A Summary of John Owen's work.
Owen is usually very clear at the outset regarding what he wants to talk about and the point he wishes to make good to his readers. His essay concerning “indwelling sin” is true to form. He begins by saying,
It is of indwelling sin, and that in the remainders of it in persons after their conversion to God, with its power, efficacy, and effects, that we intend to treat.1
In order to talk about the power of indwelling sin in believers, Owen has chosen Romans 7:21 as his text. While He has decided not to “get lost” in the disputes and “contests” about the principal scope of the apostle in Romans 72, he nonetheless takes the passage (i.e., 7:21) as referring to the power of indwelling sin in a regenerate person for whom the apostle is an example:
I shall not at present enter into that dispute, but take that for granted which may be undeniably proved and evinced,—namely, that it is the condition of a regenerate person, with respect unto the remaining power of indwelling sin which is there proposed and exemplified, by and in the person of the apostle himself.3
We need now to present Romans 7:13-254 in both Greek and English Bibles (NET Bible):
13ToV ou ajgaqoVn ejmoiV ejgevneto qavnato"; mhV gevnoito: ajllaV hJ aJmartiva, i{na fanh'/ aJmartiva, diaV tou' ajgaqou' moi katergazomevnh qavnaton, i{na gevnhtai kaq* uJperbolhVn aJmartwloV" hJ aJmartiva diaV th'" ejntolh'". 14Oi[damen gaVr o{ti oJ novmo" pneumatikov" ejstin, ejgwV deV savrkino" eijmi pepramevno" uJpoV thVn aJmartivan. 15o} gaVr katergavzomai ouj ginwvskw: ouj gaVr o} qevlw tou'to pravssw, ajll* o} misw' tou'to poiw'. 16eij deV o} ouj qevlw tou'to poiw', suvmfhmi tw'/ novmw/ o{ti kalov". 17nuniV deV oujkevti ejgwV katergavzomai aujtoV ajllaV hJ oijkou'sa ejn ejmoiV aJmartiva. 18Oida gaVr o{ti oujk oijkei' ejn ejmoiv, tou't* e[stin ejn th'/ sarkiv mou, ajgaqovn: toV gaVr qevlein paravkeitai moi, toV deV katergavzesqai toV kaloVn ou[: 19ouj gaVr o} qevlw poiw' ajgaqovn, ajllaV o} ouj qevlw kakoVn tou'to pravssw. 20eij deV o} ouj qevlw ejgwV tou'to poiw', oujkevti ejgwV katergavzomai aujtoV ajllaV hJ oijkou'sa ejn ejmoiV aJmartiva. 21euJrivskw a[ra toVn novmon, tw'/ qevlonti ejmoiV poiei'n toV kalovn, o{ti ejmoiV toV kakoVn paravkeitai: 22sunhvdomai gaVr tw'/ novmw/ tou' qeou' kataV toVn e[sw a[nqrwpon, 23blevpw deV e{teron novmon ejn toi'" mevlesin mou ajntistrateuovmenon tw'/ novmw/ tou' noov" mou kaiV aijcmalwtivzonta me ejn tw'/ novmw/ th'" aJmartiva" tw'/ o[nti ejn toi'" mevlesin mou. 24Talaivpwro" ejgwV a[nqrwpo": tiv" me rJuvsetai ejk tou' swvmato" tou' qanavtou touvtou; 25cavri" deV tw'/ qew'/ diaV *Ihsou' Cristou' tou' kurivou hJmw'n. [Ara ou aujtoV" ejgwV tw'/ meVn noiV douleuvw novmw/ qeou' th'/ deV sarkiV novmw/ aJmartiva".
7:13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual—but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. 7:15 For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate. 7:16 But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. 7:17 But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me. 7:18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. 7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! 7:20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me. 7:21 So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. 7:22 For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. 7:23 But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
There are basically four points that Owen wants to make good from an examination of Romans 7:21. They are: (1) indwelling sin in believers exerts power and has efficacy. This is evidenced by the fact that the apostle refers to it as a “law” (cf. also v. 23); (2) the way in which Paul came to the discovery of this law, i.e., “he found it”; (3) the disposition or attitude of Paul’s heart when he found this law of sin, i.e., he wanted to do good,” and (4) the state and activity of this law when the soul wants to do good, i.e., Paul says “it is present with me.”
Paul says that he finds sin as a “law.” What does he mean by this? Well, says Owen, there are two ways in which we can understand the term “law.” First, a law often refers to a directive or rule. That is, “law” conceived as such refers to moral commands which direct a person to do one thing and refrain from another. Law viewed from this angle, while it directs inwardly is itself external to the person.
But there is another and related way to talk about “law.” That is, it can be viewed as something moral and inward, a principle if you will, that constantly inclines a person to act one way or another. Owen says,
The principle that is in the nature of everything, moving and carrying it towards its own end and rest, is called the law of nature. In this respect, every inward principle that inclineth and urgeth unto operations or actings suitable to itself is a law.5
Foe this reason Paul refers to the sanctifying work of the Spirit in the life of the believer as a law (Rom 8:2) in that it is constant, effectual, and presses us into beliefs and actions in agreement with that working, i.e., beliefs and actions commensurate with and directed toward holiness.
Now it is true, as Owen points out, that the term “law” is used in different ways in Romans 7. Some might argue that what Paul means here by “law” is simply “condition” or “state.” But this does nothing to really change the meaning Owen is advancing for Romans 7:21. In other words, to say that Paul’s experience was to find “sin as an existing condition when he would do good” does not seriously alter the meaning. However, it is important to note that in Romans 7 each occurrence of the term law used in collocation with the term sin points to the nature or power of sin itself. Sin acts like a law within us and is powerful to bring about its ends.
From a quick look at Romans 7:23 we get a clearer sense of what the term law means when used in connection with sin in Romans 7. The passage says, “But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members.” When Paul says he sees a “different law in [his] members” he is referring to the being and nature of indwelling sin and when he says “making me captive to the law of sin that is in [my] members” he is referring to the power and efficacy of sin. Both of these ideas, according to Owen, are to be found in the term “law” as it appears in Romans 7:21.
The point that Owen wants to draw from all this is that there is “an exceeding efficacy and power in the remainders of indwelling sin in believers, with a constant working towards evil.”6 Though sin is a law in them it is not a law to them; its power has been broken, though it is still a law nonetheless—a law that is all the more deadly when it lies quiet in the soul. But more of this in the following sections.
In this section Owen explains the way in which Paul came to the realization of indwelling sin as a “law.” The apostle knew of the concept and had undoubtedly heard it spoken of and taught before. But Owen says that this is not the kind of knowing Paul is referring to. He is not talking about knowing about something, like knowing about a person, but having never met them. Rather, he is talking about knowing of “something,” i.e., by personal, firsthand, experience. The truth is, he found the law at work in himself. Owen explains:
…it is one thing for a man to know in general that there is a law of sin; [it is] another thing for a man to have an experience of the power of this law of sin in himself. It is preached to all…But they are few that know it in themselves…But this is that which the apostle affirms,—not that the doctrine of it had been preached unto him, but that he had found it by experience in himself…For a man to find his sickness, and danger thereon from its effects, is another thing than to hear a discourse about a disease from its causes.7
The privilege of knowing firsthand the experience of indwelling sin as a law belongs solely to Christians—and Christians that are sensitive spiritually. The Christian who constantly gives in to sinful urges knows much less experientially of its power and efficacy than the Christian, who by the power of the Spirit (Rom 8:13), consistently wars against it.8 So important is the Christian’s recognition of sin as “a law with great force” that Owen says it is the “great preservative of all divine truth in the soul.” If we lose sight of this, we lost sight of who we are and thus we lose sight of God’s grace and mercy and our need of him. Owen completes this section with a statement of his second principle, namely,
Believers have experience of the power and efficacy of indwelling sin. They find it in themselves; they find it as a law. It hath a self evidencing efficacy to them that are alive to discern it. They that find not its power are under its dominion.9
The way for Christians to realize the presence, power, and efficacy of indwelling sin is to try, by the Spirit, the word, prayer and fellowship, to keep the moral law of God. If Christians have properly understood and applied this law of God—such as we see expounded in the Sermon on the Mount and applied by Paul and the other apostles—they will soon realize the power of the contrary “law” within them.
So the law of sin is exactly that in believers—a law attempting to exert its power, influence, and penalties. But it needs to be pointed out with clarity that the law of sin is a law in believers, but it is no longer a law unto them (like it is with unbelievers). They are not wholly given over to its demands at any time. Thus Owen says that there is another (and higher) law in believers, planted there and maintained by God (cf. Rom 8:1-2). Paul refers to it when he says that “he would do good.” This statement refers to the constant and abiding desire in every believer’s heart to will to do the good. Owen makes this point clear:
To will to do so [i.e., to will the good] is to have the habitual bent and inclination of the will set on that which is good,—that is, morally and spiritually good.10
From this truth Owen states his third principle, namely, that there is, and there is through grace, kept up in believers a constant and ordinarily prevailing will of doing good, notwithstanding the power of efficacy of indwelling sin to the contrary.11
This indicates that the position of the believer is to be seen in contradistinction to the unbeliever. The unbeliever has no such God created disposition within him. He is dead in sin (Eph 2:1-3) and his will is always aligned with sin (Rom 8:7). This does not mean that he never tries to do good, but what good he does achieve is due to the light he possesses12 and the conscience that pricks at him, even gnawing at times. Owen says that unbelievers’ faint endeavors at doing good are far from a will of doing the good. They do not choose to do “the good” because of the excellency of the thing chosen and its value to the betterment of the soul, for such reasoning, apprehension, and action (i.e., will) is not within the ability of the non-Christian (i.e., a person unaided by God’s Spirit).
