power. We have measurably power over our acts, but over our imminent principles, we have no direct control. They master us and not we them. Herein consists our bondage to sin. And as the power of an indwelling principle is increased by exercise, so the strength of sin is increased by every voluntary evil act. No act is isolated. Nothing is more dangerous than the erroneous opinion that an evil act can stand alone, or that a man can commit one sin and then stop. All evil is concatenated, that is, linked as a chain together. And every sin increases the power of the indwelling corruption in a fearful progression until sooner than the sinner dreams of his head swims and he's plunged into the abyss." So, I'm just saying that sin is more than just simply an act of the will. Sin is more than simply a voluntary act. And he said, you're absolutely deceived if you think that you can sin one time and then stop.

It's impossible. Because every act of sin then strengthens the principle of sin. So sin then pervades our being, it pervades our mind, so that the whole man is corrupt, even the mind as well. So let me give you an illustration of what I'm trying to talk about. I'm going to ask you some questions, and I already know the answer to the first question. Okay? Here's the first question. Have you ever prayed? And of course the answer is yes. Have you ever had trouble concentrating in prayer? Have you ever gone to sleep in prayer? Or gotten drowsy in prayer? Have you ever had vain, evil, wicked thoughts when you were praying? Have you ever noticed how easily you're distracted in prayer? Have you ever noticed that when you're reading your Bible or studying your Bible, all of a sudden, you think of a multitude of things that you have to do?

And not only you have to do them, but they are so pressing upon you that you almost have to just close your Bible and get up and do what you need to do. Yeah. How about this? How about listening to the Word of God as it's being taught and as it's being preached? Does your mind wander? Do you concentrate on other things? Are you sitting there planning what your next meal is going to be? Are you sitting there thinking about all the work you've got to do next week?

How is it that whenever we are trying to do anything that's spiritual, honest, good, and holy, we have trouble concentrating? Do you really hear the Word of God? I mean, do you really, really, really hear the Word of God? And how is it that when you plan to do something that is good, righteous, and holy, a dozen things intervene and try to stop you so that you cannot accomplish your purpose? And if you're a Christian, the answer is a yes to all of these things. Why? And the answer is because our minds still have the principle of sin. On the other hand, have you ever noticed that when your sin is pleasing to your flesh, you're not ever interrupted? You don't ever get interrupted watching a ball game or playing games. Or doing what you really, really like to do. What pleases your flesh. What pleases you. You don't get interrupted. You don't have problems concentrating.

My father-in-law liked to play chess. And I used to play with him. And he was a quiet man anyhow. He hardly said one sentence to me until after Alice and I got married. But I would sit down and play chess with him. And he would sit there and stare at that board and concentrate and concentrate. And finally, I'd look up at him and I'd say, "Pop, say something, anything, just say something," you know. But, you know, when you're enjoying things like that, you don't get distracted. Isn't that amazing?

What is happening is this. We have the exact same problem the Apostle Paul had. So every time you have a desire to be holy and godly and obedient, your flesh, this evil principle of sin, is going to fight against that. Now let me show you. Let's go back to Romans chapter 7 and look in verse 18. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) is housed no good thing. For to will is present with me." I really want it. "But how to perform that which is good I find not." I can't do it in the flesh. "For the good that I would I do not."

"But the evil which I would not, that I do." In other words, that principle wants to be satisfied. "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it." In other words, I really don't want to do it. "But sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." Have you ever stopped to think about that? Even when you're praying, evil is present with you. There's enough sin in our prayers to damn us. You know, our prayers are not perfect. So he said, "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

And then he says this. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." So the interesting thing is this struggle that the apostle is having is likened in verse 24 to him being tied to a dead man when he said, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

Applications: No Perfection in This Life, Fight the Good Fight

He concludes that no one is perfectly sanctified in this life, but believers must not excuse sin. The mind must be renewed, and deliverance is found by looking to Christ. He calls for reliance on grace and the Spirit to resist sin.

And I've told you this before, and you should remember it. But the illustration is when, in earlier times, when a murderer was captured, and the murdered man was still unburied, they would take the man that he murdered and tie him face to face, stomach to stomach, hand to hand, leg to leg, foot to foot, the dead man to the living man, until the worms from the dead man ate the living man, and killed him, or until he starved, or until he perished for lack of water. But this is what the Apostle Paul is giving this illustration. He said, I'm carrying around a dead man, because our old man in Adam has been crucified in Jesus Christ. So we're actually carrying around a dead man.

Now, so, here's the question, what is the answer? Well, he said in verse 25, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." So here's the perfect answer. The perfect answer is, we'll be absolutely, totally and completely free from this dead man when we die and when we're glorified and have a new glorified body. Because there'll be no sin, no evil desires, no wickedness. Nothing impure and unclean will enter into the presence of God.

So there will be none of that. That is the perfect answer. But you're going to say, "But I'm not yet glorified. I'm still around. So what is the answer for me right now?" Well, He still gives you the answer when He says, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Let me give you what Spurgeon said on this verse. Listen carefully. He hits the nail on the head and he says this, "What a mercy it is that the Lord Jesus Christ has struck a deadly blow at our sin. He's broken the head of it. It is a monster and has immense vitality, but it is a broken back, broken leg and broken headed monster. There it is."

"It lies hissing, smiting, and writhing, capable of doing us much mischief. But he that has wounded it will smite it again and again, until at last it shall utterly die." When I read that quote, I thought of a number of rattlesnakes that I've killed. Alice oftentimes is out in the yard, and I'm inside studying. She'll call me on the phone and she'll say, "Bring your Glock, there's a snake out here." So I always jokingly say, "Really? Yes. How much ammunition do I need?" And she laughed, "Just one round, just come on." But you know what I found? I've killed a number of them with one round right through the head. But there, the last one I killed, it took three rounds through the head. And the first one was dead center. And you know what that snake was doing? Writhing, hissing, rattling. He was dying. If I had not pumped two more rounds in him, he would have died. But guess what?

If I had stuck my hand down there, he would have still bit me. This is exactly what he's talking about. Our old man has been crucified in Christ, and yet at the same time as he's dying, he's still writhing and spitting and hissing and doing everything he can to keep us from being holy and righteous and godly. The Apostle Paul says our only victory is through the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember that passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 57 when he said, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Thanks be unto Him. You know, our victory over our sin, our victory over our fleshly thoughts, our victory over our fleshly desires, our victory over our wicked and vile desires, all of this is found only in Jesus Christ. Let me show you.

I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Galatians, chapter 5, and look, if you would, at verses 16 and 17. Galatians, chapter 5, verses 16 and 17. You remember when our Lord was about to go away, He told His disciples, "If I go away, I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." Then He said, "I will send the Spirit unto you." So the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father and God the Son. And the Bible tells us in Galatians 5 in verse 16,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:16-17

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

Walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit never leads us contrary to the Word of God. He always leads us in obedience to the Word of God. He says,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:16-17

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."

Wow. So when you and I do that which is normal, natural, fleshly, we sin against God. It's when we do not do that which is normal, natural, fleshly, that we're obedient to God. So if someone slaps me, the very first desire I have is to slap them back. Somebody cusses me, the flesh wants to cuss him back. See, this is what he's saying. If you walk in the Spirit, you're not going to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Why? The flesh lusts against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh.

They're contrary to one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. Moreover, listen to this. The Bible says in Philippians 2 and verse 5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." In Ephesians 4, I think it's verse 17, he said, "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." Since this principle of sin deals with our minds, you understand this, I know. You can't do one thing without first thinking about it. Do you understand that? I could say, well I'm going to pick up that phone, but I can't pick it up until I already think about it. I could say, I'm going to slap Clay upside the head, but I can't slap him upside the head until I already think it. You follow that? This is why it is the mind that is in reality the real true battleground.

Now, Charles Hodge said it like this, listen carefully. "The feeling of helplessness is not only consistent with a sense of acknowledgement of accountability, but is always found united with genuine self-condemnation and penitence." Let me just stop right there. Do you realize the more holy you wish to be, the more godly you wish to be, the more spiritual you wish to be, the more wretched you see yourself to be? And the more you want to repent, because you see how wicked you really truly are. And you know, you think, "Oh God, oh God, how could I love you and think these thoughts? How in the world, Lord, could I be praying to you and have these rude, wicked, vain thoughts run through my mind? Lord, I'm so wicked." This is what he's saying. You cannot really have a desire to be holy without at the same time recognizing your own wretchedness, and I will say it like this, the more holy you become, the more wretched you see yourself.

