As Christians, our lives are to be free from condemnation. Even though we all struggle against the flesh, as Paul describes in Romans 7:14–25, we are not condemned if we are in Christ:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1–2).
But condemnation is one of the enemy’s favorite weapons. He’ll use anything—the flesh, the media, our past, and even fellow believers—to feed into our sense of unworthiness and fear of punishment.
Let’s take a closer look at what Scripture says about walking in the newness of life.
Romans chapter eight is a powerful passage. It is a beloved piece of Scripture, one that you might want memorize, in full or in part.
Here are some key truths, picking up in verse 3:
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and 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 . . . For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:3–6, NASB).
Paul also adds:
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:14–15).
There’s a battle going on: the flesh, our worldly desires, is battling with God’s Spirit in us, which is pure.
The flesh is weak: it gives in to sin, and cannot please God, no matter how hard it tries. It is condemned (and it likes to tell us so), but God has provided for the work of the flesh with the work of the cross.
Jesus became flesh and paid for our sins by His perfect sacrifice on the cross (vs. 3). He fulfilled the Law, God’s commands, which no man can keep perfectly (vs. 4).
He then sent His Spirit, giving all who follow Him a new nature. While we still exist in the flesh, we are called to live by the Spirit (vs. 6).
The Spirit tells us the truth that we are not condemned, but testifies that we are God’s sons and daughters as we cry out “Abba! Father!” (vs. 15).
There’s an old parable sometimes called The Tale of Two Wolves: a boy asks his father about his internal struggle between good and evil. The father explains that there are in fact two wolves battling inside of him. “Which one wins?” the boy asks. The father responds: “The one you feed.”
While this story isn’t in the Bible, it well illustrates Paul’s point: when we set our mind on the flesh, we naturally begin to feed into its desires. But the opposite is also true: when we set our minds on the Spirit, we begin to walk by the Spirit and give glory to our Father in heaven.
Our focus—choosing to embrace the truth of Scripture—is what God desires.
It is a battle, daily, but God’s Word is to be a sharp sword in our mouths. When condemnation arises from the flesh, the devil, or the world, we can boldly proclaim “there is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Then we can ask our “Abba! Father!” for deliverance and help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
And so we’ll find that “the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6, NASB).
What is an area of life where you need freedom from condemnation?
