Excerpts on Morifying Sin and How to Stop Sinning

How do I mortify the flesh?

1. Withdraw the fuel that may make lust burn. Avoid
all temptations. Take heed of that which nourishes sin.
Those who pray that they may not be led into temptation
—must not lead themselves into temptation.

2. Fight against fleshly lusts with spiritual weapons
—faith and prayer. The best way to combat with sin is—upon
our knees. Beg strength from Christ. Samson’s strength lay in
his hair; our strength lies in our head—Christ. This is a mystery
to the major part of the world—who gratify the flesh rather
than mortify it. ~ Thomas Watson, “The Christian Soldier” 1669

No hypocrite is totally divorced from the love and liking of every known sin. There is still some secret lust or other, which as a sweet morsel he rolls under his tongue, and will not spit it out, Job 20:12-14. Every hypocrite tolerates some evil or other in himself, and takes liberty to transgress. A hypocrite will make hard work to daub up his conscience, and to secure himself from the checks thereof. … Some sin or other always reigns without control in a hypocritical heart. A hypocrite always reserves one nest-egg or another in his heart or life, for Satan to sit and brood on. Jehu did many brave things—but yet he kept up the worship of his golden calves. Naaman promises high—but yet he is for bowing in the house of Rimmon. The pharisees were very devout—but yet they loved the praises of men, and the uppermost seats in the synagogues. There is never a hypocrite in the world—but will do what he can to save the life of his sin—though it be with the loss of his soul. O sirs! Satan can be contented that hypocrites should yield to God in many things—provided they will be but true to him in some one thing; for he very well knows, that one sin lived in and allowed, gives him as much advantage against the soul as more. Satan can hold a man fast enough by one sin, as the fowler can hold the bird fast enough by one claw. Satan knows, that one sin lived in and allowed, will mar all a man’s sweetest duties and services; as one dead fly will mar the whole box of precious ointment, Eccles. 10:1, and as one jarring string will bring the sweetest music out of tune.

It is said of Naaman the Syrian, that he was a valiant man, and a victorious man, and an honorable man, and a great favorite with his prince—but he was a leper, 2 Kings 5:1. Just so, it may be said of many hypocrites, they have such and such excellencies, and they perform such and such glorious duties—but they live and allow themselves in this or that sin—and that mars the beauty of all their services, Mat. 7:21-23. Satan knows, that one sin lived in and allowed, will as certainly damn a man as many; as one disease, one ulcerous part, may as certainly kill a man as many. Satan knows, that one sin lived in and allowed, will render a man as unclean in the eye of God as many.4es

If the leper in the law had the spot of leprosy in any one part of his body, he was accounted a leper, although all the rest of his body was sound and whole, Lev. 14. Just so, he who has the spot of the leprosy of sin allowed in any one part of his soul, he is a spiritual leper in the eye of God; he is unclean, though in other parts he may not be unclean. ~ Thomas Brooks, A Cabinet of Choice Jewels, or, A Box of Precious Ointment

Most professing Christians have not the right art of mortifying sin. All their attempts are to hide a lust,
not to quench it.

A great motive to provoke you to the mortifying of your darling sins, is solemnly to consider, that the
conquest and effectual mortifying of one bosom sin, will yield a Christian more glorious joy, comfort, and
peace–than ever he has found in the gratifying and committing of all other sins.

The pleasure and sweetness which follows victory over sin, is a thousand times beyond that seeming sweetness
which is in the gratifying of sin. The joy which attends the subduing of sin–is a noble joy, a pure joy, a special
joy, an increasing joy, and a lasting joy. But that joy which attends the committing of sin–is an ignoble joy,
a corrupt joy, a decreasing joy, a dying joy.

The truth is–if there were the least real joy in sin, there could be no hell-torments, where men shall most totally
sin, and be most totally tormented with their sin.

Ah! Christians, be restless, until, in the spirit and power of Jesus, you have brought under control, that sin which
sticks so close unto you!

Remember this, nothing below the conquest of bosom sins can make a jubilee in the heart. It is not a man’s
whining and complaining over sin–but his mortifying of sin, which will make his life a paradise of pleasure!

If, notwithstanding all that has been said, you are still resolved to dally with sin, then you must resolve to live
as a stranger to God; you must expect sad trials without, and sore troubles within; this shall be your just wages
for playing with sin! If you like the wages, then dally with sin still; if otherwise, then sacrifice your Isaac!