He goes on, "There are in general a few stronger indications of ignorance of the power and evil of sin than the confident assertion of our ability to resist and subdue it." In other words, he's saying that's complete ignorance to say, "I can control this." It's just like someone saying, "I can take this meth, I can take this drugs, this dope one time and that's it." No, no, no, no. You're stupid if you think that. Think about the people who took that stuff one time and it killed them. I'm just simply saying this is what he's saying. He says, "Paul groaned beneath its bondage as if it held him in a loathsome embrace of the body of death. The apostle's object, therefore, is not to apologize for sin, but to show that the experience detailed in Romans 7 is consistent with his being a Christian."

"It is true that I really approve and love the law and desire to be conformed to it. I'm no longer the willing slave of sin. To the depth and power of the original evil is to be attributed to the fact that I am not entirely delivered from its influence." In other words, the old man has been crucified, but there's still that writhing, slithering, spitting, rattling snake around. He goes on to say, "This is obviously connected with the main object of the whole passage, for if sin remains and exerts its power notwithstanding our disapproval, and in despite of all of our efforts, it is clear that we must look for deliverance to something outside of ourselves, and that the mere perceptive power of the law cannot remove the evil." In other words, there's nothing that we can do in our flesh. There's nothing that we can do in being more obedient that will get rid of this. The only thing that we can do is look beyond ourselves and outside of ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, I want you to turn, if you would, to the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. I want you to look at this because I get calls from Christians all of the time, and they tell me, "Brother Weaver, I'm fighting, I'm fighting. I get so tired of fighting. I don't understand where these thoughts come from." And I surprise them and I say, "Well, number one, congratulations, because you're finding out really what it means to be a Christian and fight against sin. But," I said, "you really haven't fought as much as you really could." I'm going to show you what I'm talking about.

But you know, the same thing hits me. And I think, "Lord, where in the world did that thought come from? Lord, I hate that. I don't want that. I refuse. Where did it come from?" It came from that principle of sin.

Now look what he said. Hebrews chapter 12, watch if you would please, beginning there in verse 2. The Bible says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." I want to bring a message on that one day soon. He said you better consider him and everything that he endured, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Here it is. "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." How many of you have actually bled fighting against sin? Not one. Not one. So the apostle is saying until we actually bleed fighting against sin, we really haven't fought against sin the way we should.

You have to remember this too. There is no perfection in this life. What did the Apostle Paul say? "I die" how often? Tell me, daily. Sometimes it's hourly, sometimes it's minute by minute. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact that there is this principle of sin and we have to fight against it. Let me make some applications. The first one should be extremely obvious. Number one, no man is perfectly sanctified in this life. You may desire perfection, you may strive for perfection, you may want it, you may pray for it, but you will never ever have it in this life. That does not mean that we can excuse our sins, does not mean that we can give up, does not mean that we can quit, does not mean that we can just say, "Well, I'm a sinner and I'm going to sin."

No, no, no, not at all whatsoever. But it just simply means that we're not going to reach perfection in our flesh or in our works. We're just not going to do it. John Calvin said it like this, "This is not the pleading of one excusing himself as though he was blameless as the cases with many triflers who think that they have a sufficient defense to cover all their wickedness when they cast the blame upon the flesh. But it is a declaration by which he shows how very far he dissented from his own flesh in his spiritual feeling. For the faithful are carried along in their obedience to God with such fervor of spirit that they deny the flesh." In other words, when those evil thoughts come in your mind, you have to say, "I hate it. I'm not going to have it. I'm not going to think on that. I will place my mind upon the Lord Jesus Christ. I will place my mind upon the Word of God. I'll think of the promises. I'll think of anything else. Or I'll do what the apostles said, 'Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.'" We don't have to think about those thoughts. Now, I've used this before, and I'm going to use it one more time. Please understand this.

Here's an old adage I heard since I was a boy. "You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair." What does that mean? The flesh can throw thoughts in your mind like lightning. You can't stop that. Those thoughts come with lightning-like speed and they're there before you realize it. But you do not have to retain those thoughts. You do not have to keep those thoughts. You do not have to meditate upon those thoughts. You can refuse those thoughts, and you do not have to think about those thoughts.

So that brings you to the second application, and you should know it by now. The mind is the battlefield. And the real man, this is what the Apostle Paul is saying in Romans chapter 7, the real man is the man that he is in Jesus Christ, not the man that he was in the old Adam. Although the old Adam still has some propensities, he's still writhing, he's still rattling, he's still hissing, and he's still spitting, but our Lord is going to continue to stomp him and put him to death. And we'll do so in our glorification. Now, that means this. Romans 12, 1 and 2. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." That's why He said, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." We have to learn to look to Jesus Christ for deliverance.

It's not going to come from our flesh. It's not going to come from our determination. It's going to come only, only from the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His grace. It is His mercy. Fight the good fight of faith. That's what the Apostle Paul told Timothy. We cannot give in, we cannot give up, we cannot give out, and we must strive to be holy and godly, depending upon the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, in thy name we pray to thee this day. We ask you for your grace, for your mercy, for your help. May we see, Lord, that each of us struggle, but Lord, there is an answer, and that answer is Jesus Christ. The answer is obedience to Jesus Christ, submission to Jesus Christ, and help us, Lord, to determine in our lives that we're going to be as holy and as godly and as obedient as we can be by your infinite grace and mercy in Christ Jesus. We commit ourselves unto thee and ask you to establish our thoughts, direct our steps, order our ways, and make us, Lord, pleasing unto thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Believer's Worst Enemy Is Indwelling Sin

Summary: The primary enemy of the Christian is not external people or circumstances, but the principle of sin that remains in the flesh, causing internal conflict and preventing perfect holiness.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me.' He then expounds Romans 7:18, 'For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.'

The Flesh as the Principle of Sin

Summary: The word 'flesh' in Romans 7 refers not to the physical body or humanity in general, but to the indwelling principle of sin that opposes God and cannot please Him.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'the word flesh refers to the principle of sin... there is absolutely nothing pure, upright, honorable, decent, agreeable, and pleasing to God in and of ourselves.'

The Inevitability of Enemies for God's People

Summary: Christians will inevitably face enemies because they are chosen out of the world and live differently, and true preachers have always been hated for speaking the truth.

Evidence: Weaver cites John 15:18-19 and 1 Peter 4:4, and gives examples from Jeremiah and Elijah.

The Mind as the Battleground

Summary: The conflict with sin primarily takes place in the mind, where evil thoughts intrude. Believers must actively reject sinful thoughts and renew their minds according to God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'the mind is the battlefield... You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair.'

Deliverance Only Through Jesus Christ

Summary: Victory over indwelling sin is not achieved by human effort or determination but solely through the grace and power of Jesus Christ, who has already defeated sin.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Romans 7:25, 'I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord,' and Spurgeon's illustration of sin as a wounded monster that Christ will ultimately destroy.

No Perfection in This Life

Summary: Believers will never achieve sinless perfection in this life; the struggle with sin continues until glorification, but this is not an excuse for sinning.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'no man is perfectly sanctified in this life... you will never ever have it in this life.'

Key Arguments

Sin is an indwelling principle, not just voluntary acts

Summary: Sin is not merely a series of willful actions but a corrupt principle residing in the flesh that influences thoughts and desires, making it impossible to achieve holiness by self-effort.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Charles Hodge: 'Sin in this, as in so many other places of Scripture, is presented as an abiding state of mind... a disposition of principle manifesting itself in acts.'

The more one desires holiness, the more wretched one feels

Summary: A genuine desire for godliness leads to a deeper awareness of one's own sinfulness, producing humility and repentance rather than self-righteousness.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'the more holy you become, the more wretched you see yourself.'

The flesh and the Spirit are in constant opposition

Summary: Galatians 5:17 teaches that the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to each other, so believers cannot simply do whatever they want; they must walk in the Spirit to overcome fleshly desires.

Evidence: Weaver reads Galatians 5:16-17 and explains, 'If you walk in the Spirit, you're not going to fulfill the lust of the flesh.'

The old man is crucified but still active

Summary: Although the old man has been crucified with Christ, sin remains like a dying snake that can still bite; believers must continue to fight it until final glorification.

Evidence: Weaver uses Spurgeon's quote: 'It is a monster... a broken back, broken leg and broken headed monster... capable of doing us much mischief.'