There are two points to make clear regarding the “will to do good” that is in every believer. First, according to Romans 7:18 the will to do good is habitually and permanently within believers. Second, there are times and seasons for its exercise. Paul’s says, “when I would do good,” referring to specific seasons wherein this or that good is to be done or that duty performed.
Now it needs to be meditated upon and understood by the Christian that the will to do good will be met by a indwelling sin’s counteroffensive and this struggle is, per se, normal to the Christian life. When there is no experience of struggle, then we have a problem! Indwelling sin acts against both the gracious disposition that constantly abides in the believer (through the Spirit) as well as when the believer attempts to do the good. Evil, Paul says, is right there present with him when he acts to do the good, i.e., obey the Lord. This leads to Owen’s fourth point, namely, indwelling sin is effectually operative in rebelling and inclining to evil, when the will of doing good is in a particular manner active and inclining unto obedience.13
The apostle Paul described the conflict in believers in Galatians 5:17:
5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.
The “truth and consequences” of this reality of living in the “now/not yet”14 is supremely important for the Christian to understand and recognize in their own experience. Owen regards this truth as the “principle part of our wisdom” and, given Paul’s focus on it—in one way or another throughout his writings—he is certainly correct. There will be no real and permanent growth in holiness without at least a basic understanding of this principle. If we are to cooperate with the Spirit in sanctification—which is not to say that he does 50% and we do 50%, but is rather to say that we learn to respond to his urging, trust his leading and obey his summoning—then we must understand what is going on inside us and why we wrestle so often with indwelling sin. There is a war. Let us not forget that (1 Peter 2:12)!
In this first of his chapters on “indwelling sin” Owen has sought to make good on four principles which together form the foundation of insight into Paul’s doctrine and also form the foundation of the rest of Owen’s argument. Let’s take a moment and review them in preparation for the next chapter on the nature of indwelling sin as a law. In abbreviated form, here are the four principles again: (1) the remainder of indwelling sin in believers still maintains great efficacy and power and constantly tries to incline them to evil; (2) believers have firsthand experience of the power of indwelling sin; (3) by grace there is kept up in believers a constant and ordinarily prevailing will of doing good in spite of the presence and contrary activity of indwelling sin, and (4) indwelling sin is effectually operative in rebelling and inclining to evil when the will of doing good is in a particular manner active and inclining unto obedience.
1 John Owen, The Works of John Owen: The Nature, Power, Deceit and Prevalency of the Remainders of Indwelling Sin in Believers, ed. William H. Goold, vol. VI (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1967), VI:157.
2 There has been much discussion and dispute over the precise identification of the “I” in Romans 7:14-25. Some have argued that Paul is not referring to himself at all, though most, if not all, major commentators from Augustine on have correctly rejected this view. Since it is most certain that Paul is referring, at least initially, to himself, the question then remains does he mean himself as the Pharisee in his unconverted state, in which case he represents man in Adam, or is he referring to himself as Paul the Christian, in which case he represents all believers (surely we can agree that we are looking at universalized experience and not just that of the apostle). For further discussion and detailed arguments demonstrating that Paul is here referring to himself as a believer (and therefore his discussion refers to all believers), see J. I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1984), 263-70; John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul to the Romans and Thessalonians, Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries, trans. R. MacKenzie, ed. David W. Torrance and Thomas F. Torrance (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960), 148; C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans: A Shorter Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985), 164; James R. Edwards, Romans, NIBC (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1992), 190-91.
3 VI:157.
4 We include the material surrounding 7:21 so that the reader can get a feel for the immediate context in which v. 21 appears.
5 VI:158.
6 VI:159.
7 VI:159.
8 Owen is not here setting up a “two-class” Christianity—as the Keswick higher life erroneously sought to establish from 1 Cor 3:1ff—but is rather saying that in the experience of every Christian, giving in to sin repeatedly creates an inability to distinguish truth from error and a concomitant weakness to deal ruthlessly with sin. The question is one of degree, not kind. For the difference between giving in to sin, on the one hand, and saying “no” to sin and “yes” to righteousness on the other, think of the difference between floating downstream (i.e., giving in to sin) and trying to paddle upstream (say “no” to sin and “yes” to righteousness). Only the latter person really understands the force of the water! Again, it is one thing to ride downhill, quite another to go uphill. Only those who have gone uphill really know this firsthand.
9 VI:159.
10 VI:160.
11 VI:160.
12 Owen seems to be appealing here to the fact that men and women are made in the image of God and that many also have the influence of Biblical preaching as well as the testimony of Christians’ godly lives.
13 VI:161.
14 The expression “now/not yet” underlies all of New Testament soteriological thought and is a convenient way of summarizing our current experience of salvation in contrast to what is yet to be accomplished at glorification. We can expect God to do great things in and through us now (Eph 3:20), and we must never lose sight of this, but the kingdom of God awaits still a future consummation; it is only at that time, when the Son returns and ultimately ushers in the eternal state, that we will no longer struggle with sin. All pretensions to the contrary are just that, pretensions.
In this chapter Owen will explore in greater detail what he means when he talks about the “dominion” and “efficacy” of the remainders indwelling sin in the soul of a Christian. What does it mean that sin is still regarded as a “law in” believers though it is not a “law unto” them? How does it exert its power in our experience? These are important questions for all Christians to come to grips with, but especially new Christians, lest they go astray, doubting their salvation and/or commitment to the Lord. In the end, all Christians must remember and meditate on the truth that no matter how powerful they might find the law of indwelling sin (and it is powerful), the far greater fact—which Owen reminds us of at the outset—concerns the work of the Spirit, which in its power and consistency is also likened to a “law” in Romans 8:2 (cf. Eph 1:19):
8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 8:2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
So then, armed with the Spirit-animated truth about our salvation, let us move on to Owen’s discussion of the power of indwelling sin. Caution: Owen’s discussion of the pervasiveness of sin’s power in our lives will seem overdone by the standards of some today, but he is certainly closer the Biblical mark than any moderns. So then, let us ditch the moderns, as one writer has wisely said, and let us proceed forward with Paul, who I find Owen to properly interpret. Owen’s discussion is not just chicken soup for a hungry soul, it is good medicine for the depraved soul. There is no healing until a correct diagnosis has been given. As Karl Barth once said, “If Jesus Christ died on a cross in our place, then I guess we know what our place is!” Let us never forget that it took a cross to reconcile us to God, not just a polite conversation between two parties at odds. The problem is much worse than we 21st century techno-geniuses have psychologized—even in our more sober moments. Thus, Owen pulls no punches in discussing sin’s hold over Christians, nor is he in any way stranger to grace and power. But, the latter never seem to become a reality in our daily experience until we are literally smitten with the depth of the depravity of our own souls. “Nothing good lives in me,” that is, “in my flesh,” says the apostle of grace.
Owen says that there are two things which attend every law as law, and so it is with the law of indwelling sin. First, as a law, indwelling sin has “dominion.” Second, as a law, it carries with it punishments and rewards, depending on how one reacts to it. Let’s take a closer look at these two ideas.
In Romans 7:1 the apostle says “the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives.” It is in the place of a superior over the man who is properly regarded as an inferior and it is in this context that it exacts obedience from the man. But the precise relationship is a little more sophisticated than this, as Owen points out:
Now, there is a twofold dominion, as there is a twofold law. There is a moral authoritative dominion over a man and there is a real affective dominion in a man. The first is an affection of the law of God, the latter of the law of sin. The law of sin hath not in itself a moral dominion,—it hath not a rightful dominion or authority over any man; but it hath that which is equivalent unto it; whence it is said, basiluein, “to reign as king,” Rom vi. 12, and kurieuein, “to lord it,” or have dominion, verse 14, as a law in general is said to have, chap. vii.1.15
Owen is saying that the law of sin does not rightfully exercise dominion over us, but it nonetheless acts as a law within us. It is true that indwelling sin has not the same force in us as it has in those who do not know Christ’s liberating power, but again, Owen is quick to point out that it is a law in us. “And though it have not a complete, and, as it were, a rightful dominion over them, yet it will have a domination as to some things in them.”
This is a difficult point for many of us moderns to grasp and appreciate. We want quick-fixes, painless Christianity, perfect joy, and feelings of never ending bliss—in the here and now! But an implication of what Owen is saying is that this is not continuously possible in this life, for indwelling sin, though weakened considerably (through our co-crucifixion with Christ and the Spirit who now lives in our hearts), still acts with power as a law within us. The law still has efficacy!
The remainders of indwelling sin in the believer function as a law. Therefore, indwelling sin has power to act and to do so with a measure of ease. Indeed, as with any law, it exerts its power by enforcing rewards and punishments. It is precisely the rewards and punishments attached to sin that gives it its allurement and strength.
Owen uses the example of Moses to make his point. In Hebrews 11:24-27 the text says:
11:24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 11:25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. 11:26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on the reward. 11:27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible.
The way in which the law of sin tried to draw Moses over into a life of sin was through its reward, namely, the enjoyment of certain pleasures at the expense of doing God’s will. In this way, the “law of sin” contended against the “law of grace” and the reward of God’s peace and presence that it proposes. And indeed, this is the way sin works in all of us; hence, the writer’s use of this incident in Moses’ life.