Ah! souls, of all unpardoned sins, your bosom sins will be presented by God, conscience, and Satan at last
–as the most filthy and ugly, as the most terrible and dreadful. Your bosom sins at last will appear to be those
monsters, those fiends of hell–which have most provoked God against you, which have shut up Christ’s affections of love and compassion from you, which have armed conscience against you, which have barred the gates of glory against you, which have prepared the hottest place in hell for you, and which have given Satan the greatest advantage eternally to triumph over you! ~ Thomas Brooks, Heaven on Earth

Eph. 6:14
This describes the Christian’s posture in his fight against Satan. It is a military expression, a word of command that a captain would use to his soldier. A coward does not stand, but Christ directs us to stand our ground to stoutly repel the enemy. Uriah stood in the face of death. He did not dispute with his General; obey he must, though he lost his life. To resist some temptations may cost us dear. The Roman captain said it was necessary to sail, not to live. The soldier carries his prince’s honour with him into the field. How unworthy it is to expose the name of God to reproach to avoid the little scorn, temporal loss, or trouble!

Truly, God is not careless with the blood of his servants, yet sometimes he tries their loyalty in hard service and sharp temptations, that he may from their faithfulness and holy stoutness in their suffering for him triumph over Satan. God furnishes armour for us to stand. Stand, and the day is ours; flee, and all is lost. There is no armour for the back in God’s armoury. Stand, and the bullets fall; flee, and they enter your heart. He that stands believing, comes off with his life. He that recoils and runs from his colours, God will have no pleasure in him. There is comfort in striving against sin and Satan, though through blood . Would you not rather die in the field for your Prince, than by the axe for cowardice or trechery? Satan is a cowardly enemy. He is discouraged when he finds the soul awake to oppose him. He fears and trembles at your faith. Pray for help against him, and vigorously reject the motions he makes, and he will run (James 4:7). He cannot hurt us without our consent. When we resist, his heart fails and he leaves. If we only weakly resist, he continues his assault. The only way to be rid of him is to shut the door upon him and deny all discourse with him.
William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, I:275-278

“Cleanse me from my hidden faults.” Psalm 19:12 “I hate vain thoughts.” Psalm119:113

A gracious soul conflicts most with heart-sins, and is most affected with spiritual sins, and laments and
mourns most over secret sins—invisible sins—sins which lie most hidden and remote from the eyes of
the world. He is most affected and afflicted by inward pollutions and defilements.

Grace will rise and conflict against the most inward
and secret vanities of the soul, such as—
secret self-love;
secret hardness of heart;
secret unbelief;
secret carnal confidence;
secret hypocrisy;
secret envy;
secret malice;
secret vain-glory;
secret fretting and murmuring;
secret lustings;
secret runnings-out of the soul after worldly vanities;
and secret pride.

True grace makes opposition as well against the being of sin in a man’s nature—as against the
breakings out of sin in a man’s life!

True grace will make war against the corruptions of the heart—as well as against the excursions of the feet!

True grace is as willing and desirous to be rid of a polluted heart—as it is willing and desirous to be rid
of a polluted hand.

True grace would gladly have, not only sinful acts—but also sinful dispositions; and not only irregular actions—
but also inordinate affections—mortified and subdued.

O friends! heart sins are root sins! Certainly a proud heart has more of Satan in it than a proud look! And a lustful
heart is more vile than a lustful eye! Therefore true grace makes war against heart sins, against spiritual sins, against the most inward secret sins—against those very sins which do not lie within the reach of the piercing eye of the most knowing or observing man in the world—but are only obvious to an Omniscient eye!

Spiritual convictions can reach to the most inward, secret, spiritual, and undiscernible sins. Certainly that is a sincere heart, a heart more worth than gold—which smites a man:
for inward sins—as well as for outward sins;
for sins done in secret—as well as for sins done in public;
for spiritual sins—as well as for fleshly sins;
for sins against the soul—as well as for sins against the body.

O friends! remember this once for all—that the main battle, the main warfare of a Christian lies not in the open
field, it lies not in visible skirmishes. But his main quarrels and conflicts are most within, and his worst and greatest enemies are those of his own house—those of his own heart.
A little grace may reform an evil life—but it must be a great deal of grace that reforms an evil heart! A little grace may make a man victorious over outward gross sins—but it must be a great deal of grace that makes a man victorious over inward sins, secret sins, spiritual sins, heart sins!

