The Modern Christian’s Greatest Foe

Romans 7:14-25

INTRODUCTION: The sins plaguing the last days’ church are listed in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. The times in which they are found are identified as “perilous times” (2 Timothy 3:1), leading men to assume that the peril comes from without. However, more than anything the list magnifies that man’s greatest problem in the last days is self.

I. THE SAINTS’ FOES

A. The Devil (1 Peter 5:8)

1. The ultimate source of all other foes
2. This was, no doubt, the main foe fought by the early church

B. The World (1 John 2:16)

1. The nature of this foe
a. The lust of the flesh
b. The lust of the eyes
c. The pride of life
2. This was, no doubt, a greater foe as the Devil made inroads in the hearts of mankind.

C. The Flesh (James 1:13-15)

1. This involves only a man’s own flesh.
2. I fear this is not only the greatest foe faced by the modern Christian, but often the only foe faced.

II. THE FOES’ PURPOSES

A. Distract from Christ

1. Mankind was created for the pleasure of Christ (Revelation 4:11).
2. The Christian’s number one objective is to live as to please the One “who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4)
3. That being said, the Christian’s enemies would love nothing more than to get the Christian’s focus off of the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. Distract from Souls

1. It is the Christian’s duty to take the knowledge of God to the world (1 Corinthians 15:34).
2. Though many churches are doing much under the guise of outreach, much of this work is more in line with a social gospel than the preaching of the gospel of Christ to lost souls.
3. Otherwise, much of what the church is doing today is more like a social club with activities than a church performing the gospel ministry.
4. The saint’s foes do not mind much of what consumes Christians and churches, because it has nothing to do with Christ and cares nothing for the eternal well-being of the souls of men.

III. THE FOES’ THREEFOLD ATTACK

A. Self-Pity

1. We become self-absorbed.
2. We begin to judge everything and everyone by how they treat us.
3. We become almost paranoid in looking for the next thing to go against us.
4. We become easily discouraged when things do not go our way.

B. Self-Pleasing

1. We become self-willed (Titus 1:7).
2. We no longer consider the cause of Christ, the condition of men’s souls, or how our decisions affect others.
3. We become lovers of pleasures (2 Timothy 3:4) and lovers of our own selves (2 Timothy 3:2).

C. Self-Promotion

1. We become convinced of our own greatness.
2. We seek power over others and misuse our influence.
3. We think more highly ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3).

CONCLUSION: Unfortunately, we are engaged is such a horrific war with our own flesh that we are doing little to war against Satan or for Christ.