It is by this sorry reward, as Owen calls it, that the law of sin keeps the world in its grip. But not only does the law of sin offer rewards for obedience, it also offers punishments—as any law does—for disobedience. These too ensnare men in sin.
Whatever evil, trouble, or danger in the world, attends gospel obedience,—whatever hardship or violence is to be offered to the sensual part of our natures in a strict course of mortification,—sin makes use of, as if they were punishments attending the neglect of its commands…And it is hard to say by whether [i.e., which] of these, its pretended rewards or pretended punishments, it doth most prevail, in whether of them its greatest strength doth lie.16
It is interesting to note, as Owen does, that it is generally through its rewards that it entices men to sins of commission and through its punishments—by exciting fear in people—that it leads men to sins of omission, i.e., they willfully shun necessary duties and skirt around God’s commands. In both cases, namely, sins of commission and sins of omission, the will is opposed to God and aligned with the law of sin. All too often we hear that serving God is too hard, that serving him involves “deprivation of all sensual contentments.” In this way, sin has laid hold of our hearts and is plying its trade with skill and proficiency. There is no way to stand before the power of the law of sin if a man is not willing to reject, as Moses did, the “reward-punishment” reasonings that flow from this law and instead, adopt as his measure, the will of God. The world is a perfect and ongoing example of the power of this law as men are continually unable to withstand the offer of its pseudo-rewards and punishments.
Thus indwelling sin is a law and functions as such in our experience, holding out rewards and punishments as it does. But it is not a law that comes from the outside, but a law that comes from within—and it is this fact which helps us understand more about its power. As Owen says:
It is not an outward, written, commanding, directing law, but an inbred, working, impelling, urging law. A law proposed unto us is not to be compared, for efficacy [i.e., power], to a law inbred in us. Adam had a law of sin proposed to him in his temptation; but because he had no law of sin inbred and working in him, he might have withstood it. An inbred law must needs be effectual.17
But the human race is no longer in a pre-fall state. All men are sinners, have a corrupt nature, are sold into slavery to sin, and nothing good lives in them, that is, in their flesh (Rom 7:17-23). No amount of painful circumstances, or joyous ones for that matter, and no law external to us, can extricate us from the dominion of the law of sin. Knowing that to be the case, God, in his infinite mercy and wisdom, designed a new covenant, which Jeremiah spoke about (Jer 31:31-34), in order to implant his law in our hearts in a way that would lead to our deliverance from sin’s reign and tyranny. But even under the new covenant, while the complete dominion of sin has been broken, it nonetheless still acts as a law in us. It does so in several ways that every Christian should understand if they want to successfully wage war against it (cf. 1 Pet 2:11).
The apostle Paul says repeatedly in Romans 7:17-18, 20 (cf. vv. 21, 23) that sin dwells in him and at no point does he even imply that any sanctification in this life will ever result in sinless perfection. The law of sin will always be present in us as long as we are in this body, this side of heaven. Now if sin were only to come upon us once and awhile, we might have greater success in mortification and might experience greater deliverance from its power. But the truth is—and it is often forgotten or overlooked—sin dwells in us constantly. There is a traitor in our hearts that lives there day-in and day-out. Speaking of indwelling sin Owen comments:
If it came upon the soul only at certain seasons, much obedience might be perfectly accomplished in its absence…But the soul is its home; there it dwells, and is no wanderer. Wherever you are, whatever you are about, this law of sin is always in you; in the best that you do, and in the worst. Men little consider what a dangerous companion is always at home with them…There is a living coal continually in their houses; which, if it be not looked unto, will fire [burn] them, and it may be consume them. Oh, the woful [sic] security of poor souls!18
Not only does the law of sin constantly, without any interruption, indwell us and inhabit our experience as Christians, “it is always ready to apply itself to every end and purpose that it serves unto.” The apostle Paul makes the interesting comment that “whenever I would do good, evil is right there with me” (Rom 7:21).
So it’s not just that the inmate lives in our quarters and nothing more. No. He not only lives there, but is constantly active, trying to trip us up as we move about. In fact, sometimes the more we try to do in terms of holiness, the more he tries to stop us and the worse the ensuing fight is. NOTE: There is hardly a truth more important to a committed Christian than the knowledge that she has a real enemy within who brings all sorts of trials and sinful emotions to bear on her in her zeal to serve the Lord and live a holy life. If a Christian does not realize that it is not that God hates them, but that they have a rebellious law at work in their members, she will eventually quit, claiming that it is simply too hard to serve God, be happy, and remain a sane person. She will constantly be arguing with God about why he doesn’t seem to help more than he does.
Go and pray. Share the gospel with someone. Seek to put down some lust in your soul by the power of the Spirit. Love the unlovely. Seek to obey God in some area of your life and you will find the power of this law at work It is only those who have never persevered in holiness who are oblivious to this fact. “When I would do good,” Paul says, “evil is right there with me.”
This law of sin “dwelleth in us,—that is, it adheres as a depraved principle, unto our minds in darkness and vanity, unto our affections in sensuality, unto our wills in a loathing of and aversation [sic] from that which is good…and…is continually putting itself upon us.19
Since indwelling sin acts as a law within believers it carries on its work with a level of ease. As the writer of Hebrews says, “Let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles (or “the sin that clings so closely”).” As was mentioned above, the law of sin exerts serious and continuous influence over the mind, bringing ignorance, darkness, vanity, folly, and madness. It affects the will bringing spiritual deadness, stubbornness, and obstinacy. It presses in on the affections and heart, bringing worldliness, an inordinate focus on material things and the present, increasing sensuality, and overall carnality. Therefore, as it is present in all that we are and do, it can easily bring its rewards and punishments to bear on us.
Now there are many people in the world who find no such law in themselves. Owen argues that there is a reason for this: they are wholly under the dominion of sin. They do not find darkness in their minds, because they are wholly dark and it requires some light to see the darkness! They do not find any deadness in their will toward God because they are wholly dead in their trespasses and sins and it requires at least some life to recognize deadness for what it is! In short, they are at peace with their lusts because they are in bondage to them. In this way they go through the world, greedy for what it has to offer, and gladly exchanging such temporal pleasures for eternal light, truth, and indeed, life itself.
Whence is it that so many live so unprofitably under the word, that they understand so little of what is spoken unto them, that they practice less of what they understand, and will by no means be stirred up to answer the mind of God in his calls unto them? It is all from this law of sin and the power of it, that rules and bears sway in men, that all these do proceed.20
Owen says that it is extremely important that men find this law at work in themselves so that they might abhor sin and cry out for grace. More grace Lord! Indeed, to the degree that a person sees this law at work in their members will be the degree to which they earnestly seek God for his mercy and grace. The whole course of our lives turns on our finding out this law in ourselves, for it alone is the hinge upon which our life’s direction turns.
Have you found this law at work in your experience as a Christian? If you are not a Christian and you see sin at work in your life, plying its trade with ease, come to Christ, trust him for forgiveness, cleansing, and power to overcome. If you’re a Christian already, ask God to open your eyes to your sin and the completeness of your need for grace. Let us have a diligence in this matter—diligence proportionate to our need and danger (John 15:5-6)!
The apostle Paul refers to the power of indwelling sin as a law. But it is not a law imposed from the outside, but rather an internal law impelling from within. Therefore, it has great power and efficacy in bringing about sin. As a law it offers rewards for obedience and punishments for disobedience. It always abides within us a believers (until death) and is ready at all times to ply its trade. Further, it does so with ease since it “possesses” our minds, emotions, and wills. It behooves us as Christians, then, to understand this reality because the whole course of our Christian experience is directly related to it. Our longing for, and deepening experience of God’s grace, is dependant upon our firsthand knowledge of this traitor in our souls.
15 VI:163.
16 VI:164.
17 VI:165.
18 VI:166.
19 VI:167.
20 VI:168.
In chapter one Owen, relying on the apostle Paul and Romans 7:21, refers to the remainders of indwelling sin in believers as a “law.” In chapter two he discusses at length what sin as a law means. He argues that in contrast to a law imposed from the outside, indwelling sin is a law from within and hence it has greater power to motivate, compel, and impel us into its service. It always abides in the soul; is always ready to apply itself with rewards and punishments; and always affects the mind with darkness, the affections with sensuality, the will with stubbornness. As Paul says, “When I am would do good, sin is right there with me.” It is ever present.
In chapter three Owen will continue to discuss the power of indwelling sin, especially as it has reference to the seat of sin, namely, the heart. He will define the nature of the “heart” according to Scripture and then talk about its deceitfulness and how that adds to the power of indwelling sin.
In Scripture, the heart is the seat of indwelling sin as well as its subject. It is from the heart that indwelling sin springs in a person’s experience. Indeed, sin has invaded as an enemy and now possesses the very throne of God himself. So says the preacher:
Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is the unfortunate thing about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone; The hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is madness in their hearts during their lives—then they die.
The writer of Ecclesiastes says that the hearts of all people are not just tainted by sin, but indeed, full of sin. He likens it to madness that goes on during the whole of their lives. A sad picture indeed. In his evaluation of the sinfulness of the human heart, Jesus says essentially the same thing:
Matthew 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person. 15:19 For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 15:20 These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person.”
It is true that there are many outward temptations that come upon us as human beings, but the problem we have comes essentially from within. It is from within that our fallen, darkened hearts gush forth evil and corrupt the whole of our lives, seriously damaging the lives of those to whom we are most connected. In Genesis 6:5 the text pulls no punches, describing the depths to which the human heart can sink apart from God:
6:5 But the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time.
