Take Up the Cross

or when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
— Romans 7:5

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
— Romans 7:8

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
— Genesis 3:6

When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
— Joshua 7:21

Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
— 1 Thessalonians 4:5

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
— Romans 13:9

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
— Romans 3:20

The Power of Sin Shown in the Law, by John Owen. The following contains Chapter Seventeen of his work, “Indwelling Sin.”

I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
—Romans 7:7 d through h

Now we will consider three last evidences of the power of sin in order to convince believers of the danger of it, so that they will be watchful against it and oppose it.

1. Sin’s Resistance to the Law

The measure of the strength of any person or defensed city may be well taken from the opposition that they are able to withstand and not be prevailed against. If we hear of a city that has endured a long siege from a powerful enemy and yet is not taken or conquered—whose walls have endured great batteries and are not demolished— though we have never seen the place, yet we conclude it strong if not impregnable. This consideration will also evidence the power and strength of indwelling sin. It is able to hold out against very strong opposition that is made to it; and not only to live, but also to secure its reign and dominion.

I shall instance only the opposition that is made to it by the Law. This opposition is often great and terrible, but always fruitless. All the Law’s assaults are borne by indwelling sin, and it is not prevailed against.

There are various things in which the Law opposes itself to sin and the power of it.

a. Discovery of sin

The Law discovers sin. Sin in the soul is like a secret feverish distemper in the body. Its being unknown and unperceived is one great means of its prevalence. Sin in the soul is like traitors in a civil state: while they lie hidden, they vigorously carry on their design. The greatest part of men in the world know nothing of this sickness, yea, death of their souls. Though they have been taught somewhat of the doctrine of it, yet they know nothing of its power. They know it not so as to deal with it as their mortal enemy.

This is just as a man, whatever he is told, he cannot be said to know that he has a deadly fever, if he loves his life and yet does not set himself to stop the fever’s progress. This, then, the Law does: it discovers this enemy. It convinces the soul that there is such a traitor harboring in its bosom.

I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet (Rom 7:7).

“I had not known sin”—that is, not known it fully, clearly, distinctly. Conscience will create somewhat of an uproar about it; but a man cannot know it clearly and distinctly from conscience alone. It gives a man such a sight of it as the blind man in the gospel had upon the first touch of his eyes: he saw “men as trees, walking”(Mar 18:24)—that is, he saw obscurely, with confusion.

But when the Law comes, it gives the soul a distinct sight of this indwelling sin. Again, “I had not known it”—that is, the depths of it, the root, the habitual inclination of my nature to sin, which is here called “lust,”as it is in James 1:14. “I had not known it,”or not known it to be sin, “but by the law.”This, then, the Law does: it draws out this traitor from secret lurking places, the intimate recedes of the soul. A man, when the Law comes, is no more ignorant of his enemy, indwelling sin. If he will now perish by sin, it is openly and knowingly. He cannot but say that the Law warned him of sin, discovered it to him, yea, and raised an assembly of various affections about it in the soul—as an officer does who discovers a thief or robber, calling out for assistance to apprehend him.

b. Discovery of sin’s danger

The Law not only discovers sin, but discovers it to be a very bad inmate, dangerous, yea, destructive to the soul.

Was then that which is good that is, the Law made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful (Rom 7:13).

There are many things in this verse in which we are not at present concerned. That which I aim at is only making sin evident by the Law: it “appears to be sin.”And, making sin evident in its own colors, it appears to be exceedingly sinful. The Law gives the soul to know the filth and guilt of this indwelling sin: how great they are, how vile it is—what an abomination, what an enmity to God, and how hated by Him. Whatever thoughts the soul had of sin before, it shall never again look upon sin as a small matter by which it is greatly surprised.

A man who finds himself somewhat ill sends for a physician of skill. When the doctor comes, the man requires his judgment about the illness. The doctor, considering his condition, tells him: “Alas! I am sorry for you. The case is far otherwise with you than you imagine. Your disease is mortal; and it has proceeded so far, infecting the whole mass of your blood, that I doubt, unless the most effective remedies be used, you will live but a very few hours.”