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me
that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:23-24 ~ Thomas Brooks, “A Cabinet of Choice Jewels” 1669

The most subtle, stubborn, and tenacious foe
(John Angell James, “Self-Renunciation“)

“Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?
You are not your own, for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corin. 6:19-20

Recollect that the renunciation of SELF, as well as of SIN, was one of the solemn transactions of that scene, and that time–when you bowed by faith at the foot of the cross, received mercy through Jesus Christ, and yielded yourselves to God. You then abjured, not only self-righteousness, but self-seeking, self-pleasing, and self-living. Self, as a supreme object, was renounced.

Self, until then, had been your loftiest aim; self-love your highest affection–but then you transferred your aim and your affection to another object. The Christian has no right to ask what he will do with himself; or to what he will give himself; or how he will employ himself. He is no longer at liberty to inquire how he shall spend his energies, his time, his properly, his labor, and his influence; for he is not his own–he is bought with a price.

He is not to live for fame–and please himself with the applause of his fellow creatures.

Nor is he to live for riches–and please himself with increasing wealth.

Nor is he to live for health–and please himself with the glowing energies of a sound body.

Nor is he to live for taste–and please himself with the pursuit of literature, science, or the arts.

Nor is he to live for social enjoyment–and please himself with an agreeable circle of friends.

Nor is he to live for ease–and please himself with unmolested quiet.

In short, he is not to consider himself as his own master–to please himself supremely in any way;
nor his own property–to employ himself on his own account, and for his own benefit. He is not to imagine
that personal gratification is to be his end and aim–for the accomplishment of which he may lay down his own
schemes, select his own course, and pursue his own methods–as if he had an independent and sovereign
right over himself. Self is . . . “the old man” to be crucified with Christ; the body of sin to be destroyed;
the corrupt nature to be put away; the law in our members to be resisted; the lusts of the mind to be subdued.

Self is the enemy of God–to be fought against; the rival interest with Christ in our soul–to be subdued;
the means by which the devil would hold us in alienation from holiness–to be opposed.

Self is the most subtle, the most stubborn, the most tenacious foe with which grace has to contend,
in the soul of the believer. SELF lives, and works, and fights–when many other corruptions are mortified. Self
is the last stronghold–the very citadel of Satan in the heart–which is reduced to the obedience of faith.

Why do believers murmur at the painful dispensations of Providence, and find submission so hard an achievement?
Because self is disturbed in its enjoyment!

Why are they so easily offended, and experience such difficulty in showing forgiveness? Because self-esteem
has been wounded!

Why are they covetous? Because self is gratified by its increasing stores.

What is vanity–but the indulgence of self-love?

What is ambition–but the exultation of self?

What is pride–but the worship of self?

Why are they so reluctant to give their time and labor for the good of others, and the glory of God? Because
they want it for ease, and the enjoyment of self!

Why are they peevish, quarrelsome, and discontented with the little annoyances of life, which are everywhere
and continually occurring? Because they want to settle down in unmolested ease, and undisturbed quiet, to
enjoy themselves!

But is this right? Is not this living as if we were our own?
Is not this living for ourselves? Is not this forgetting that we are purchased property, belonging to another?

My dear friends, do consider this subject. Weigh well the import of the condition of Christian discipleship, as laid
down by our Lord: “If any man will come after Me, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF.” Self-denial, not self-pleasing, is
your business! And the evidence of our being disciples is in exact proportion to our disposition thus to take up
our cross.

If we are coveting ease, quiet, soft indulgence, luxurious gratification–and are dissatisfied, and discontented, and
contentious, and peevish, because we cannot please ourselves, nor get others to please us, as the supreme
end of life–how can we dream that we are the disciples of Him, of whom it is declared, “He pleased not Himself,”
especially since it is said, “Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus?”

For whom then are we to live, and whom are we to please, if not ourselves? Who is to come in the place
of self? GOD! And for this obvious reason–we are God’s! God’s servants! God’s property!

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Reproof in Preaching-Do We Love Reproof or Sin « Ancient Wisdom That Works Today
Dec 23, 2009 @ 13:17:22

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