Jesus said that “the good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil….” (Luke 6:45). The good treasure Jesus speaks of comes by grace, but the evil treasure is the best that man, in his pitiful, fallen state can produce apart from God’s grace. These two treasures, ironically enough, do not run empty the more men draw upon them. Indeed, the more a person under God’s grace draws on Christ’s riches through faith and obedience, the more the principle of grace is strengthened in that person. On the other hand, the more a person feeds his sin through unbelief and disobedience, the more the sin’s power grows within, establishing a foothold and then a fortress. As Owen says:
The more men exercise their grace in duties of obedience, the more it is strengthened and increased in them; and the more men exert and put forth the fruits of their lust, the more is that enraged and increased in them;—it feeds upon itself, swallows up its own poison, and grows thereby. The more men sin, the more they are inclined to sin. It is from the deceitfulness of this law of sin, whereof we shall speak afterward at large, that men persuade themselves that by this or that particular sin they shall so satisfy their lusts as that they shall need to sin no more. Every sin increaseth the principle, and fortifieth the habit of sinning.21
There is no more realistic picture of the deceitfulness of sin than here presented. How many times have you heard people (myself/yourself?) say: “I’ll just do it this time and get it out of my system.” Nothing could be more deceitful than this. “Do it once, and you’ll do it twice” is much closer to the truth. Our sinful lusts—which live and thrive in our hearts—gain ground through use, but by the Spirit they can be put to death (Rom 8:13).
Thus the Bible is everywhere realistic in its evaluation of the human heart. It recognizes the good from creation and the grace of God, but is utterly straightforward about the sin and folly bound up within us as well.
Owen refers to the “heart” numerous times and in this section takes a moment to describe what he means by the term. Generally speaking, “heart” in Scripture refers to the whole of a man considered in his desires, decisions, and plans; it refers to man viewed as a morally responsible being. Owen comments:
The heart in the Scripture is variously used; sometimes for the mind and understanding, sometimes for the will, sometimes for the affections, sometimes for the conscience, sometimes for the whole soul. Generally, it denotes the whole soul of man and all the faculties of it, not absolutely, but as they are all one principle of moral operations, as they all concur in our doing good or evil.22
Now in relationship to the “heart” as the principle of men’s good or evil actions, two things may be said. First, there is a suitableness or pleasingness to the heart in what is actually done. Both God and men are said to do things wholeheartedly. Second, there is a resolution or constancy in the things that are done. Men’s hearts constantly draw on the treasure within which they feel they need or intend to use. Thus there is both a suitableness and a constancy in the workings of the heart.
Since sin is lodged within the very heart of man and is no way peripheral to his experience, it is indeed capable of exerting enormous influence over his life. There are many properties that give sin its power in the heart, but Owen wants to consider only two, both of which are drawn from Jeremiah 17:9:
17:9 The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it? 17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. And I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.
The heart is virtually unsearchable to human beings. Certainly no one can fully understand the heart of another person and no person can fully understand his/her own heart either. The human heart is fully pervious to God alone; only he can plumb the depths of our hearts and render an accurate verdict as to what he finds there. And, remember, it is in that unsearchable heart that the law of sin dwells.
Much of the strength of indwelling sin, then, lies in this fact, namely, that the heart itself is beyond understanding. This allows sin to have its sway and power. Thus we may suppose a certain sin to have been defeated when in reality it has only temporarily slipped out of sight-where we cannot follow it and destroy it—only to reappear at a more convenient time.
It [sin] can lie so close in the mind’s darkness, in the will’s indisposition, in the disorder and carnality of the affections, that no eye can discover it. The best of our wisdom is but to watch its first appearances, to catch its first under-earth heavings and workings, and to set ourselves in opposition to them; for to follow it into the secret corners of the heart, that we cannot do.23
The heart is desperately deceitful. One need only look at the affairs of men in the world, including their actions toward others and the advice they offer to others. But Jeremiah’s reference to the heart as deceitful is not in connection with the deceitfulness of sin in society, as prevalent as that is. Rather, the prophet speaks of the deceitfulness in a man’s heart toward himself.
But how does this deceitfulness manifest itself? First, the heart abounds in contradictions. Sin has laid such a hold on the faculties of the heart that it has corrupted all of them causing them to act in ways outside their created order and harmonious workings. The mind was designed to discover truth, the emotions and affections to set themselves on the beauty of the truth and the will to perform the truth out of love for God. But sin has entered and a beautiful creation has been seriously marred. We still have all these faculties but they seldom function according to their design.
Sometimes the affections get the sovereignty, that is, they run off into sin and only later the mind recognizes the error. At other times the will refuses to love and obey the truth the mind discovers. There are also times in which the mind is too weak to investigate truth even though the emotions are crying out for it, the will is waiting for it, and the conscience is demanding it.
The mind and the reason were in perfect subjection and subordination to God and his will….That being disturbed by sin, the rest of the faculties move cross and contrary to one another. The will chooseth not the good which the mind discovers; the affections delight not in that which the will chooseth; but all jar and interfere, cross and rebel against each other. This we have got by our falling from God.24
This leads Owen to the conclusion that the “frame of the heart is ready to contradict itself every moment.”25 Things can be going well, so to speak, with the mind, affections, and will at peace and operating properly, but in the very next breadth the emotions can seize sovereignty and all can descend in turmoil and contradictions. This is not the way in which God created us, but it is the sad reality of the impact of sin on us.
There is a second way, besides contradictions, that deceit operates in our hearts. Deceit operates in the heart by also making full promisings at the first appearance of things. Sometimes our affections or emotions are touched upon and all seems to be well with the heart. But, within a short time, our whole disposition or countenance is shaken, indicating that our mind had not also been touched or changed by God. Once the emotion is gone, all the “fair promises” we made regarding reform and holiness are gone with it. This, according to Owen, is another great deceit of the heart wherein lies sin.
When we consider that the very “frame” (Owen’s words) or order of operations of the faculties of the soul are dislodged by sin, and thrown violently into confusion, and that the heart makes promises it cannot keep, we are not surprised to hear Jeremiah call the heart “desperately wicked.” We are also not surprised that God should warn us numerous times in Scripture to watch our hearts!
There are three considerations which Owen wants to remind us of in light of the deceitfulness of our hearts: (1) never think our work of mortification has come to an end; (2) such great deceitfulness requires perpetual watchfulness; (3) in our struggle we must commit all things to God.
The redeemed soul, by the grace of God and his indwelling Spirit (Rom 8:13), must press on toward perfection. To this it has been called. Thus, our role is one of co-operation with God, in which we put to death the misdeeds of the body (Phil 2:12-13). And we shall do this for as long as we are in this body. Only at glorification, in the next life, will there be no need for mortification. How much more do we realize this now, since we have come to understand that the very home of sin, i.e., our hearts, is deceitful? The person who dies fighting this fight, dies a victor. As Owen says,
Never let us reckon that our work of contending against sin, in crucifying, mortifying, and subduing of it, is at an end. The place of its habitation [i.e., the heart] is unsearchable; and when we may think that we have thoroughly won the field, there is still some reserve remaining that we saw not, that we knew not of. Many conquerors have been ruined by their carelessness after a victory, and many have been spiritually wounded after great successes against this enemy…Let us, then, reckon on it, that there is no way to have our work done but by always doing of it; and he who dies fighting in this warfare dies assuredly a conqueror.26
Sin has its residence in that which is inconstant, changing, and habitually deceitful, i.e., in our hearts. This means that we must be on constant vigil for its actings; we must be in a perpetual state of watchfulness (not fearfulness or hyper-activity). If we were fighting against an enemy who presented himself in the open, that would be one thing; we could rest in peace knowing that he was far away at times or incapable of striking at others. But we wrestle not against such a foe. Sin living in the heart is deceitful, deals treacherously, and often comes by stealth. Therefore, we must be vigilant; we must watch and pray as the Lord himself repeatedly taught us. “Though the morning give a fair appearance of serenity and peace, turbulent affections may arise, and cloud the soul with sin and darkness.”27
Realistic discussions about sin and its power in our lives could lead us, if it were not for the gracious provision and presence of our Lord, to feelings of despair and anxiety. This need not be the case, however, for God desires that we commit the whole matter to him, and that we do so with care and diligence. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Pet 5:7).
He is able to search our hearts to the uttermost to know exactly what lies beneath the surface ready to undo us. He is able to make things known to us so as to protect us and deliver us from the enemy. He knows the ways of our fallen hearts and is not the least bit fooled by them. He also loves us deeply, as the cross once-and-for-all teaches us. We need only follow the course set out for us by Israel’s great king, David:
Psalm 139:23 Examine me, and probe my thoughts! Test me, and know my concerns! 139:24 See if there is any idolatrous tendency in me, and lead me in the reliable ancient path!
In this chapter Owen has dealt with the relationship between indwelling sin and the human heart as the seat and subject of sin. The heart in Scripture refers, generally speaking, to the whole of man considered as a moral being choosing evil or good. It has several faculties including mind, emotions, will, and conscience. These were designed to function in a hierarchy of harmonious agreement, but not so since the fall.
The heart in its “deceitfulness” and its “unsearchableness” increases the impact and power of indwelling sin upon us. Thus we are commanded to never let up from mortification and to remain watchful for sin’s uprising in the heart. Finally, we are to commit all these realities over to God who knows our hearts thoroughly and is able to uncover sin for us. In this process we are to follow the example of David in Psalm 139:23-24.
