Locking Up The Sinful Nature

How can we lock away our sinful nature?

• We regular fight off the sinful nature and yet we always fail at some point, are we focusing too much on stopping the sin rather than focusing on the living in the nature of Christ.
• How can we defeat the dragon?
• Revelation 20 v 1-6
• There are three different views on the 1,000 years that the dragon was bound for...

1. Postmillennialism - There will be 1,000 years of peace which is brought in by the Church. At the end of the time Satan (the Dragon) will be released but Jesus will come and defeat him, this will be the second coming.
2. Premillennialism - There will be 1,000 literal years, but Christ comes at the start to begin His reign. His reign occurs before the final defeat of Satan.
3. Amillennialism - The reign is a millennium between the ascension of Christ to His return and it is the reign of Christ in our hearts. This period will end with the second coming of Christ.

• These are 3 different views may happen during the 1,000 years. But how can fight off the Dragon now and lock up the sinful nature.
• Romans 7 v 14-20 - "¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."
• Paul was struggling with his sinful nature; he wanted to do good yet kept slipping up on sin.
• The key to fighting the sinful nature and the dragon isn't just not thinking and storing up evil we have to work on the good.
• Matthew 12 v 35 - "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him."
• Here are some thinks which stop us from fighting properly and effectively::

1. We try and do it in our own strength.
2. We have the wrong standard of holiness.
3. We have the wrong motive for fighting the sinful nature.
4. We focus too much on not sinning instead of focusing on God.
5. We compare ourselves to others and try to do things there way.

• The way in which we can best fight the sinful nature is understand that God doesn't want us to sin at all but we are imperfect humans who slip up time to time. But if we are focused on God and not stopping sinning then it is easier to continue on the journey with Him.
• Paul knew he would end up sinning but he says he continues to strive to do what is right.
• What will you focus on?