External enemies are real but secondary to internal sin

Summary: While Christians face persecution and slander from the world and false brethren, the most dangerous enemy is the sin within, which requires constant vigilance.

Evidence: Weaver transitions from discussing external enemies to stating, 'as bad as some of these people are, they're not my worst enemy. I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me.'

Scripture References

Romans 7:18-25

Context: The primary text of the sermon, describing the internal conflict between the desire to do good and the indwelling sin.

Proverbs 27:6

Context: Cited to show that the kisses of an enemy are deceitful, while the wounds of a friend are faithful.

Exodus 15:6

Context: The first occurrence of 'enemy' in the Bible, referring to Pharaoh, showing God's power over His people's enemies.

Genesis 14:20

Context: The first occurrence of 'enemies' (plural), referring to those who captured Lot, showing God delivers His people's enemies into their hand.

Genesis 3:15

Context: The Protoevangelium, where God puts enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between their seeds, establishing ongoing conflict.

John 15:18-21

Context: Jesus teaches that the world will hate believers because they are not of the world, just as it hated Him.

1 Peter 4:4

Context: The world speaks evil of Christians because they do not join in the same excess of riot.

Jeremiah 18:18

Context: The people plot against Jeremiah, planning to smite him with the tongue and ignore his words.

Jeremiah 26:8-9

Context: The priests and prophets seize Jeremiah and threaten to kill him for prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem.

1 Kings 21:17-20

Context: Ahab calls Elijah his enemy after Elijah confronts him about murdering Naboth.

2 John 7-11

Context: Believers are not to receive or bid Godspeed to those who do not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, showing there are times to be uncivil.

Romans 11:28

Context: Concerning the gospel, the Jews are enemies for the Gentiles' sake, but as touching election, they are beloved.

Philippians 3:18-19

Context: Paul weeps over those who are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose god is their belly and who mind earthly things.

Isaiah 40:5-8

Context: All flesh is grass, illustrating one use of 'flesh' as all humanity.

1 Peter 1:24

Context: Repeats Isaiah 40, confirming that all flesh is as grass.

Job 19:25-27

Context: Job's confession that in his flesh he shall see God, using 'flesh' to mean the physical body.

1 Corinthians 15:39

Context: All flesh is not the same flesh, referring to different kinds of meat or bodies.

Romans 8:5-8

Context: The carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot please God, showing the flesh's opposition.

Galatians 3:3

Context: Paul rebukes the Galatians for trying to be made perfect by the flesh after beginning in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-17

Context: Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh; the flesh and Spirit are contrary.

Historical References

Martin Luther

Context: Quoted as saying the worst pope was the one on the throne of his own heart, and commenting on Romans 7:18 about the inability to accomplish good.

Arthur W. Pink

Context: Quoted as saying one reason we don't like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Context: Quoted as saying the member who caused him the most trouble was himself, and later quoted on Romans 7:25 about sin as a wounded monster.

John Trapp (Puritan)

Context: Quoted on corruption being dejected from its regency but not ejected from its inherency.

Charles Hodge

Context: Quoted extensively on sin as an indwelling principle and the helplessness of man to overcome it by self-effort.

John Calvin

Context: Quoted on Romans 7, explaining that Paul's words are not an excuse but a declaration of his dissent from the flesh.

Southern Poverty Law Center

Context: Mentioned as an example of a group that hates Christians, Southerners, and patriots; criticized as not truly Southern, not in poverty, and not a law center.

Important Quotes

I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me.

Significance: Central thesis of the sermon, identifying the self as the primary enemy due to indwelling sin.

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Significance: Key verse from Romans 7 that establishes the inability of the flesh to accomplish good.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Significance: Paul's cry of desperation, illustrating the believer's struggle with indwelling sin.

Corruption is, though dejected from its regency, is not yet ejected from its inherency, it intermingleth with the best of our works.

Significance: John Trapp's quote explaining that sin is dethroned but still present in believers.

You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair.

Significance: Adage used to explain that while sinful thoughts may intrude, believers can refuse to dwell on them.

The more holy you become, the more wretched you see yourself.

Significance: Highlights the paradox that growth in holiness leads to deeper awareness of sin.

Discussion Questions

Why does Weaver say that his worst enemy is himself, and how does Romans 7 support this?

Context: Weaver identifies the indwelling principle of sin as the primary enemy, citing Romans 7:18-25.

How does the illustration of the dead man tied to a living person help us understand the believer's struggle with sin?

Context: Weaver explains the ancient punishment to illustrate carrying around the dead old man.

What does it mean that the flesh is the 'principle of sin,' and how does this differ from other uses of 'flesh' in the Bible?

Context: Weaver distinguishes four uses of 'flesh,' focusing on the principle of sin in Romans 7.

According to Weaver, why is the mind the primary battleground in the fight against sin?

Context: He explains that actions begin with thoughts, so renewing the mind is crucial.

How does the quote 'You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair' apply to resisting sinful thoughts?

Context: Weaver uses this adage to teach that while intrusive thoughts may come, we can refuse to entertain them.

Why does Weaver emphasize that there is no perfection in this life, and how should that affect our pursuit of holiness?

Context: He states that perfect sanctification is unattainable now, but this should not lead to complacency.

What role does Jesus Christ play in our deliverance from indwelling sin, both now and in the future?

Context: Weaver points to Christ as the only source of victory, culminating in glorification.

Applications

Recognize that your worst enemy is within

Summary: Acknowledge that the greatest threat to your spiritual life is not external persecution but the indwelling sin that wars against your desire for holiness.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me.'

Fight the battle in the mind

Summary: Actively reject sinful thoughts and renew your mind with Scripture, refusing to let evil thoughts take root.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair.'

Depend on Christ, not self-effort

Summary: Understand that victory over sin comes only through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, not through willpower or legalistic effort.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Romans 7:25 and says, 'our only victory is through the Lord Jesus Christ.'

Do not excuse sin, but do not despair over imperfection

Summary: While perfection is unattainable in this life, believers must continue to strive for holiness without using the flesh as an excuse for sin.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'no man is perfectly sanctified in this life... that does not mean that we can excuse our sins.'

Expect opposition from the world and false brethren

Summary: Be prepared for slander and hatred because of your faith, but do not make unnecessary enemies through unkindness.

Evidence: Weaver cites John 15:18-19 and warns against making enemies through arrogance.

Walk in the Spirit to overcome fleshly desires

Summary: Yield to the Holy Spirit's leading, which always aligns with God's Word, to resist the lusts of the flesh.

Evidence: Weaver reads Galatians 5:16 and explains, 'Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:08:17Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:10:41Z