21 VI:170.
22 VI:170.
23 VI:172.
24 VI:173.
25 VI:173.
26 VI:174-75.
27 VI:175.
The principle text from which John Owen builds his understanding of the power of indwelling sin in the life of the Christian—and from which his whole discussion of this issues springs—is Romans 7:21. He translates the passage as follows: “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” From this passage Owen gleans four general truths which he outlines in chapter one. They are: (1) there is an exceeding efficacy and power in the remainders of indwelling sin in the Christian and it constantly works toward evil; (2) believers do indeed experience the power and efficacy of indwelling sin; (3) by the sheer grace of God there is maintained and developed in the believer a desire to do the good, notwithstanding the power and efficacy of indwelling sin, and (4) indwelling sin is most operative and inclining to evil when the will of doing good is active in a particular manner and inclining toward obedience.
Having laid the groundwork in chapter one, Owen moves on in chapter two to discuss the power of indwelling sin according to Paul’s description of it as a “law.” A “law,” the Puritan says, has both “dominion” as well as “efficacy to provoke” (i.e., with thoughts of reward and punishment). Owen rightly nuances the concept of dominion by explaining that while the Christian is not under the complete and hopeless dominion of sin in the same way as a person who does not know Christ, indwelling sin is nonetheless a law in them, though not a controlling law unto them. He says:
But even in them it [sin] is a law still; though not a law unto them, yet, as was said, it is a law in them. And though it have not a complete, and, as it were, a rightful dominion over them, yet it will have a domination as to some things in them. It is still a law, and that in them; so that all its actings are the actings of a law,—that is, it acts with power, though it have lost its complete power of ruling in them. Though it be weakened, yet its nature is not changed.28
In concluding chapter two, Owen lays stress on three facts that give indwelling sin its power: (1) it always abides in the soul; thus all claims to complete sanctification are mere delusions; (2) it is always ready to apply itself to sinful ends, and (3) since it is an indwelling law (and not something applied from without), it is able to ply its trade with ease and success. Thus in chapters one and two Owen gives general reasons indwelling sin is referred to as a “law.” In chapter’s three through five, he will develop three more particular reasons indwelling sin has such great power.
In chapter three Owen searches out another reason indwelling sin wars relentlessly with apparently endless power, namely, because of its connection to the heart. Indeed, the heart is the center of person’s moral and spiritual life and it is here that our enemy dwells; the heart is his fortress, the citadel from which he launches his attacks. But it is the nature of the fallen human heart that aggravates the situation.
There are two properties, in particular, of the heart, that enable sin to mount such vicious offensives. First, according to Jeremiah 17:9 the heart is unsearchable. No one can completely understand it, save God and him alone. Second, and in keeping with the first problem, the heart is deceitful, exceedingly so (cf. Gen 6:5). Its deceitfulness is seen in its numerous contradictions and false promises concerning full obedience to God. Regarded as such, the heart increases the strength of sin.
So, there’s a quick review of chapter’s one through three. In chapter four, Owen will discuss the nature of sin itself as enmity against God. We will see that indwelling sin infects all of the soul and has a hatred for all of God. If the seat and subject of sin (i.e., the heart) give it power, so also its malicious character.
In Romans 8:7 the apostle says that “the thoughts of the flesh are enmity against God.” The expression, “the thoughts of the flesh” (frovnhma th~" sarkov", phronema tes sarkos) is the same as “the law of sin.” Therefore, according to Owen, “the law of sin” is enmity against God. But what does the term “enmity” mean?
The meaning of “enmity” is not the same as “enemy.” An enemy can be reconciled, such as we were to God through the blood of Christ. Paul says as much in Romans 5:10-11:
5:10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 5:11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Enmity, on the other hand, cannot be reconciled; it must be destroyed. Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 2:14-15:
2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of enmity, 2:15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace….
So the very nature of sin is enmity and that even in the very least degree of it. There are times when its force seems to abate for a moment, but let us not be fooled, it is still pure enmity against God. Owen says,
As every drop of poison is poison, and will infect, and every spark of fire is fire, and will burn; so is every thing of the law of sin, the last, the least of it,—it is enmity, it will poison, it will burn…The meanest [i.e., slightest] acting, the meanest and most imperceptible working of it, is the acting and working of enmity. Mortification abates of its force, but doth not change its nature. Grace changeth the nature of man, but nothing can change the nature of sin.29
Despite the fact that God is love, infinitely and eternally so, and that he is excellent and desirable above all things, we carry this enmity against him all the days of our lives. It cannot be cured, only destroyed—and some day God himself will do this. We are assured of this based on Christ's work on the cross and all the benefits that flow to us through it.
This, then, is where indwelling sin gets its power; it is pure enmity “to the last drop” and will admit of no peace, truce, or surrender until the bitter end. Thus it is foolish for men and women to think they will have any rest from their lust, except by its death. There is no self-help program for indwelling sin; it can never be reformed. Thus, those who indulge the flesh under the pretense of satisfying it are deluded. Just as large quantities of fuel cannot satisfy a fire, but only increase its intensity and power, so it is with indwelling sin. The more we feed it, the more its strength multiplies. There is no such thing as doing something evil, in order to “get it out of one's system.” A person cannot bargain with a fire, pleading that it only take so much of their house. The only way to stop it is by quenching it, that is, killing it. So it is with indwelling sin in the believer.
But it is not simply that sin is “enmity,” by its nature, but that it is enmity against God. It is true that indwelling sin opposes our very soul (1 Peter 2:11) as well as the principle of spiritual growth instilled within us by the constant operation of the Spirit of God (Gal 5:17), but indwelling sin is primarily opposed to God himself. It opposes the grace of God within us, but is primarily set against God himself.
It is its [i.e., indwelling sin] work to oppose grace; it is a consequent of its work to oppose our souls, which follows upon what it doth more than what it intends; but its nature and formal design is to oppose God,—God as lawgiver, God as holy, God as the author of the gospel, a way of salvation by grace, and not by works,—this is the direct object of the law of sin. 30
Owen then asks the question as to why indwelling sin opposes duty so that the good we would do, we are unable to do, either in the manner in which it should be done or in the matter itself? The answer, according to Owen, is because of its enmity to God. The formal reason that sin opposes the doing of the good is because of “the good’s” connection to God. Otherwise, this is not the case.
May a road, a trade, a way of duties be set up, where communion with God is not aimed at, but only the duty itself, as is the manner of men in most of their superstitious worship, the opposition that will lie against it from the law of sin will be very weak, easy, and gentle…And it is no wonder that men fight with carnal weapons for their superstitious worship without, when they have no fighting against it within; for God is not in it, and the law of sin makes not opposition to any duty, but to God in every duty.31
With greater insight Owen goes on further:
It is thus in respect of all propensity unto sin, as well as aversation from God. It is God himself that is aimed at. It is true, the pleasures, the wages of sin, do greatly influence the sensual, carnal affections of men: but it is the holiness and authority of God that sin itself rises up against; it hates the yoke of the Lord…Every act of sin is a fruit of being weary of God.32
Owen has made it quite clear to this point that sin in its greatest or minutest movements is enmity against God. In this section he develops the argument even further by indicating that indwelling sin is not only enmity against God, but against all of God. The soul might have a shelter from sin’s power if there were any part of God, any attribute or work of God, any duty of communion or obedience to God, etc. that it was not vehemently opposed to. But there simply isn’t. Sin is enmity to all of God and everything he represents, stands for, designs or commands. Now in keeping with this is the fact that indwelling sin exercises even greater enmity the closer we draw to God or the more we consciously aim for his holiness.
It is understandable that sin should oppose God’s law for sin is unable to keep the law and can only be judged by the law—and condemned. But sin shows an even greater enmity against the gospel wherein is seen God’s grace, mercy, and pardon. Owen says this is because more of God’s character and the excellencies of his attributes are manifest in the latter than in the former.
Sin has infected and taken hostage all the faculties of the soul. If this were not the case, perhaps it could be more easily subdued. But indeed, man is totally depraved and sin has polluted his entire being. So Christ must conquer sin at every point if he is to ever really own us. Owen says that,
…when Christ comes with his spiritual power on the soul, to conquer it to himself, he hath no quiet landing place. He can set foot on no ground, but what he must fight for and conquer. Not the mind, not an affection, not the will, but all is secured against him. And when grace hath made its entrance, yet sin will dwell in all its coastlands.33
The entire soul is thrown into sin. The mind has its darkness and confusion to deal with while the affections and emotions are battling hatred for God, sloth, and sensuality. The will, for its part, constantly wrestles with stubbornness, refusal to do God’s will, and perverseness. This is why our knowledge is corrupted, our obedience weak, and our love is stained with fear and rejection. We are in desperate need of a savior; otherwise we are completely and utterly lost.
Owen has hinted at and made mention of this point throughout the chapter, but spells it out specifically at the end. Sin has no thoughts of giving up, yielding or wavering for a moment. We would do well to keep this in mind and remain vigilant.
The point of this chapter was to move beyond chapter’s one through three and give yet further insight into the power and efficacy of indwelling sin in the believer. This was achieved by exploring the idea of sin as enmity against God (Rom 8:7). We saw that as enmity, sin is not, properly speaking, simply an enemy that can be reconciled. Indeed, it is enmity and must be destroyed. Every last drop of it is enmity, whether it be acting in a strong manner in the soul or in a hidden and weak manner. The kind of enmity is the same in an ounce as it is in a gallon!
