#unionlife

“For we know that the Law is spiritual...” (Romans 7:14)

“For what the Law could not do, in which it was weak through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the flesh of sin - as an offering for sin - He condemned sin in the flesh,

so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3-4)

...

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, 

the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:9-11)

...

The law was looking for spiritual righteousness since it itself was spiritual. Christ fulfilled this requirement and we now fully share in His righteousness;

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”( 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Because ONCE AGAIN:

“What was the Christ who appeared to us in the flesh? Was it not God Himself performing the reconciliation of the world to Himself, severing the sinful side of man from the true, and no longer imputing the sins of that physical man to the spiritual being to whom they do not belong, and making us the possessors of the truth about this, giving us the Word which itself has the power to reconcile.” (2 Corinthians 5:19 GWC)

2 Corinthians 5:19 GWC

19 What was the Christ who appeared to us in the flesh? Was it not God Himself performing the reconciliation of the world to Himself, severing the sinful side of man from the true, and no longer imputing the sins of that physical man to the spiritual being to whom they do not belong, and making us the possessors of the truth about this, giving us the word which itself has the power to reconcile.

Romans 7:4-6 NRSV

In the sixth chapter of Ephesians Paul describes a soldier fully equipped for the fray. But one thing is strangely different with this man: his instructions, repeated no less than three times, are to stand firmly where he is! A more ridiculous statement to a ready-for-battledude I don't think I've heard. Yet this is how we are to overcome.

What a contrast this is to the fighting we are encouraged to do by fellow believers, in the face of so much evil. Or the much praying urged by so many who ask God to "sock it to old Satan." Much the worse are they, losing a perfect rest in knowing all things are in God's hands! Satan loves to get us into a battle of self-discipline and willpower. But God's way is for us to recognize that we have entered into the Promised Land of rest, and all we have to do is stand, assured of victory in Him.

The apostle John's listing of three stages of growth - little children, young men, fathers - shows us that it is the young men who are concerned with battling evil. The fatherhood outlook moves beyond this. Doing battle with the evil one becomes standing still in a perfect rest.