Fighting Sin

Question: “How does the fight against sin change as the years go by? Easier? More joyful? More subtle? More Christ-centered?”

Response: “I suspect that everyone will find that his struggle with sin changes over time as he grows in wisdom. For me growth has been painfully slow, and it’s only when I stop and look carefully back over decades that I can see changes that remind me that God is at work. I wouldn’t say that anything has become easier, but I like your phrase “more joyful”—for it is increasingly so. The joy comes in times when I am less interested in figuring out how much I love God, and more delighted in the too-good-to-be-true truth that God loves me. And what has stirred me lately is that my increasing assurance of God’s love—built on more frequent reflection on the depths of the gospel of grace—steels me against temptation more than any fasting or self-discipline ever did.”

This was taken from an interview between Tony Reinke (pastor/blogger) and Kris Lundgaard (author of two books, The Enemy Within and Through the Looking Glass).
Full interview found here.