We also saw that as enmity, sin is primarily directed against God. It may act against the soul and hinder spiritual growth, but its primary target in doing so is to oppose God himself. It hates him, his holiness, love, law, light and presence. Indeed it is opposed to all of him, not just certain attributes or demands. Further, it has polluted the entire human heart; there is no faculty in the soul that is not corrupted by the presence and power of indwelling sin. From these two considerations Owen strengthens the argument for the power of indwelling sin and awakens Christians’ hearts to its power and deceit.
Finally, Owen makes explicit reference to the ongoing constancy of indwelling. It never lets up, takes a reprieve, or yields for a moment. It is constantly opposing God and wreaking havoc against the gospel and God’s righteous demands.
28 VI:164.
29 Vi: 177.
30 VI:178.
31 VI:179.
32 VI:179.
33 VI:181.
We learned in chapter’s one and two that according to Romans 7:21 the power of sin is still great within believers, so great that the apostle refers to it as a law. Indwelling sin constantly works in each Christian—especially when the Christian has set his heart on obedience—and it is only by the sheer grace of God that its force can be counteracted. “And though it [i.e., sin] have not a complete, and, as it were, a rightful dominion over them [i.e., Christians], yet it will have a domination as to some things in them.”34 Thus, as an indwelling law, it has a certain measure of dominion and “efficacy to provoke.” It continues to ply its trade even within the most sanctified hearts! To believe otherwise is to misunderstand both your experience and scripture, and to fall into delusion.
Having laid the foundation with general principles in chapter’s one and two, Owen begins in chapter’s three through five to give specific principles about the operation of indwelling sin. In chapter three, he argues that sin dwells in the citadel of a man’s being, that is, in his heart. And since the heart is both unsearchable and deceitful above all things, sin has great power there. In chapter four Owen gave another particular principle to help explain why sin has such great power in believers; it is because as pure enmity against God it pervades our entire being and is opposed to all of God; it is universal in its presence within us and in its operation against God. It infects all of the soul and has a hatred for all of God.
Now we arrive in chapter five. This chapter can be broken down into three basic parts. First, Owen will talk about further evidence for sin as enmity against God himself. This will be evident in its constant aversation (i.e., hatred or loathing) toward God in the emotions as well as in the mind. This constitutes Owen’s third particular principle (the first particular principle coming in chapter three and the second in chapter four). Second, sin as enmity against God, is seen in sin’s various oppositions to God. (Owen will deal with this element in the next chapter.) Third, and final, Owen gives five ways to prevent aversation caused by sin.
By way of review Owen says two things. First, indwelling sin hates God and is opposed to all of him in everything we do. There is not any spiritual good that I attempt that sin is not right there to hinder me.
All indisposition unto duty, wherein communion with God is to be obtained; all weariness of duty; all carnality, or formality unto duty,—it all springs from this root…Hast thou any spiritual duty to perform, and dost thou design the attaining of any communion with God? look to thyself, take care of thy affections; they will be gadding and wandering, and that from their aversation to what thou hast in mind…It will allow an outward, bodily presence unto the worship of God, wherein it is not concerned, but it keeps the heart quite away.35
Second, and by way of reminder, Owen deals with those people who claim to have complete liberty from struggles with indwelling sin. But he regards this so-called liberty as pretended, either founded upon ignorance of one’s true condition (they are in darkness not light) or arising from an unregenerate heart which knows neither Christ nor the power of indwelling sin (for sin is not concerned with them).
Thus, in what follows Owen is really concerned about those who truly know Christ and their experience with indwelling sin during the carrying out of their spiritual duties.
The enmity of indwelling sin against God shows itself repeated and constantly in our emotions, especially in those moments when we seek to draw near to God. Perhaps these emotions abate somewhat in times when the Spirit of God is powerfully upon us, but for the most part, even when we love God, want to obey him, and turn to him in communion, we see this loathing in our souls. Unfortunately we often give in to these “feelings” and so are distracted from our duty of drawing near to God. Owen says that while these inclinations to loath God are sometimes secret, they are at other times quite the opposite:
yea, sometimes there will be a violent inclination to the contrary, so that the soul had rather do anything, embrace any diversion, though it wound itself thereby, than vigorously apply itself unto that which in the inward man it breathes after. It is weary before it begins, and says, ‘When will the work be over?’…it is a great conquest to do what we would, though we come exceedingly short of what we should do.36
The law of sin finds itself in the mind also. Here we are commanded by God to come to him with words to plead our case before him and to deal with him concerning what’s on his mind. Owen cites three texts to support his contention.
Job 23:4 I would lay out my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments…
Isaiah 43:26 Remind me of what happened! Let’s debate! You, prove to me that you are right!
Hosea 14:2 Return to the Lord and repent! Say to him: “Completely forgive our iniquity; accept our penitential prayer, that we may offer the praise of our lips as sacrificial bulls.
The point that Owen wants to make from these texts is that when we come to God in prayer, our minds should be furnished with thoughts that God himself has about us and our condition (as well as his promises and memories of his dealings with us in the past). We should be ready to deal with God personally when we come to him, in accordance with the truths we have meditated upon and with which God has most recently addressed us. But often times we begin this process of prayerful meditation, for that is what it really is, only to wane half way through. It is true that many Christians remain infants in the faith because they have never learned to “deal” with God privately in this way, but their ignorance is not the root of the problem. Rather, it is indwelling sin that is at the heart of the matter. In the end, their apostasy is either caused by a certain terrible sin “which bloodied their conscience” or a gradual neglect of duties of communion with God. Concerning the latter cause, Owen comments:
And here hath been the beginning of the apostasy of many professors, and the source of many foolish, sensual opinions. Finding this aversation in their minds and affections from closeness and constancy in private spiritual duties, not knowing how to conquer and prevail against these difficulties through Him who enables us, they have at first been subdued to a neglect of them, first partial, then total, until, having lost all consciousness of them, they have had a door opened unto all sin and licentiousness, and so to a full and utter apostasy.37
Again, the cause of this apostasy is the power and deceitfulness of indwelling sin. When we give way to sin’s urgings, we give further strength to it. If we are not attempting to mortify sin, we are in fact allowing it to conquer us. There is no middle ground since sin always lives in us to bring us into subjection. “To let it alone, is to let it grow.”
Owen will deal with this truth at length in the next chapter. We cite it here for completeness’ sake, since he opened up this chapter commenting on it. Let us move on to examine five ways Owen says we can deal with the aversation sin produces in us.
The foundational principal in respect to warding off and dealing with the fruit and effects of aversation which arises from indwelling sin, is to keep one’s soul in a “universally holy frame.” What Owen means by this principle is simple: we must maintain purity and freedom from sin in all our duties—private and public—for to allow sin in one area is to give it opportunity to infect every area. There must be a harmony in our obedience. The result of universal holiness is the general weakening of the power of indwelling sin and thus its aversation (i.e., loathing and repulsiveness) in the affections and the mind.
As this [i.e., universal obedience] weakens the whole law of sin, so answerably all its properties, and particularly this aversation…A universal respect to all God’s commandments is the only preservative from shame; and nothing have we more reason to be ashamed of than the shameful miscarriages of our hearts in point of duty….38
We are taught by the apostle Peter to keep alert in prayer (1 Peter 4:7), that is, to make sure that nothing from within or without prevents us from actually praying. And, just as we “watch in prayer” so we are to watch in every other duty as well. We are to watch to prevent temptation and we are to watch against the aversation of sin. When it raises its ugly head, when we see its loathsome attitude toward God and holiness, especially as we seek to do the good (as Paul calls it), let us stir up all the graces39 we know in order to cut it off.
As we are not to give place to Satan, no more are we to sin. If it be not prevented in its first attempts it will prevail. My meaning is: Whatever good, as the apostle [Paul] speaks, we have to do, and find evil present with us…prevent its parleying with the soul, its insinuating of poison into the mind and affections, by a vigorous, holy, violent stirring up of the grace or graces that are to be acted and set at work peculiarly in that duty.40
Our first principle was to strive to grow and develop a holy frame in respect to all our obedience before God. In the process of doing that we saw in the second principle that we must prevent even the first actings of aversation toward God and his will. Now we come to the third related principle. If we see the aversation beginning to work in us and striving to keep us from our rightful duties to God, let us then prevent it from securing victory. And let us do this with diligence, lest the enemy within get the upper hand. As the writer of Hebrews says,
6:11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.
Now there are many things that constantly attempt to divert us by clamoring for our attention. Some of us, Owen says, get sidetracked by business concerns, others of us by the power of temptations. Some just feel defeated all the time, discouraged by their own darkness. But whatever the source of our distractions, none are so dangerous, says Owen, as weariness caused by the aversation of sin. This is where the soul says to itself: “I am weary of the fight. Let sin have its way.” This, of course, leads to a hard heart and ruin in the end. Again, the writer to the Hebrews understood this problem.
12:3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.
Owen says that the admonition to not allow the aversation of sin to govern our experience is consistent with Romans 12:12 and 6:12 where the apostle says, “therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.” By preventing the aversation of indwelling sin, and cutting off its desire for a complete victory, we are seeing to it—under the Spirit’s direction and power—that sin does not reign in our mortal bodies.
To cease from duty, , in part or in whole, upon the aversation of sin unto its spirituality, is to give sin the rule, and to obey it in the lusts thereof. Yield not, then, unto it, but hold out the conflict; wait on God, and ye shall prevail, Isa. Xl. 31. ‘They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’41
So convinced is Owen of our victory in this matter, provided we hold fast, he says, “But that which is now so difficult will increase in difficulty if we give way unto it; but if we abide in our station, we shall prevail. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”42
The previous three directives have focused on (1) maintaining holiness in all our obedience to God; (2) laboring to prevent even the beginnings of aversation toward God and our spiritual duties, and (3) preventing aversation from gaining a conquest and stealing the victory. Now, in this fourth directive, Owen focuses on our need to cultivate a deep sense of humility and holy shame because of the aversation to spiritual things and holiness that yet persists in our nature.
