How to Kill Sin

Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:21-22

There is a phrase that my pastor loves to say. It is a quote from John Owen, “be killing sin or it will be killing you.” Upon first hearing the phrase, it was not my favorite, because it took me so long to understand that grace was a free gift that I did not have to work for, and to actively kill sin sounds like a lot of effort on my part, as well as a killjoy. To separate the phrase from its context makes it a work of the flesh – a striving, when actually to kill sin is a work of the Holy Spirit. So how to kill sin?

You can quickly download and read the book from which this principle was written, The Mortification of Sin by John Owen. But for a brief synopsis, it is based on Romans 8:13, which says, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (italics mine).

Lately, I’ve thought of this principle more in conjunction with James 1:13-15,

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

I may die trying to memorize the book of James, but I have the first chapter (good thing it is so rich). When I first started memorizing this passage, this phrase kept standing out to me – “give birth to death,” and every time I would think about stories of those who’ve given birth to babies that were stillborn or that died a few hours after birth. What grief and pain I visualized. Who wants to birth death? Who wants to suffer the pain and agony of giving life to something dead? Pondering these things made this passage come to life about how unhealthy desire leads to suffering – the kind we have the power to prevent (at least with the Holy Spirit’s aid).

I wonder if the James passage is an intentional portrait of the story of David, Bathsheba, and the birth of the son who died. David saw Bathsheba. He did not deny himself to look at her bathing. He proceeded to ask after her, sleep with her, get her pregnant, have her husband killed, and then as a result of his sin, she gave birth to a son, and although that son was well, he died as a result of David’s sin. David experienced a time of great grief at this loss, and although he experienced restoration with the Lord, he was never quite the same again.

Not long ago, I was plagued with a curious desire. It being curious I wanted to pursue it, yet I knew that it was an unhealthy desire. Often, my desires seem tame. I don’t worry too often with giving them credence. But in this circumstance, I knew that if I did not kill the desire as soon as possible, I would want to sin, and then that sin would lead me into dead places. I knew that to kill sin, I had to kill the desire. To kill the desire, I had to stop thinking about the thing I desired.

Remember, I told you that this is a work of the Holy Spirit, but there are things to do to help enable the work of the Spirit:

• Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to remove your desire.
• Realize that there is some work of your own to do alongside the Spirit. Just as you know that if you dwell on a thing, you will increase your desire for that thing.
• Identify your desire, and trace down how the desire could lead to sin, and then sin to death. When you imagine having the unhealthy thing, instead of thinking how good it would be, think instead of its deadly outcome.
• Think about how to remove the thoughts that spur the desire. If it is a thing or person or craving, what can you do to remove the desire physically? Abort the desire. For example, remove yourself from social media. Remove the food from the house, etc. Be active about removing it from your ability to reach. For example, in David’s story, he could have stopped looking at Bathsheba, but he kept looking, increasing his desire. How many affairs and the beginnings of divorce happen from just looking at another on social media?
• Remember that the Lord knows your thoughts, and when you think on things that lead to increased desire, fix your thoughts on Jesus instead. Refocus your desire on Christ.
• Replace your thoughts with Scripture. Remember that the Word of God is sharper that a double-edged sword judging the thoughts and heart of a man. Find Scriptures to think about instead. You could choose ones that pertain to your situation or just a good word of truth.
• In addition, if you are struggling to remove the temptation, confess it to someone of wise counsel, a friend, a spouse, or someone who can help you.
• If you crave a person, do not confess this to the person you crave, as this would possibly only cause desire and sin to grow in you and in them.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Know that while James does not say that the thoughts are sinful in and of themselves – the desire itself is evil, leading to sin. But, if you catch the desire, submit it, it becomes an opportunity for a soft heart, an offering to Jesus, a recognition that you need Him. It points to an area that desperately needs Jesus. If Jesus is our heart surgeon, then He wants to remove the areas that cause us to sin and grow hard of heart. An evil desire can become a place of grace, where we draw close to Him instead.

What would have happened at any point in David’s story if he would have closed the curtain or did not call his servant to fetch her? You see the further you give into the desire, the harder it is to kill what the body wants and the easier it is to give into temptation. There were multiple opportunities for God’s grace to be given to David, but he kept choosing sin over the Lord’s good for him. Eventually, when we allow desire to grow, we convince ourselves, as did Eve in the Garden, that our desire is good and does not lead to death.

Allowing your mind to develop the evil desires within you will lead to sin and thus birth death. To kill the desire is to kill the sin and to choose life.