So it is in this case. A man may have some trouble in his mind and conscience about indwelling sin. He finds all not so well as it should be with him, more from the effects of sin and its continual eruptions than the nature of it—which effects he hopes to wrestle with. But now, when the Law comes, it lets the soul know that its disease is deadly and mortal, that the sin is exceeding sinful, as being the root and cause of all his alienation from God. In this way, also, the Law proceeds against sin.

c. Judging each person

The Law judges the person. It lets the sinner plainly know what he is to expect on the account of this sin. This is the Law’s proper work; its discovering property is but preparative to its judging. The Law is itself when it is in the throne. Here it minces not the matter with sinners, as we use to do one with another, but tells him plainly: “‘Thou art the man’(2Sa 12:7) in whom this exceeding sinful sin dwells, and you must answer for the guilt of it.”And this, I think, if anything, should rouse up a man to set himself in opposition to sin, yea, utterly to destroy it. The Law lets him know that, on the account of this sin, he is liable to the curse and wrath of the great God against him. Yea, the Law pronounces the sentence of everlasting condemnation upon him on that account. “Abide in this state and perish, ”is its language. It leaves not the soul without this warning in this world, and will leave it without excuse on that account in the world to come.

d. Disquieting the soul

The Law so follows on its sentence that it disquiets and affrights the soul, and suffers it not to enjoy the least rest or quietness in harboring its sinful inmate. Whenever the soul has indulged to sin’s commands, made provision for it, immediately the Law flies upon it with the wrath and terror of the Lord, and makes it quake and tremble. The soul shall have no rest, but is like a poor beast that has a deadly arrow sticking in its sides: it makes him restless wherever it is and whatever it does.

e. Slaying the soul

The Law stays not here, but it also slays the soul: “when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died”(Rom 7:9). By the Law’s conviction of the nature, power, and deserving of this indwelling sin, it deprives him in whom it is of all the life of selfrighteousness and hope with which he formerly sustained himself. The Law leaves him as a poor, dead, helpless, hopeless creature. And all this is in the pursuit of the opposition that the Law makes against this sin.

May we not now expect that the power of sin will be quelled and its strength broken, that it will die away before these strokes of the Law of God? But the truth is, such is sin’s power and strength that it is quite otherwise. Like him whom the poets imagined to be born of the earth, when one thought to slay him by casting him on the ground, but by every fall he recovered new strength and was more vigorous than formerly, so is it with all the falls and repulses that are given to indwelling sin by the Law. This is a result from the following.

1). Sin not conquered

Indwelling sin is not conquered by the Law. A conquest infers two things in respect of the conquered: first, loss of dominion; and secondly, loss of strength. Whenever anyone is conquered, he is despoiled of both these; he loses both his authority and his power. So the strong man armed, being prevailed against, he is bound and his goods are spoiled (Luk 11:21-22).

But neither of these befalls indwelling sin by the assaults of the Law. It loses not one bit of its dominion or strength by all the blows that are given to it. The Law cannot do this thing: it cannot deprive sin of its power and dominion (Rom 8:3), for he that is under the Law is also under sin—that is, whatever power the Law gets upon the conscience of a man, so that he fears to sin lest the sentence and curse of the Law should befall him, yet sin still reigns and rules in his heart. Therefore the apostle says, “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace”(Rom 6:14). This implies plainly that, though a person is in ever so much subjection to the authority of the Law, yet that will not exempt and acquit him from the dominion of sin.

Yea, the Law, by all its work upon the soul, instead of freeing and acquitting it from the reign of sin and bondage to it, does incidentally greatly increase the soul’s misery and bondage—as the sentence of the judge on the bench against a malefactor adds to his misery. The soul is under the dominion of sin and, it may be, abides in its woeful condition in much security, fearing neither sin nor judgment. In this condition, the Law sets upon him by all the ways before mentioned, and brings him into great trouble and perplexity, fear and terror—but delivers him not at all.

It is with the soul as it was with the Israelites when Moses had delivered his message to Pharaoh: they were so far from getting liberty by it that their bondage was increased, and they found “that they were in a very evil case”(Exo 5:19). Yea, and we shall see that sin does like Pharaoh. Finding its rule disturbed, sin grows more outrageously oppressive and doubles the bondage of their souls. This is not, then, the work of the Law: to destroy sin or deprive it of that dominion which it has by nature. Nor does sin, by all these strokes of the Law, lose anything of its strength. It continues both its authority and its force; it is neither destroyed nor weakened.

2). Sin enraged

Indwelling sin is so far from being conquered by the Law that it is only enraged. The whole work of the Law only provokes and enrages sin, and causes it, as it has opportunity, to put out its strength with more power, vigor, and force than formerly. This the apostle shows at large in Romans 7:9-13.

f. Ineffective against sin

But you will say, “Do we not see it by experience that many are wrought upon by the preaching of the Law to a relinquishing of many sins and to an improvement of their lives, and to a great contending against the eruptions of those other corruptions that they cannot yet mortify? It cannot be denied but that great is the power and efficacy of the Law when preached and applied to the conscience in a due manner.”I answer as follows.