Owen asks what means can be more effective for dealing with aversation toward God (i.e., in the affections and in the mind)—and can lead us to walk humbly with him—than to consider how constantly and effectively this aversation remains with us all the time. It is very humbling when we consider how much he has loved us, how far he went to secure our salvation, to what extent he continues each day to strive with us, and then to see how wretched our souls are and how little they care for him. Why, after he has shown us such precious kindness, should we treat him as treacherously as we do? Owen says it well:
What iniquity have we found in him? Hath he been a wilderness unto us, or a land of darkness? Did we ever lose any thing by drawing nigh unto him? nay, hath not therein lain all the rest and peace which we have obtained? Is not he the fountain and spring of all our mercies, of all our desirable things? Hath he not bid us welcome at our coming? Have we not received from him more than heart can conceive or tongue express? What ails, then, our foolish and wretched hearts, to harbour such a cursed secret dislike of him and his ways? Let us be ashamed and astonished at the consideration of it, and walk in an humbling sense of it all our days.43
Though we have talked very little in evangelical circles about the beauty and attractiveness of God, it is rightly pointed out by Owen that the soul will not cheerfully keep up its duties and struggles for holiness if it does not find an attraction of beauty in that which it worships, i.e., God. This is why men, who have lost all sense of the beauty of true spiritual worship, often invent [and continue to invent] “outwardly pompous and gorgeous ways of worship, in images, paintings, pictures” which they call ‘The beauties of holiness.’
Let, then, the soul labour to acquaint itself with the spiritual beauty of obedience, of communion with God, and of all duties of immediate approach to him, that it may be filled with delight in them.44
We learned in chapter’s one and two that according to Romans 7:21 indwelling sin is so constant in its working that the apostle refers to it as a law, an inward compelling law. In chapter three we learned that sin has such great power because the heart is unsearchable (only God fully understands it) and “deceitful above all things.” Then, in chapter four, Owen gives yet another particular reason for indwelling sin’s power, i.e., it pervades all of our soul and is at enmity with all of God; it is universal in its presence within us and in its operation against God.
In chapter five Owen gives yet another way in which sin acts as enmity against God. It does so by producing a constant aversation (i.e., hatred or loathing) toward God in both the affections and in the mind. In the affections it draws us away from our duties of prayer and communion with God. Many of us undoubtedly interpret these feelings as “God doesn’t really love me.” As infants in Christ we have not learned to recognize these feelings and see them for what they are—the first actings of indwelling sin to produce hatred for God and his will. But indwelling sin also labors to produce aversation toward God in the mind as well. We stop short of meditating on God’s thoughts as we should (i.e., in scripture), and dealing with him personally as we should, because our minds get distracted and led astray.
To end the chapter, Owen gives five ways we can labor to prevent the effects of this aversation produced by indwelling sin. First, we must keep ourselves in a universally holy frame; we must implicitly and cheerfully obey in all things, not just some things. Second, strive to prevent even the very beginnings of aversation, whether chiefly in the affections or in the mind. Stop it before it starts. Do not give it a foothold! Third, if it begins, do not let it have the victory. Do not get sidetracked from duties to God or allow discouragement to hinder you in prayer and communion. Push through to victory which is certainly yours through the Spirit who indwells you. Fourth, in light of the constancy and strength of the aversation that persists in our souls, even after we’re saved, let us walk in deep humility before God—our God, who loves us thoroughly and whose kindness is limitless. Humility of this sort will go a long way to defeating aversation and weakening indwelling sin. Fifth, and final, fill your mind with thoughts of the beauty and excellency of spiritual things and how glorious and attractive the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is. Seek to understand and meditate upon the beauty of his holiness and do not allow your worship to denigrate into some form of idolatry.
34 VI:164.
35 VI:182-83.
36 VI:184.
37 VI:184.
38 VI:185-86. This is an important point for the church in North America which has almost totally collapsed its obedience into an undirected spontaneity. As Christians, we have certain holy obligations to God whether they originate in feelings of spontaneity or not. We, who have the indwelling Spirit, are under the law of Christ, and must make grace inspired, Scripture directed gains in holiness for this is our election and calling (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 7:1). We can never deeply depend upon and co-operate with the Spirit in transformation while working within a model of spiritual growth that elevates human freedom and spontaneity above all else. It is true that we have been set free, but it is sin that we have been freed from so that we might serve God acceptably and love people deeply. Freed from means nothing until one grasps freed to.
39 By “graces” Owen is probably thinking about such things as prayer, the word of God, meditation on the cross and the Spirit’s power, shame for sin, love for God, etc.
40 VI:186.
41 VI:187.
42 VI:187.
43 VI:187-88.
44 VI:188.
In chapter one we learned that according to Romans 7:21 indwelling sin acts as an inward compelling law—always present within believers—that is all the more recognizable whenever we would do good. There is by the Spirit of grace, however, a constant and ordinarily prevailing will of doing good despite the opposition brought on by sin. We saw in chapter two that the reference to indwelling sin as a “law” demonstrates its power. It constantly attempts to seize dominion over a person and has this efficacy (i.e., power to carry out its will) through its threats in terms of punishments and rewards.
In chapter three Owen moves on to give further evidence of the source of sin’s power within us. It comes, in part, because of the nature of the heart, wherein sin plies its trade, seeking uncontested enthronement. The heart is unsearchable and deceitful above all things and this gives sin much of its power and efficacy. In chapter four, carrying along the same theme, Owen teaches us that sin receives its power by virtue of its nature as pure enmity against God. Further, it is against all of God and has polluted all of us (i.e., every part of our being is stained with corruption).
In chapter five Owen begins to outline two more ways in which sin is enmity against God and therefore powerful. He says that enmity shows itself in sin’s aversation toward God (i.e., hatred and loathing toward God) and in its constant opposition to God. Owen says that this aversation lies in both the mind and the emotions, and affects us at both the private and public level. He then lists five ways “to prevent the fruits and effects of this aversation”: (1) maintain universal holiness in all of your obedience to God; (2) labor to prevent the very beginnings of aversation; (3) never let any one aversation prevail to a conquest; (4) carry about a constant humility because of the wretchedness of your soul in this regard, and (5) fill your mind with the excellency and beauty of spiritual things. Good advice indeed!
We come now to chapter six. We’ve talked about the aversation of indwelling sin in chapter five. Now, in chapter six, Owen wants to talk about the second way in which sin demonstrates its power, namely, through opposition toward God. Indwelling sin opposes God, generally, by constantly lusting for evil, and specifically, by fighting or warring. Two more points about the success and madness of sin will be dealt with in chapter seven.
Enmity will oppose and contend with that wherewith it is at enmity; it is so in things natural and moral. As light and darkness, heat and cold, so virtue and vice oppose each other. So is it with sin and grace; saith the apostle, “These are contrary one to the other,” Gal. v. 17;—ajllhloi" avntivkeitai. They are placed and set in mutual opposition, and that continually and constantly, as we shall see.45
The apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:17 that “the flesh has desires that are opposed to [i.e., lust against] the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other…” Thus Owen concludes that just as the general operation of fire is to burn, so the general operation of sin is to lust. “All the actings of the law of sin whatever, in all the faculties and affections of the soul,” are firstly and foundationally lusts arising from the flesh (cf. Gal. 5:16; Rom 13:14). But these lusts arise not only in connection with the sensual aspect of man’s being, but also in his mind (Eph 2:3). They seek to defile our entire lives (2 Cor 7:1). Remaining clear of them is a good measure of our sanctification and leads to deliverance from the “old man” (1 Thess 5:23). There are two primary ways in which these lusts operate: (1) in a hidden close propensity to all evil, and (2) in their continuous striving toward evil.
The musings and thoughts of the unregenerate man, described in Genesis 6:5, involve only evil all the time. This is the habitual condition of his heart because sin knows no opposition, only free reign. He is under the complete dominion of sin. But we must a make difference with the regenerate man. His heart has been delivered by inward grace from the law and dominion of sin. The constant disposition of his heart is not to do evil, but to do the good. But, this does not mean that sin is not present and does not impact him constantly (“evil is present with me”). It does. Speaking of the regenerate man, Owen states:
But now, suppose that the springs of it [i.e., indwelling sin] are much dried up by regenerating grace, the streams or actings of it abated by holiness, yet whilst any thing remains of it, it will be pressing constantly to have vent, to press forward into actual sin; and this is its lusting.46
There are two primary ways in which this habitual tendency in the law of sin is often discovered: (1) it unexpectedly surprises the soul, and (2) it inclines habitually to follow through every temptation with full blown sin.