Clean Transcript

My Worst Enemy

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Romans chapter 7, and we're going to be reading verses 18 through 25. I will tell you that the messages I have for the next two Sundays are very, very important.
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And I would trust that each one would be able to really hear and to grasp what I want to convey. I think we're living in desperate times, and these are going to be desperate messages. So, Romans chapter 7, the title of the message today is, "My Worst Enemy." Notice, if you would, Romans 7, beginning there with verse 18, the apostle said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."
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"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Enemies. The truth of the matter is everyone has enemies. An enemy is an adversary. And so today I want to tell you about my worst enemy. I've had a number of enemies over the years, but one stands out above them all. And yes, the truth of the matter is, like many people, I have been slandered, I've been threatened, I've been lied about, I've been blackballed.
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And the sad part is, most of that has been from Christians, and especially other pastors as well. The truth of the matter is, and most people cannot really believe it, but it is true, that preachers can be just as unkind, unloving, uncaring, and downright hateful, just like any other individual. And moreover, usually what it is over is they are defending their positions. And if you don't agree with their positions and their determinations, then of course, they're going to act very tyrannical and very hateful toward you as well.
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But enemies are not always obvious. Oftentimes enemies appear as friends, associates, and fellow workers. Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ had his Judas, and of course, Julius Caesar had his Brutus. George Washington had his Benedict Arnold. The country of Norway had its Quisling, and of course Jesse James had his Robert Ford. Enemies do not always seek physical harm, but they do seek harm, that is for sure.
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And the kiss of an enemy can be just as deadly as a blow from an enemy. In fact, the Bible says in Proverbs 27 and verse 6, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." So it would be a wise thing for you to do just to take the word enemy and the word enemies and run them down through the Bible and see how many scriptures there are in relationship to this subject. It may really surprise you and astound you at how many times the word enemy and enemies appears in the Bible. The very first time that the word enemy in the singular appears is found in the book of Exodus chapter 15, and it relates there in verse 6 to Pharaoh. In fact, there Israel is rejoicing over the defeat of Pharaoh, and they sing this, "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy." And of course, the enemy there refers to Pharaoh and, of course, his army.
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Now, the very first time the word enemies, plural, is found in the Bible, it's found in the book of Genesis chapter 14 and verse 20. And it's in relationship then to those men who captured Lot and his family and carried them away. And when Abram armed his 318 trained servants, fighting men in his house, and recaptured Lot and everyone, and then, of course, it was Melchizedek who came out to meet him. And Melchizedek said this, "And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." And then, of course, the rest of that verse, that he, Abram, gave him tithes of all, that is, to Melchizedek. Now, so the word enemies and the word enemy, the very first time they occur, happen to occur in relationship to the people of God. And in other words, God's people do indeed have enemies.
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In fact, this truth is also enunciated in what is known as the Protoevangelium. The Protoevangelium happens to be the first promise of the Messiah in the Bible. And you'll find that in Genesis 3, verse 15, where the Lord is pronouncing a curse upon the serpent. He said this, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." So the enmity was not just between the serpent and the woman, but also between the woman's seed and the serpent's seed as well.
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So obviously and clearly, from the very outset, from the beginning, we do indeed have enemies, that is for sure. Now, it's absolutely naive in one sense of the word to think that we don't have enemies. It's also naive to think that, well, I want to be holy, I want to be righteous, I want to be obedient, and therefore I don't expect to have enemies. No. The truth of the matter is you're going to have enemies just because you are saved and just because you want to be holy and righteous.
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Our Lord said in John chapter 15, listen to this, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own." Listen, "but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." And then he went on to say, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord."
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"If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." So he said, "But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." So he said, the world is going to hate you just simply because I've chosen you out of the world. Not only that, oftentimes the world will hate us and speak evil of us just because we're different, just because we do not do those things that they do. For instance, Peter said in 1 Peter 4 and verse 4, "Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." So, they speak evil because you don't want to get drunk, you don't want to commit adultery, you don't want to steal, you don't want to defraud someone, and they're going to speak evil of you. That's what he said. They think it's strange.
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In other words, you don't want to do what they are doing. So, in one sense of the word, it should not be counted strange that Christians have enemies. However, some people do indeed think it's strange that pastors have enemies. You know, it's almost funny in one sense of the word. When you study the Scripture, you will find that God's true preachers have always been hated and despised. And those false prophets that prophesy lies are always loved and respected.
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Jeremiah found this out to the nth degree. So let me show you, hold Romans chapter 7 if you would, but turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 18, and then we're going to go to Jeremiah chapter 26. I want you to look at this, Jeremiah chapter 18 and verse 18. It's strange how the world loves those false prophets that speak lies, that pamper the flesh, that pumps pride into their lives, and they hate those that speak the truth. So in Jeremiah chapter 18 and verse 18, look what they said concerning Jeremiah. "Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words." We're not going to listen to him.
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We will lie about him. We will slander him. We will destroy him. Everything he says is completely untrue. We're not going to listen to him. Well, if you look in Jeremiah chapter 26, beginning there with verse 8, you'll see how desperate it did get because Jeremiah is preaching. And look what happens in Jeremiah chapter 26, beginning there with verse 8. Look at it. The Bible says, "Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD." Isn't that amazing? They not only hated Jeremiah, not only wanted to slander and lie about him, but they were actually going to murder him as well.
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So the point I'm trying to make is, God's true preachers have always been counted enemies of those who do not love the truth and do not want the truth. Now let me give you one more illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings chapter 21. 1 Kings chapter 21. So it's not just simply the people, and it's not just simply the prophets and the priests, but it also happens to be rulers.
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Note if you would, Ahab has murdered Naboth and his sons so that he could steal the garden that Naboth had. And of course you say, Ahab did not personally kill Naboth. No, he did not. But Jezebel sent letters, and of course she had it done, and she stamped it with the king's seal. And so God charges him with murdering Naboth. But if you will look in 1 Kings chapter 21, beginning there with verse 17, the Bible says, "And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." Look at this next verse. "And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?"
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And he answered, "I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD." But note, Ahab was unabashed in calling the man of God his enemy. "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?"
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Now, the truth of the matter is this, we all have enemies. We do not need any more enemies of our own making. Let me explain what I mean by that. We do not need enemies due to our own arrogance, insolence, incivility, thoughtlessness, and forgetfulness. Ah, we've been unkind. We've been uncivil.
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Now, so let me put it to you like this. We should never be unkind or uncivil to anyone unless there is a biblical principle involved. There are some that you cannot be kind unto. There are some that you cannot be civil unto. You say, what are you talking about? Well, look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of 2 John. 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John. Look at it, if you would. 2nd John, and we will begin reading there with verse 7. Here are some folks that you cannot be civil to, you cannot be kind unto, you cannot even have them in your house. Notice, if you would, 2nd John, verse 7.
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"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." So if someone does not believe that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, if someone does not believe that Jesus Christ is God, he is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look in verse 8. "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward."
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Here it is, very plain. "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." So, when someone comes to my house, knocking on the door, wanting to speak to me and wanting to teach me and show me something from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and they do not believe that Jesus Christ is God, God says, I cannot have them in my house, nor can I bid them God speed. If I even say, "God bless you," then He says, I am partaker of their evil deeds.
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I'm just pointing out the fact, unless there is a biblical principle involved, there's no reason to be unkind to anyone and to make an enemy just because we want to make an enemy. But the truth of the matter is, we do have enemies. And enemies may even include, listen to me, enemies may even include God's elect who are not yet saved. You remember that passage in Romans 11 in verse 28, the Bible says, "As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes."
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And then here's a good clear illustration. You remember Saul of Tarsus was one of the greatest enemies of Jesus Christ and of the church until you get to Acts chapter 9, and when he was converted. He became the Apostle Paul and became a great friend, not only of Jesus Christ, but of believers as well. But until then, he was consenting to the death of Stephen. He was hauling men and women and casting them into prison, doing all kinds of things that was contrary to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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So let me put it to you like this. If you think, well, I don't have that many enemies that I know of. Well, if you really want to experience just a little bit of persecution and just a little bit of unjust attacks, if you want to experience just a little bit of being slandered and lied about and have fabrications made against you, well, just let the Southern Poverty Law Center get a hold of your name, as well as the woke movement, the cancel culture, BLM, and Antifa. And while I'm mentioning the Southern Poverty Law Center, may I mention the fact that they're really not Southern, even though they are in Montgomery, Alabama. They're in Montgomery, but they're not southern just because they're in Montgomery, Alabama. And they're certainly not in poverty, and they're certainly not a law center. That is, they're not biblical law, and they're not constitutional law. The only thing really accurate about that name is the word center, because it is a center of wokeism and humanism and all kind of other isms, but it's not a center of Biblicism.
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All I'm saying is, if you are a Christian, if you are a Southerner, if you are a patriot, you're going to be hated by those people. You're going to be despised by those people. That's all there is to it.
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Now, I want to show you what the Apostle Paul says about them. If you look in your Bibles to the book of Philippians chapter 3, Philippians chapter 3, we're talking about people who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who fight against the Lord Jesus Christ. Note, if you would, what the Apostle Paul says. The book of Philippians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Note, if you would, Philippians chapter 3, beginning there with verse 18. The Bible says this, "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." Note, if you would, he said they are actually enemies of the cross of Christ. They're enemies to Jesus Christ. And they glory in their shame. Their God is their belly.
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That is, they just take care of themselves. They could care less about God, Christ, anyone else. They're looking out for old number one.
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Now, as bad as some of these people are, they're not my worst enemy. I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me. Or to say it more correctly, it is I myself. And I'm going to show you this from the Scripture. But it was Martin Luther, the reformer, who was asked who was the worst pope. And Professor Martin Luther, when he was asked which pope had caused him the most trouble, responded like this, "The Pope who sits on the throne in my heart, no Pope in Rome has caused me as much trouble as I have caused myself." Arthur W. Pink wrote many years ago, "One of the reasons we don't like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves." Charles Haddon Spurgeon, when he had built the tabernacle up to 5,000 members, was asked by someone which member had caused him the most trouble. And Spurgeon answered, "Charles Spurgeon."
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And the man said, "What? You mean to tell me you have another man in your congregation with the same name as yours?" And Spurgeon replied, "No, I refer to myself. No one has given me more trouble than I've given myself." And that is a fact. And this is exactly what Romans chapter 7 is actually teaching us. I'm going to point this out before I get started. Look in verse 18.