1). Not designed to subdue sin

It is acknowledged that the power of the Law of God is very great and effective. Great are the effects that are wrought by it, and it shall surely accomplish every purpose for which it is appointed by God. But yet the subduing of sin is none of the work of the Law. It is not designed by God for that purpose. Therefore, it is no dishonor if it cannot do that which is not its proper work (Rom 8:3).

2). No effect to subdue sin

Whatever effects the law has upon some, yet in the most we see that such is the power and prevalence of sin, that the Law makes no impression at all upon them. Can you not see everywhere men living many years in congregations where the Law is powerfully preached and applied to the consciences as to all the ends and purposes for which the Lord is pleased to make use of it—and not once be moved by it? These receive no more impression from the stroke of it than blows with a straw would give to a stone. They are neither convinced by it, nor terrified, nor awed, nor instructed; but continue deaf, ignorant, senseless, and secure—as if they had never been told of the guilt of sin or terror of the Lord. Congregations are full of such as these. They each proclaim the triumphing power of sin over the dealings of the Law.

3). Effects from the Spirit, not the Law

When any of the effects mentioned are wrought, it is not from the power of the letter of the Law, but from the actual efficacy of the Spirit of God putting forth His virtue and power for that end and purpose. We do not deny that the Spirit of the Lord is able to restrain and quell the power of lust when He pleases. We have formerly considered some ways by which He is pleased to do so.

4). Effects of the Law

Notwithstanding all that may be observed of the power of the Law upon the souls of men, yet it is most evident that lust is not conquered, nor subdued, nor mortified by it; as follows.

a). Sin repelled only for a season

Though the course of sin may be repelled for a season by the actings of the Law, yet the spring and fountain of sin is not dried up thereby. Though sin withdraws and hides itself for a season, it is but to shift out of a storm and then to return again, as I have shown elsewhere. This is like a traveler who meets with a violent storm of thunder and rain in his way, and immediately turns out of his way to some house or tree for his shelter. But this does not cause him to give up his journey: as soon as the storm is over, he returns to his way and progress again.

So it is with men in bondage to sin: they are in a course of pursuing their lusts. The Law meets with them in a storm of thunder and lightning from heaven, and terrifies and hinders them in their way. This turns them for a season out of their course. They will run to prayer or try to improve their lives to get some shelter from the storm of wrath that is feared coming upon their consciences. But is their course stopped? Are their principles altered? Not at all! As soon as the storm is over, so that they begin to wear out the sense and the terror that was upon them, they return to their former course in the service of sin again. This was the state with Pharaoh once and again during the ten plagues (Exo 7:1-11:1).

b). Sin only diverted

In such seasons, sin is not conquered but diverted. When it seems to fall under the power of the Law, indeed it is only turned into a new channel; it is not dried up. If you go and set a dam against the streams of a river, so that you suffer no water to pass in the old course and channel, it will then break out in another way and turn all its streams in a new course. When you thus dam up the old channel, you will not say you have dried up that river—though some that come and look into the old channel may think, perhaps, that the waters are utterly gone.

So is it in this case. The streams of sin, it may be, run in open sensuality and profaneness, in drunkenness and viciousness. The preaching of the Law sets a dam against these courses. Conscience is terrified, and the man dares not walk in the ways in which he has been formerly engaged. His companions in sin, not finding him in his old ways, begin to laugh at him, as one that is converted and growing more precise. Other professors begin to be persuaded that the work of God is upon his heart, because they see his old streams dried up.

But if there has been only a work of the Law upon him, there is indeed a dam put to his course; but the spring of sin is not dried up, the streams of it are only turned another way. It may be the man is fallen upon other more secret or more “spiritual”sins. Or, if he is beat from them also, the whole strength of lust and sin will take up its residence in self-righteousness, and pour out by it filthy streams just as in other ways.

Thus, notwithstanding the whole work of the Law upon the souls of men, indwelling sin will keep alive in them still. This is another evidence of its great power and strength.

2. Great Efforts to Subdue Sin

I shall yet touch upon some other evidences of the same truth that I have under consideration, the power of sin, in order to convince believers to be watchful against and oppose sin. But I shall be brief in them.

a. Why men make great efforts

In the next place, then, the great but fruitless endeavors of men ignorant of the righteousness of Christ for the subduing and mortifying of sin do evidence the great strength and power of sin.

Men who have no strength against sin may yet be made sensible of the strength of sin. The way by which, for the most part, they come to that knowledge is by some previous sense they have of the guilt of sin. This men have by the light of their consciences; they cannot avoid it. This is not a thing in their choice. Whether they will or no, they cannot but know sin to be evil, and such an evil that renders them liable to the judgment of God. This galls the minds and consciences of some so far as that they are kept in awe, and dare not sin as they would. Being awed with a sense of the guilt of sin and the terror of the Lord, men begin to endeavor to abstain from sin, at least from such sins as they have been most terrified about.

While they have this design in hand, the strength and power of sin begins to discover itself to them. They begin to find that there is something in them that is not in their own power. This is because, notwithstanding their resolutions and purposes, they sin still—and that in such a manner that their consciences inform them that they must therefore perish eternally. This puts them on self-endeavors to suppress the eruption of sin, because they cannot be quiet unless they do so, nor have any rest or peace within.

Now, being ignorant of that only way by which sin is to be mortified—that is, by the Spirit of Christ—they fix on many ways in their own strength to suppress sin, if not to slay it. Being ignorant of the only way by which consciences burdened with the guilt of sin may be pacified—that is, by the blood of Christ—they endeavor, by many other ways, to accomplish that result in vain. Their efforts are in vain because no man, by any self-endeavors, can obtain peace with God.

b. How men try to suppress the power of sin

We must look into some of the ways by which men endeavor to suppress the power of sin, which casts them into an unquiet condition and makes them aware of their insufficiency to accomplish that result.

1). Vows

a). How vows work

They will promise and bind themselves by vows from those sins to which they have been most susceptible, and so have been most perplexed with. The psalmist shows this to be one great device by which false and hypocritical persons endeavor to deliver themselves out of trouble and perplexity. They make promises to God, which He calls “flattering”Him with the mouth (Psa 78:36).

So it is in this case. Being freshly galled with the guilt of any sin in which they may have been frequently overtaken by the power of their temptations, they vow and promise that they will not commit that sin again (at least for some such space of time as they will limit). This course of proceeding is prescribed to them by some who pretend to direct their consciences in this duty. Conscience of this now makes them watch over themselves as to the outward act of the sin that they are galled with. Thus, this has one of two effects: either they abstain from it for the time they have prefixed, or they do not.

(1). If they do not follow their vow

They seldom abstain from their sin, especially if it is a sin that has a peculiar root in their nature and constitution, and is improved by custom into a habit. If they do not abstain from the sin, then, when any suitable temptation is presented to them, their sin is increased. And with it their terror is increased, and they are woefully discouraged in making any opposition to sin! Therefore, for the most part, after one or two vain attempts—or perhaps more, knowing no other way to mortify sin but this of vowing against it, and keeping of that vow in their own strength—they give over all contests, and become wholly the servants of sin, being bounded only by outward considerations without any serious endeavors for a recovery.

(2). If they do follow their vow

Or, secondly, suppose that they have success in their resolutions and do abstain from actual sins during their appointed season. Commonly, one of these two things ensues: either they think that they have well discharged their duty, and so they may now, at least for a season, indulge a little their corruptions and lusts. Thus they are entangled again in the same snares of sin as formerly! Or else, they reckon that their vow and promise has preserved them, and so sacrifice to their own devices, setting up a righteousness of their own—which is against the grace of God. This is so far from weakening indwelling sin that it strengthens it in the root and principle, so that hereafter it may reign in the soul in security. At the most, the best success that can be imagined from this way of dealing with sin is but the restraining of some outward eruptions of it, which tends nothing to the weakening of its power.

b). The result of vows

Therefore such persons, by all their endeavors, are very far from being freed from the inward toiling, burning, disquieting, and perplexing power of sin. And this is the state of most men that are kept in bondage under the power of conviction. Hell, death, and the wrath of God are continually presented to their consciences. This makes them labor with all their strength against the sin that most enrages their consciences and most increases their fears. That is, they labor against the actual eruption of that sin. This is because, for the most part, while they are freed from the eruptions of the sin, they think they are safe—even though in the meantime sin lies agitating and defiling in the heart continually. As with running sores, outward repelling medicines may skin them over and hinder their corruption from coming forth, but the result is that they cause the infection to fester inwardly—and so prove, though it may be not so bothersome and offensive as they were before, yet far more dangerous.

So it is with this repelling of the power of corruption by men’s vows and promises against it. External eruptions are, it may be, restrained for a season, but the inward root and principle is not weakened in the least. Most commonly, this is the result of this way: sin, having gotten more strength, and being enraged by its restraint, breaks all its bounds, and captivates the soul to all filthy abominations. This is the principle, as was observed before, of most of the visible apostasies that we have in the world (2Pe 2:19-20).