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He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." I'm going to stop right there. When you see the word flesh in the Bible, you have to understand that the word flesh is used at least four different ways. The Greek word for flesh is sarx. And it doesn't matter what the word is, and it's sarx. It's the context that determines how the word flesh is used. So sometimes the word flesh refers then basically to all humanity. For instance, in Isaiah 40, the Bible says, "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."
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Now listen carefully, "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Now that passage from Isaiah 40 is repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter 1 and verse 24 when the Bible says, "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away." So sometimes the word flesh refers to all humanity. Secondly, sometimes the word flesh just simply refers to the human body.
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Remember it was in Job chapter 19 where Job was making his great confession of faith. And he said, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." He said, "I shall see him in my flesh," that is, in my body. So in that instance, the word flesh refers to the body. And then sometimes the word flesh just simply refers to what you and I would call meat. I've heard people say, "Give me some flesh to eat."
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They're talking about a steak normally. But the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 39, "All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds." So sometimes the word flesh refers to all humanity, sometimes it refers to the body, sometimes it refers to meat, and if you look in Romans chapter 7, here's the fourth time, and here is where the word flesh refers to the principle of sin. That's why he said in verse 18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing."
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Now, the phrase "no good thing" indicates that there is absolutely nothing pure, upright, honorable, decent, agreeable, and pleasing to God in and of ourselves. Let that sink in. There's nothing in our flesh that's pleasing to God. In fact, the truth of the matter is, our flesh, that is the principle of sin, hates God. If you look in Romans chapter 8, beginning there with verse 5, watch carefully. He says, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit."
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"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." So it's impossible in our fleshly body to please God in and out of and from our own flesh because our flesh has involved in it the principle of sin.
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Now, I want you to go back to Romans chapter 7 and look at verse 18. Watch this. "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Now, if you look in verse 19, he says, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." So in verse 18 it is the flesh, in verse 19 it is the evil, and in verse 20 it is sin. Moreover, what the apostle is saying that good, the good that he intends to do and wants to do, he does not, his flesh cannot accomplish it. Now, it is true, according to Romans chapter 6, that our old man has been crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's also true that we're new creatures in Jesus Christ.
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It is also true that Romans 6 tells us that we are to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ. However, we are still in the flesh. That is, there are propensities, there are inclinations, there are desires, there are old habits, there are old ways, there are old thoughts. All of these have to be dealt with. John Trapp, one of the old Puritans, said it like this. Listen carefully.
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He said, "Corruption is, though dejected from its regency, that is its throne, corruption is, though dejected from its regency, is not yet ejected from its inherency, it intermingleth with the best of our works." So he says, while sin is no longer on the throne, it is not out of the body, it's not out of the flesh, it is still here. So what he is saying is basically Romans 6 and verse 12, where he says, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." He did not say, "Let not sin therefore be in your mortal bodies." It's there. But he said, "Don't let it reign, because Jesus Christ has destroyed the power of sin, the kingship of sin, the lordship of sin, and it is not to reign." So sin is in us, but it is not to reign.
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Now here's what Spurgeon said on this verse, listen carefully. He said, "Oh, how often have men been struggling after holiness, had to use these words of the apostle. The more holy they become, the more they realize that there is still something better beyond them after which they struggle, but to which they cannot yet attain, so still they cry, 'The good we would, we do not, but the evil which we would not, that we do.'"
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So what he is saying is very simple. We want to live holy. We want to live godly. We want to live obedient. We do not want to sin. And yet the stronger we desire to be holy and righteous, it seems like the more the flesh acts up, this principle of sin exposes itself.
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Now, sin is in the body, but it's not to be controlled because sin has been dethroned. But yet, on the other hand, it is still trying to regain the throne, so to speak. So here's a very important point, and I want you to listen carefully. He said in Romans 7 and verse 18, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." In other words, because of the principle of sin, there can be no perfection in the flesh. We cannot be perfect because of the principle of sin.
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Now look what he said. I'm going to expound this just for a moment. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."
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Now the word perform actually means to accomplish. It means to achieve. It means to work out with the desired results. So look what he said now. He said, "For to will is present with me." In other words, I want to do what's right. I want to be holy. "But how to perform that which is good I find not."
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Now let me give you a quote from Martin Luther on this. He said it like this. "But because we cannot accomplish the perfection in this corruptible flesh, he said to the Romans, 'To will is present with me, but how to accomplish what is good I find not.' Or, as the Greek codices have it, 'To will is present with me, but not to accomplish the good.' In other words, it is not present with me to accomplish the good. He does not say 'to do,' but 'to accomplish the good.' For to do good is not to go after lust, but to accomplish the good is to not lust at all." So he's saying, I've got the desire, but I don't have the power in the flesh to accomplish that desire. Now, if you look in verse 18 again, he says, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." The little word "for" should make you hearken back to verse 17. He says, "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."
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So when he says, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing," he's saying it's no good thing in it simply because of sin. So the principle of sin causes us to not be able to accomplish what we want to accomplish in the flesh. You remember that passage in 1 Corinthians 15, in verse 50, where we were told that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. And the reason it can't inherit it is because of corruption. Now, Paul demonstrates this principle again in Galatians 3. You have to understand in the book of Galatians, these people were wanting to go back into Judaism. They were wanting to go back into legalism. And so Paul asked them in Galatians 3 and verse 3, he said, "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" And he said, "You're not going to be made perfect by the flesh. It's impossible." Now, I want you to look in Romans 7 and verse 18 again.
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I'm just trying to show you my worst enemy and your worst enemy. Look in verse 18. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." In my flesh dwelleth no good thing. The word dwelleth is from the Greek word oikeo, which is a verb. The noun is oikos. The word oikos means a house. So literally what he said in verse 18 is this, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) is housed no good thing." Why? Because the principle of sin is housed in our flesh.
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Now thankfully, there's something else housed in us as well. If you look in Romans 8 and verse 9, Romans 8. Let's see. I've got Romans 8 and verse 9. Let me check it out. Yes. He says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you."
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"Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Now, he said, "if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you," and the word dwell there is oikeo. It's the same Greek word as sin dwelling in us. So in one sense, you have the principle of sin still in the flesh, but you also now in the new man, you have the principle of the Holy Spirit who is housed in us as well. So here's the conflict.
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And this is what Paul is trying to give us in Romans chapter 7. I want to be holy. I want to be godly. I want to be obedient. I want the mind of Jesus Christ. And yet as I desire those things and want those things and I struggle after those things, there's something that remains in me that fights against that left and right.
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Now, here is what Charles Hodge wrote years ago on this passage. I want you to listen very carefully for what he said is very true. And he's using this verse. "It is not I, but sin that dwelleth in me." He says this, "This doctrine of sin as indwelling is irreconcilable with the assumption that sin consists exclusively in acts of the will or even the widest sense of the term involuntary action."
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Let me just stop right there. He's not through, but what he's just got through saying, it's not just an act of the will. It's not just a voluntary action that is sin. Let me continue. "An indwelling act is a solecism." The word solecism refers to a breach of good manners, an error, an inconsistency, an impropriety. So he says an indwelling act is a solecism. I'm going to continue. "Sin in this, as in so many other places of Scripture, is presented as an abiding state of mind."
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"a disposition of principle manifesting itself in acts. It is this that gives sin its power. We have measurably power over our acts, but over our imminent principles, we have no direct control. They master us and not we them. Herein consists our bondage to sin. And as the power of an indwelling principle is increased by exercise, so the strength of sin is increased by every voluntary evil act. No act is isolated. Nothing is more dangerous than the erroneous opinion that an evil act can stand alone, or that a man can commit one sin and then stop. All evil is concatenated, that is, linked as a chain together. And every sin increases the power of the indwelling corruption in a fearful progression until sooner than the sinner dreams of his head swims and he's plunged into the abyss." So, I'm just saying that sin is more than just simply an act of the will. Sin is more than simply a voluntary act. And he said, you're absolutely deceived if you think that you can sin one time and then stop.
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It's impossible. Because every act of sin then strengthens the principle of sin. So sin then pervades our being, it pervades our mind, so that the whole man is corrupt, even the mind as well. So let me give you an illustration of what I'm trying to talk about. I'm going to ask you some questions, and I already know the answer to the first question. Okay? Here's the first question. Have you ever prayed? And of course the answer is yes. Have you ever had trouble concentrating in prayer? Have you ever gone to sleep in prayer? Or gotten drowsy in prayer? Have you ever had vain, evil, wicked thoughts when you were praying? Have you ever noticed how easily you're distracted in prayer? Have you ever noticed that when you're reading your Bible or studying your Bible, all of a sudden, you think of a multitude of things that you have to do?
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And not only you have to do them, but they are so pressing upon you that you almost have to just close your Bible and get up and do what you need to do. Yeah. How about this? How about listening to the Word of God as it's being taught and as it's being preached? Does your mind wander? Do you concentrate on other things? Are you sitting there planning what your next meal is going to be? Are you sitting there thinking about all the work you've got to do next week?
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How is it that whenever we are trying to do anything that's spiritual, honest, good, and holy, we have trouble concentrating? Do you really hear the Word of God? I mean, do you really, really, really hear the Word of God? And how is it that when you plan to do something that is good, righteous, and holy, a dozen things intervene and try to stop you so that you cannot accomplish your purpose? And if you're a Christian, the answer is a yes to all of these things. Why? And the answer is because our minds still have the principle of sin. On the other hand, have you ever noticed that when your sin is pleasing to your flesh, you're not ever interrupted? You don't ever get interrupted watching a ball game or playing games. Or doing what you really, really like to do. What pleases your flesh. What pleases you. You don't get interrupted. You don't have problems concentrating.
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My father-in-law liked to play chess. And I used to play with him. And he was a quiet man anyhow. He hardly said one sentence to me until after Alice and I got married. But I would sit down and play chess with him. And he would sit there and stare at that board and concentrate and concentrate. And finally, I'd look up at him and I'd say, "Pop, say something, anything, just say something," you know. But, you know, when you're enjoying things like that, you don't get distracted. Isn't that amazing?
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What is happening is this. We have the exact same problem the Apostle Paul had. So every time you have a desire to be holy and godly and obedient, your flesh, this evil principle of sin, is going to fight against that.
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Now let me show you. Let's go back to Romans chapter 7 and look in verse 18. He said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) is housed no good thing. For to will is present with me." I really want it. "But how to perform that which is good I find not." I can't do it in the flesh. "For the good that I would I do not."
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"But the evil which I would not, that I do." In other words, that principle wants to be satisfied.
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"Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it." In other words, I really don't want to do it. "But sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." Have you ever stopped to think about that? Even when you're praying, evil is present with you. There's enough sin in our prayers to damn us. You know, our prayers are not perfect. So he said, "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."
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And then he says this. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." So the interesting thing is this struggle that the apostle is having is likened in verse 24 to him being tied to a dead man when he said, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
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And I've told you this before, and you should remember it. But the illustration is when, in earlier times, when a murderer was captured, and the murdered man was still unburied, they would take the man that he murdered and tie him face to face, stomach to stomach, hand to hand, leg to leg, foot to foot, the dead man to the living man, until the worms from the dead man ate the living man, and killed him, or until he starved, or until he perished for lack of water. But this is what the Apostle Paul is giving this illustration. He said, I'm carrying around a dead man, because our old man in Adam has been crucified in Jesus Christ. So we're actually carrying around a dead man.
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Now, so, here's the question, what is the answer? Well, he said in verse 25, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." So here's the perfect answer. The perfect answer is, we'll be absolutely, totally and completely free from this dead man when we die and when we're glorified and have a new glorified body. Because there'll be no sin, no evil desires, no wickedness. Nothing impure and unclean will enter into the presence of God.
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So there will be none of that. That is the perfect answer. But you're going to say, "But I'm not yet glorified. I'm still around. So what is the answer for me right now?" Well, He still gives you the answer when He says, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Let me give you what Spurgeon said on this verse. Listen carefully. He hits the nail on the head and he says this, "What a mercy it is that the Lord Jesus Christ has struck a deadly blow at our sin. He's broken the head of it. It is a monster and has immense vitality, but it is a broken back, broken leg and broken headed monster. There it is."
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"It lies hissing, smiting, and writhing, capable of doing us much mischief. But he that has wounded it will smite it again and again, until at last it shall utterly die." When I read that quote, I thought of a number of rattlesnakes that I've killed. Alice oftentimes is out in the yard, and I'm inside studying. She'll call me on the phone and she'll say, "Bring your Glock, there's a snake out here." So I always jokingly say, "Really? Yes. How much ammunition do I need?"
#65 | 46:40 to 47:21 | cleaned
And she laughed, "Just one round, just come on." But you know what I found? I've killed a number of them with one round right through the head. But there, the last one I killed, it took three rounds through the head. And the first one was dead center. And you know what that snake was doing? Writhing, hissing, rattling. He was dying. If I had not pumped two more rounds in him, he would have died. But guess what?
#66 | 47:22 to 48:03 | cleaned
If I had stuck my hand down there, he would have still bit me. This is exactly what he's talking about. Our old man has been crucified in Christ, and yet at the same time as he's dying, he's still writhing and spitting and hissing and doing everything he can to keep us from being holy and righteous and godly. The Apostle Paul says our only victory is through the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember that passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 57 when he said, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Thanks be unto Him. You know, our victory over our sin, our victory over our fleshly thoughts, our victory over our fleshly desires, our victory over our wicked and vile desires, all of this is found only in Jesus Christ. Let me show you.
#67 | 48:04 to 49:02 | cleaned
I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Galatians, chapter 5, and look, if you would, at verses 16 and 17. Galatians, chapter 5, verses 16 and 17. You remember when our Lord was about to go away, He told His disciples, "If I go away, I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." Then He said, "I will send the Spirit unto you." So the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father and God the Son. And the Bible tells us in Galatians 5 in verse 16, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit never leads us contrary to the Word of God. He always leads us in obedience to the Word of God. He says, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
#68 | 49:03 to 50:15 | cleaned
Wow. So when you and I do that which is normal, natural, fleshly, we sin against God. It's when we do not do that which is normal, natural, fleshly, that we're obedient to God. So if someone slaps me, the very first desire I have is to slap them back. Somebody cusses me, the flesh wants to cuss him back. See, this is what he's saying. If you walk in the Spirit, you're not going to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Why? The flesh lusts against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh.
#69 | 50:15 to 50:53 | cleaned
They're contrary to one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. Moreover, listen to this. The Bible says in Philippians 2 and verse 5, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." In Ephesians 4, I think it's verse 17, he said, "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." Since this principle of sin deals with our minds, you understand this, I know. You can't do one thing without first thinking about it. Do you understand that? I could say, well I'm going to pick up that phone, but I can't pick it up until I already think about it. I could say, I'm going to slap Clay upside the head, but I can't slap him upside the head until I already think it. You follow that? This is why it is the mind that is in reality the real true battleground.
#70 | 50:53 to 51:55 | cleaned
Now, Charles Hodge said it like this, listen carefully. "The feeling of helplessness is not only consistent with a sense of acknowledgement of accountability, but is always found united with genuine self-condemnation and penitence." Let me just stop right there. Do you realize the more holy you wish to be, the more godly you wish to be, the more spiritual you wish to be, the more wretched you see yourself to be? And the more you want to repent, because you see how wicked you really truly are.
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And you know, you think, "Oh God, oh God, how could I love you and think these thoughts? How in the world, Lord, could I be praying to you and have these rude, wicked, vain thoughts run through my mind? Lord, I'm so wicked." This is what he's saying. You cannot really have a desire to be holy without at the same time recognizing your own wretchedness, and I will say it like this, the more holy you become, the more wretched you see yourself.
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He goes on, "There are in general a few stronger indications of ignorance of the power and evil of sin than the confident assertion of our ability to resist and subdue it." In other words, he's saying that's complete ignorance to say, "I can control this." It's just like someone saying, "I can take this meth, I can take this drugs, this dope one time and that's it." No, no, no, no.
#73 | 53:09 to 53:35 | cleaned
You're stupid if you think that. Think about the people who took that stuff one time and it killed them. I'm just simply saying this is what he's saying. He says, "Paul groaned beneath its bondage as if it held him in a loathsome embrace of the body of death. The apostle's object, therefore, is not to apologize for sin, but to show that the experience detailed in Romans 7 is consistent with his being a Christian."
#74 | 53:36 to 54:06 | cleaned
"It is true that I really approve and love the law and desire to be conformed to it. I'm no longer the willing slave of sin. To the depth and power of the original evil is to be attributed to the fact that I am not entirely delivered from its influence." In other words, the old man has been crucified, but there's still that writhing, slithering, spitting, rattling snake around. He goes on to say, "This is obviously connected with the main object of the whole passage, for if sin remains and exerts its power notwithstanding our disapproval, and in despite of all of our efforts, it is clear that we must look for deliverance to something outside of ourselves, and that the mere perceptive power of the law cannot remove the evil." In other words, there's nothing that we can do in our flesh. There's nothing that we can do in being more obedient that will get rid of this. The only thing that we can do is look beyond ourselves and outside of ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.
#75 | 54:07 to 55:07 | cleaned
Now, I want you to turn, if you would, to the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. I want you to look at this because I get calls from Christians all of the time, and they tell me, "Brother Weaver, I'm fighting, I'm fighting. I get so tired of fighting. I don't understand where these thoughts come from." And I surprise them and I say, "Well, number one, congratulations, because you're finding out really what it means to be a Christian and fight against sin. But," I said, "you really haven't fought as much as you really could." I'm going to show you what I'm talking about.
#76 | 55:07 to 55:46 | cleaned
But you know, the same thing hits me. And I think, "Lord, where in the world did that thought come from? Lord, I hate that. I don't want that. I refuse. Where did it come from?" It came from that principle of sin.
#77 | 55:46 to 55:57 | cleaned
Now look what he said. Hebrews chapter 12, watch if you would please, beginning there in verse 2. The Bible says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
#78 | 55:59 to 56:34 | cleaned
I want to bring a message on that one day soon. He said you better consider him and everything that he endured, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Here it is. "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." How many of you have actually bled fighting against sin? Not one. Not one. So the apostle is saying until we actually bleed fighting against sin, we really haven't fought against sin the way we should.
#79 | 56:34 to 57:04 | cleaned
You have to remember this too. There is no perfection in this life. What did the Apostle Paul say? "I die" how often? Tell me, daily. Sometimes it's hourly, sometimes it's minute by minute. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact that there is this principle of sin and we have to fight against it. Let me make some applications. The first one should be extremely obvious. Number one, no man is perfectly sanctified in this life. You may desire perfection, you may strive for perfection, you may want it, you may pray for it, but you will never ever have it in this life. That does not mean that we can excuse our sins, does not mean that we can give up, does not mean that we can quit, does not mean that we can just say, "Well, I'm a sinner and I'm going to sin."
#80 | 57:06 to 57:57 | cleaned
No, no, no, not at all whatsoever. But it just simply means that we're not going to reach perfection in our flesh or in our works. We're just not going to do it. John Calvin said it like this, "This is not the pleading of one excusing himself as though he was blameless as the cases with many triflers who think that they have a sufficient defense to cover all their wickedness when they cast the blame upon the flesh. But it is a declaration by which he shows how very far he dissented from his own flesh in his spiritual feeling. For the faithful are carried along in their obedience to God with such fervor of spirit that they deny the flesh."
#81 | 57:57 to 58:43 | cleaned
In other words, when those evil thoughts come in your mind, you have to say, "I hate it. I'm not going to have it. I'm not going to think on that. I will place my mind upon the Lord Jesus Christ. I will place my mind upon the Word of God. I'll think of the promises. I'll think of anything else. Or I'll do what the apostles said, 'Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.'" We don't have to think about those thoughts. Now, I've used this before, and I'm going to use it one more time. Please understand this.
#82 | 58:43 to 59:13 | cleaned
Here's an old adage I heard since I was a boy. "You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair." What does that mean? The flesh can throw thoughts in your mind like lightning. You can't stop that. Those thoughts come with lightning-like speed and they're there before you realize it. But you do not have to retain those thoughts. You do not have to keep those thoughts. You do not have to meditate upon those thoughts. You can refuse those thoughts, and you do not have to think about those thoughts.
#83 | 59:14 to 59:50 | cleaned
So that brings you to the second application, and you should know it by now. The mind is the battlefield. And the real man, this is what the Apostle Paul is saying in Romans chapter 7, the real man is the man that he is in Jesus Christ, not the man that he was in the old Adam. Although the old Adam still has some propensities, he's still writhing, he's still rattling, he's still hissing, and he's still spitting, but our Lord is going to continue to stomp him and put him to death.
#84 | 59:51 to 1:00:20 | cleaned
And we'll do so in our glorification. Now, that means this. Romans 12, 1 and 2. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." That's why He said, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." We have to learn to look to Jesus Christ for deliverance.
#85 | 1:00:22 to 1:01:01 | cleaned
It's not going to come from our flesh. It's not going to come from our determination. It's going to come only, only from the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His grace. It is His mercy. Fight the good fight of faith. That's what the Apostle Paul told Timothy. We cannot give in, we cannot give up, we cannot give out, and we must strive to be holy and godly, depending upon the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
#86 | 1:01:01 to 1:01:34 | cleaned
Father, in thy name we pray to thee this day. We ask you for your grace, for your mercy, for your help. May we see, Lord, that each of us struggle, but Lord, there is an answer, and that answer is Jesus Christ. The answer is obedience to Jesus Christ, submission to Jesus Christ, and help us, Lord, to determine in our lives that we're going to be as holy and as godly and as obedient as we can be by your infinite grace and mercy in Christ Jesus. We commit ourselves unto thee and ask you to establish our thoughts, direct our steps, order our ways, and make us, Lord, pleasing unto thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
#87 | 1:01:35 to 1:02:22 | cleaned
you you
#88 | 1:02:52 to 1:02:53 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:08:17Z