Because of the detestable, fierce, poisonous nature of this indwelling sin, the Holy Ghost compares sinners to lions, bears, and asps (Isa 11:6-9). Now, this is the excellence of gospel grace: it changes the nature and inward principles of these otherwise passionate and untamed beasts, making the wolf as the kid, the lion as the lamb, and the bear as the cow. When this is accomplished, they may safely be trusted in: “a little child shall lead them.”But these self-endeavors do not at all change the nature, but only restrain their outward violence. He that takes a lion or a wolf and shuts him up from ravening, while yet his inward violence remains, may well expect that at one time or other they will break their bonds and fall to their former ways of brute force and violence. Shutting them up does not, as we see, change their natures, but only restrain their rage from doing open spoil. So it is in this case: it is grace alone that changes the heart and takes away the poison and fierceness that is in them by nature. Men’s self-endeavors only limit such poisons from some outward eruptions.

The first way men attempt to suppress the power of sin, then, is through bare vows and promises, with some watchfulness to observe them in a rational use of ordinary means.

2). Extraordinary attempts to mortify sin

However, beyond vows and promises, men have put themselves on extraordinary ways of mortifying sin, and some yet do so. This is the foundation of all that has a show of wisdom and religion in the Papacy. Their hours of prayer and fastings; their shutting off and cloistering themselves in monasteries and nunneries; their pilgrimages, penances, and self-torturing discipline—spring all from this root.

I shall not speak of the innumerable evils that have attended these self-invented ways of mortification, and how all of them have been turned into means, occasions, and advantages of sinning. Nor will I speak of the horrible hypocrisy that evidently cleaves to most of their observers. Nor will I speak of the superstition that gives life to them all, being a thing riveted in the natures of some of their constitutions, or fixed on others by habitual prejudices, and the same by others taken up for secular advantages.

But I will consider the best that can be made of it, and it will be found to be a selfinvented design of men who are ignorant of the righteousness of God, to attempt to give a check to this power of indwelling sin of which we speak. It is almost incredible what fearful self-wounds and horrible sufferings this design has carried men into. Undoubtedly, their blind zeal and superstition will rise in judgment, and will condemn the horrible sloth and negligence of most to whom the Lord has granted the saving light of the gospel.

But what is the end of these things? The apostle, in brief, gives us an account in Romans 9:31-32.

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone (Rom 9:31-32).

They attain not the righteousness aimed at; they come not up to a conformity to the Law. Sin is not mortified, no, nor the power of it weakened. But what sin loses in sensual, in carnal pleasures, it takes up with great advantage in blindness, darkness, superstition, self-righteousness, soul-pride, and contempt of the gospel and the righteousness of it. Sin reigns no less in them than in the most profligate sinners in the world!

3. Sin’s Life in the Soul

The strength, efficacy, and power of this law of sin may be further evidenced from its life and in-being in the soul—notwithstanding the wound that is given to it in the first conversion of the soul to God—and in the continual opposition that is made to it by grace. But this is the subject and design of another endeavor.

4. Conclusion

It may now be expected that we should here add the special uses of all this discovery that has been made of the power, deceit, prevalence, and success of indwelling sin, this great adversary of our souls. But as for what concerns that humility, self-abasement, watchfulness, diligence, and application to the Lord Christ for relief, which will become those who find in themselves by experience the power of this law of sin, these have been occasionally mentioned and taught through the whole preceding discourse.

Therefore, for what concerns the actual mortification of it, I shall only recommend another small treatise to the reader for his direction, which was written long ago to that purpose. I suppose he may do well to consider it together with this, if he finds these things to be his concern.

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
—Jude 1:25

Thus the author ends this great and important work on indwelling sin. Let all God’s people take to heart their danger from it, and become more watchful to oppose it daily, in order to glorify God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“The more believers are aware of indwelling sin’s power, the less they will feel its effects.”

“Temptations and occasions put nothing into a man, but only draw out what was in him before.”

“The great wisdom and security of the soul in dealing with indwelling sin is to put a violent stop to its beginnings, its first motions and actings.”

“To let indwelling sin alone is to let it grow; not to conquer it is to be conquered by it.”

“Where indwelling sin prevails to deceive, it fails not to bring forth its fruit.”

“He who dies fighting in this warfare, dies assuredly a conqueror.”

“He who pleads with God for sin’s remission pleads also with his own heart for sin’s detestation.”

“Be always serious in spiritual things if ever you intend to be bettered by them.”

“What a man is in secret in private duties, that he is in the eyes of God, and no more.”

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