My Worst Enemy

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver explores Romans 7:18-25 to reveal that the believer's worst enemy is not external adversaries but the indwelling principle of sin within one's own flesh. He explains that while the old man has been crucified with Christ, sin remains as a defeated but still active force, causing internal conflict. The only deliverance comes through Jesus Christ, and believers must fight the battle in the mind by relying on the Spirit and looking to Christ for victory.

Introduction: Everyone Has Enemies

Romans chapter 7, and we're going to be reading verses 18 through 25. I will tell you that the messages I have for the next two Sundays are very, very important.

Scripture Reading — Romans 7:18-25

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

Biblical Examples of Enemies

And the kiss of an enemy can be just as deadly as a blow from an enemy. In fact, the Bible says in Proverbs 27 and verse 6,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:6

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:15

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

So the enmity was not just between the serpent and the woman, but also between the woman's seed and the serpent's seed as well.

Christians Will Be Hated by the World

Weaver cites John 15 and 1 Peter 4 to explain that the world hates Christians because they are chosen out of the world and do not participate in sinful practices.

Our Lord said in John chapter 15, listen to this,

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-21

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own."

Listen,

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-21

"but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

And then he went on to say,

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-21

"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord." "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also."

So he said,

Scripture Reading — John 15:18-21

"But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me."

True Preachers Are Often Despised

Using Jeremiah 18 and 26, and 1 Kings 21 (Elijah and Ahab), he illustrates that God's true messengers have always been hated, while false prophets are loved.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 18:18

"Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words."

We're not going to listen to him.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 26:8-9

"Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD."

Isn't that amazing? They not only hated Jeremiah, not only wanted to slander and lie about him, but they were actually going to murder him as well.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 21:17-20

"And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine."

Look at this next verse.

Scripture Reading — 1 Kings 21:17-20

"And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?"

Avoid Making Unnecessary Enemies

Weaver warns against creating enemies through arrogance or unkindness, but notes that biblical principles may require separation from false teachers, citing 2 John 7-11.

Scripture Reading — Romans 11:28

"As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes."

The Worst Enemy Is Self

Now listen carefully,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:5-8

"The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

Now that passage from Isaiah 40 is repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter 1 and verse 24 when the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:5-8

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away."

They're talking about a steak normally. But the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 39,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:39

"All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."

Scripture Reading — Romans 8:5-8

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."

The Internal Conflict and the Mind as Battlefield

Scripture Reading — Galatians 3:3

"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

And he said,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 3:3

"You're not going to be made perfect by the flesh. It's impossible."

Now, I want you to look in Romans 7 and verse 18 again.

Applications: No Perfection in This Life, Fight the Good Fight

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:16-17

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

Walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit never leads us contrary to the Word of God. He always leads us in obedience to the Word of God. He says,

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:16-17

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."

My Worst Enemy

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	u59w47CVVx0
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Holiness and Obedience
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-02-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 135: Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification - Volume 2 — Chapter 35
Source Timed Segments	88

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: Everyone Has Enemies: Weaver opens by stating that everyone has enemies, sharing personal experiences of slander and threats, often from fellow Christians. He notes that enemies can appear as friends and that God's people have always had adversaries.
Biblical Examples of Enemies: He traces the first uses of 'enemy' and 'enemies' in Scripture, showing that God's people have always faced opposition, from Pharaoh to the captors of Lot. He emphasizes that enmity was prophesied in Genesis 3:15.
Christians Will Be Hated by the World: Weaver cites John 15 and 1 Peter 4 to explain that the world hates Christians because they are chosen out of the world and do not participate in sinful practices.
True Preachers Are Often Despised: Using Jeremiah 18 and 26, and 1 Kings 21 (Elijah and Ahab), he illustrates that God's true messengers have always been hated, while false prophets are loved.
Avoid Making Unnecessary Enemies: Weaver warns against creating enemies through arrogance or unkindness, but notes that biblical principles may require separation from false teachers, citing 2 John 7-11.
The Worst Enemy Is Self: He reveals that his worst enemy is himself, quoting Luther, Pink, and Spurgeon. He then expounds Romans 7:18-25, explaining that the flesh (the principle of sin) houses no good thing and prevents perfect holiness.
The Internal Conflict and the Mind as Battlefield: Weaver describes the struggle between the desire for holiness and the indwelling sin, using the illustration of a dead man tied to a living one. He emphasizes that the mind is the primary battleground and that victory comes only through Jesus Christ.
Applications: No Perfection in This Life, Fight the Good Fight: He concludes that no one is perfectly sanctified in this life, but believers must not excuse sin. The mind must be renewed, and deliverance is found by looking to Christ. He calls for reliance on grace and the Spirit to resist sin.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Sin is an indwelling principle, not just voluntary acts

Sin is not merely a series of willful actions but a corrupt principle residing in the flesh that influences thoughts and desires, making it impossible to achieve holiness by self-effort.

Weaver quotes Charles Hodge: 'Sin in this, as in so many other places of Scripture, is presented as an abiding state of mind... a disposition of principle manifesting itself in acts.'

The more one desires holiness, the more wretched one feels

A genuine desire for godliness leads to a deeper awareness of one's own sinfulness, producing humility and repentance rather than self-righteousness.

Weaver says, 'the more holy you become, the more wretched you see yourself.'

The flesh and the Spirit are in constant opposition

Galatians 5:17 teaches that the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to each other, so believers cannot simply do whatever they want; they must walk in the Spirit to overcome fleshly desires.

Weaver reads Galatians 5:16-17 and explains, 'If you walk in the Spirit, you're not going to fulfill the lust of the flesh.'

The old man is crucified but still active

Although the old man has been crucified with Christ, sin remains like a dying snake that can still bite; believers must continue to fight it until final glorification.

Weaver uses Spurgeon's quote: 'It is a monster... a broken back, broken leg and broken headed monster... capable of doing us much mischief.'

External enemies are real but secondary to internal sin

While Christians face persecution and slander from the world and false brethren, the most dangerous enemy is the sin within, which requires constant vigilance.

Weaver transitions from discussing external enemies to stating, 'as bad as some of these people are, they're not my worst enemy. I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me.'

Scripture References

Romans 7:18-25: The primary text of the sermon, describing the internal conflict between the desire to do good and the indwelling sin.
Proverbs 27:6: Cited to show that the kisses of an enemy are deceitful, while the wounds of a friend are faithful.
Exodus 15:6: The first occurrence of 'enemy' in the Bible, referring to Pharaoh, showing God's power over His people's enemies.
Genesis 14:20: The first occurrence of 'enemies' (plural), referring to those who captured Lot, showing God delivers His people's enemies into their hand.
Genesis 3:15: The Protoevangelium, where God puts enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between their seeds, establishing ongoing conflict.
John 15:18-21: Jesus teaches that the world will hate believers because they are not of the world, just as it hated Him.
1 Peter 4:4: The world speaks evil of Christians because they do not join in the same excess of riot.
Jeremiah 18:18: The people plot against Jeremiah, planning to smite him with the tongue and ignore his words.
Jeremiah 26:8-9: The priests and prophets seize Jeremiah and threaten to kill him for prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem.
1 Kings 21:17-20: Ahab calls Elijah his enemy after Elijah confronts him about murdering Naboth.
2 John 7-11: Believers are not to receive or bid Godspeed to those who do not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, showing there are times to be uncivil.
Romans 11:28: Concerning the gospel, the Jews are enemies for the Gentiles' sake, but as touching election, they are beloved.
Philippians 3:18-19: Paul weeps over those who are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose god is their belly and who mind earthly things.
Isaiah 40:5-8: All flesh is grass, illustrating one use of 'flesh' as all humanity.
1 Peter 1:24: Repeats Isaiah 40, confirming that all flesh is as grass.
Job 19:25-27: Job's confession that in his flesh he shall see God, using 'flesh' to mean the physical body.
1 Corinthians 15:39: All flesh is not the same flesh, referring to different kinds of meat or bodies.
Romans 8:5-8: The carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot please God, showing the flesh's opposition.
Galatians 3:3: Paul rebukes the Galatians for trying to be made perfect by the flesh after beginning in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-17: Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh; the flesh and Spirit are contrary.

Historical References

Martin Luther: Quoted as saying the worst pope was the one on the throne of his own heart, and commenting on Romans 7:18 about the inability to accomplish good.
Arthur W. Pink: Quoted as saying one reason we don't like the Pope is because we want to be the Pope ourselves.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Quoted as saying the member who caused him the most trouble was himself, and later quoted on Romans 7:25 about sin as a wounded monster.
John Trapp (Puritan): Quoted on corruption being dejected from its regency but not ejected from its inherency.
Charles Hodge: Quoted extensively on sin as an indwelling principle and the helplessness of man to overcome it by self-effort.
John Calvin: Quoted on Romans 7, explaining that Paul's words are not an excuse but a declaration of his dissent from the flesh.
Southern Poverty Law Center: Mentioned as an example of a group that hates Christians, Southerners, and patriots; criticized as not truly Southern, not in poverty, and not a law center.

Important Quotes

I will tell you who my worst enemy is. It is me.

Central thesis of the sermon, identifying the self as the primary enemy due to indwelling sin.

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Key verse from Romans 7 that establishes the inability of the flesh to accomplish good.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Paul's cry of desperation, illustrating the believer's struggle with indwelling sin.

Corruption is, though dejected from its regency, is not yet ejected from its inherency, it intermingleth with the best of our works.

John Trapp's quote explaining that sin is dethroned but still present in believers.

You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair.

Adage used to explain that while sinful thoughts may intrude, believers can refuse to dwell on them.

The more holy you become, the more wretched you see yourself.

Highlights the paradox that growth in holiness leads to deeper awareness of sin.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does Weaver say that his worst enemy is himself, and how does Romans 7 support this?

[Context]

Weaver identifies the indwelling principle of sin as the primary enemy, citing Romans 7:18-25.

[Question]

How does the illustration of the dead man tied to a living person help us understand the believer's struggle with sin?

[Context]

Weaver explains the ancient punishment to illustrate carrying around the dead old man.

[Question]

What does it mean that the flesh is the 'principle of sin,' and how does this differ from other uses of 'flesh' in the Bible?

[Context]

Weaver distinguishes four uses of 'flesh,' focusing on the principle of sin in Romans 7.

[Question]

According to Weaver, why is the mind the primary battleground in the fight against sin?

[Context]

He explains that actions begin with thoughts, so renewing the mind is crucial.

[Question]

How does the quote 'You can't stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop him from building a nest in your hair' apply to resisting sinful thoughts?

[Context]

Weaver uses this adage to teach that while intrusive thoughts may come, we can refuse to entertain them.

[Question]

Why does Weaver emphasize that there is no perfection in this life, and how should that affect our pursuit of holiness?

[Context]

He states that perfect sanctification is unattainable now, but this should not lead to complacency.

[Question]

What role does Jesus Christ play in our deliverance from indwelling sin, both now and in the future?

[Context]

Weaver points to Christ as the only source of victory, culminating in glorification.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:10:41Z