There are times when, through no obvious provocation or enticement, indwelling sin surprises the soul with foolish, unexpected, and sinful “figments and imaginations.” A similar thing is true concerning the movements of sanctifying grace in our souls. Through no determination on our part to stir up the grace of God we nonetheless find ourselves full of faith, love for people, and contentment in God.47 Thus both the law of sin and the principle of grace are at work within us. But, again, as concerns sin, it works while we are unaware, that is, without informing our minds of its plans and whereabouts. Sometimes, to show its strength and power, it secretly works against our Spirit-inspired efforts to mortify a particular sin. Owen comments:
Hence it is, that when the soul is oftentimes doing as it were quite another thing, engaged quite upon another design, sin starts that in the heart or imaginations of it that carries it away into that which is evil and sinful. Yea, to manifest its power, sometimes, when the soul is seriously engaged in the mortification of any sin, it will, by one means or other, lead it away into a dalliance [i.e., flirting] with that very sin whose ruin it is seeking, and whose mortification it is engaged in!48
Indwelling sin is habitually prepared and waiting to follow through on every temptation with the commensurate sin. There was nothing in Jesus, nor in Adam initially, however, that was enticed by the temptations from without. A city, whose inhabitants are all firmly and unalterably committed to the well-being of the city, is virtually impenetrable to attack. So it was with Christ. There was no division, hypocrisy, or secret sin in his soul and thus temptations from without could not find their way in. But we are another kind of city, for we have division and a vicious traitor living inside the gates. Thus temptation is able to find a friend in us and indwelling sin is always there to open the gate and give him free access. David says in Psalm 38:16-17 that his foot was “about to slip” and he “was about to stumble.” Indwelling sin is always attempting a complete victory even from the slightest temptation.
There is nothing so vain, foolish, ridiculous, fond, nothing so vile and abominable, nothing so atheistical or execrable, but, if it be proposed unto the soul in a way of temptation, there is that in this law of sin which is ready to answer it before it be decried by grace. And this is the first thing in this lusting of the law of sin,—it consists in its habitual propensity unto evil, manifesting itself by the involuntary surprisals of the soul unto sin, and its readiness, without dispute or consideration, to join in all temptations whatever.49
Indwelling sin not only continuously strives to “press after evil,” it also makes constant opposition to what is good. It is constantly tempting the saint to give way to the lusts it proposes to the mind and affections and to disregard the urgings of the Spirit. As James says, “Every man is tempted of his own lust” (1:14). Again, this is a constant, unrelenting fact inherent in its existence.
This is sin’s trade: jEpiqumei~—“It lusteth.” It is raising up in the heart, and proposing unto the mind and affections, that which is evil; trying, as it were, whether the soul will close with [i.e., carry out] its suggestions, or how far it will carry them on, though it do not wholly prevail.50
Now some temptations come from without and are not necessarily evil things in themselves. But others come from within and are inherently evil and represent the very work of the law of indwelling sin.
And this is the work of the law of sin,—it is restlessly and continuously raising up and proposing innumerable various forms and appearances of evil, in this or that kind, indeed in every kind that the nature of man is capable to exercise corruption in. Something or other, in matter, or manner, or circumstance, inordinate, unspiritual, unanswerable unto the rule, it hatcheth and proposeth unto the soul.51
These are the kinds of ideas expressed by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 and Isaiah in 57:20-21. The apostle warned the young church to “refrain from every hint/appearance of evil,” and the premier prophet claimed that the wicked are like “the tossing sea which cannot rest” and “whose waves constantly stir up mud and mire.” In fact, “there is no peace for the wicked,” says God through Isaiah.
This, then, is the first thing that sin makes in its opposition and enmity to God, that is, it lusts against God. It does so with a hidden, close propensity to all evil and with continual striving toward evil, “to close,” as Owen nicely puts it, with every temptation. But there is also a particular way in which sin opposes God, namely, it wars against him.
When Owen talks about indwelling sin fighting he means that it acts with the strength and violence of men in war. Whatever “proposals” (i.e., sinful ideas) it advances to the mind, through the affections, it pursues, urges, and presses with all the determination it can muster, vigorously and unashamedly warring until its victory be won. If this were not so, and all it did was to suggest sin to the mind, we would not have the struggle we do. But, it indeed marches, as it were, right into the capital demanding a complete and total surrender. It seeks to reign completely over us. The two ways in which it does its warring include rebelling against the principle of grace and contending for rule over the soul.
There are two contrary laws in believers. One is the law of sin and the other is the “law of the mind” or variously called “the law of grace” or “the law of the Spirit.” These two are in constant warfare with each other, but they cannot both be sovereign. Indeed, the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from complete subjection to the law of sin and death (Rom 8:1-2). We delight in the law of God in the inward man (Rom 7:22) and sin no longer has dominion over us for we are under grace (6:14). Grace has sovereignty in the will, understanding, and affections, but we do not always have victory. Owen asks “why” this is so. He says the answer lies in a recognition that the law of sin wars and rebels against the principle of grace in two ways: (1) it opposes the general purpose of the soul, and (2) it rebels in particular duties. Let’s take a brief look at these two.
If the Spirit of Christ dwells within a person, the general design and purpose of that person’s life is to walk in conformity to Christ in all things. This is what God told Abraham in Genesis 17:1:
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the Sovereign God. Walk before me and be blameless.
Paul also said the same thing in Philippians 3:12-14:
3:12 Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, 3:14 with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
With the language of “striving” and “reaching out” Paul expresses the regenerate soul’s universal pursuit of the heart after God. But even in the best of saints—so to speak—there still remains the actings of sin as it attempts to divide the heart, cause eruptions of carnal emotions, and foster unbelief. We have, as Owen says, a division, not of the heart, but in the heart. It is indwelling sin that opposes this general disposition of the soul unto a close walking with God.
Not only does indwelling sin constantly set itself against pure devotion to Christ in general, but it also rebels in respect to our particular duties before God. For example, prayer. Every Christian has both the privilege and responsibility to pray. But Christians often fail in this regard, either to pray in the first place, or to pray with the constancy and manner after which they have been taught in scripture. As Owen says, a Christian man might
‘pray in the spirit,’ fervently, ‘with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered;’ in faith, with love and delight, pouring forth his soul unto the Lord. This he aims at. Now, oftentimes he shall find a rebellion, a fighting of the law of sin in the matter. He shall find difficulty to get any thing done who thought to do all things. I do not say that it is thus always, but it is so when sin “wars and rebels;” which expresseth an especial acting its power.52
In short, there is no commandment of grace that is loved by the soul, approved of and aimed at, that does not in our experience of obedience, suffer an attack from indwelling sin.
Not only does indwelling sin rebel against the principle of grace deeply planted in us through our union with Christ and the personal, ever present ministry of the Spirit, but it also assaults the soul. Again, Owen, following scripture, highlights the language of war, strife, and battle. 1 Peter 2:11 says that sinful desires war against the soul. James says the same thing (James 4:1). Peter tells us what these sinful desires fight against, namely, the “regenerate soul.” James tells us what these urges fight with or by, namely, the corruption already present within us. The chief end of sin’s opposition is sovereignty and uncontested rule and supremacy. In reaching for this supremacy, sin assaults us in three ways: (1) it positively acts to bring it about; (2) it constantly urges us to sin, and (3) it entangles the affections and draws them into battle against the mind.
In Romans 7:24 Paul cries out, “Who will deliver me from this body of death.” When we pursue our enemy we do not cry out for deliverance, but for victory. But, when we are pursued by an enemy, we cry out for deliverance. Thus in Romans 7:24 Paul is picturing sin as an enemy pursuing him from whom he wants deliverance. Thus, perhaps through the vanity of our thinking, the folly of our imaginations, or the sensuality of our emotions, we are assaulted by sin. That is, sin did not rise up because we decided to walk with God in some particular duty, but rather it took advantage of our weakness and for no apparent reason rebelled.
Our enemy is restless and never content but to press forward and secure a victory against us. If we defeat it now, it will return a short time later. If we bring the cross of Christ against it, it falters, but will soon try another trick. If we meditate on the love of God, it tries even harder. If we remind it of hellfire, it rushes right into the flames! “Reproach it with its folly and madness; it knows no shame, but presseth on still.” A person tries to forget about a temptation and sin is right there to remind him. By this constant agitation it wearies the soul and unless the Spirit come to our rescue sin will ensue.
There is nothing more marvelous nor dreadful in the working of sin than this of its importunity. The soul knows not what to make of it; it dislikes, abhors, abominates the evil it tends unto; it despiseth the thoughts of it, hates them as hell; and yet is by itself imposed on with them, as if it were another person, an express enemy got within him.53
This is the thought Paul expresses in Romans 7:15-17:
7:15 For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate. 7:16 But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. 7:17 But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me.
Even though Paul hates the sin he commits, he faces the fact that he cannot simply be rid of it. Though he hate it, he cannot leave it alone and move on, as it were. This is true because it is no longer he that does it, but sin living in him. We too are in the same situation for in the “now time” of salvation, that is, during the time in which we possess the Spirit, but yet await our glorification, we too face this enemy within. We cannot simply get rid of him. He won’t go and God has willed that it be precisely this way. Those who profess to be completely and forever rid of sin are in essence claiming more than Scripture allows, falling prey to the deceitfulness of sin. In this regard they do not please God. They do not understand what they’re talking about.
Grace can lay hold of the mind and judgment of a person, but if that person allows indwelling sin to entangle the emotions or affections, sinful acts will erupt. Indeed, the emotions often prove to be a citadel from which sin can launch its vicious attacks. The great duty of mortification, then, is chiefly aimed at the affections as Paul says in Colossians 3:5:
So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.
Indwelling sin acts as enmity against God. We learned in chapter five that sin is enmity in terms of its constant and universal aversation against God. Here in chapter six we saw that sin is enmity against God in terms of its opposition to God.
Further, there are two general heads under which sin acts in opposition to God. First, its general inclination is to lust. This lusting consists in its hidden, close propensity to all evil and in the fact that it continually strives toward all evil. Indwelling sin strives to follow through with every temptation and bring forth full blown acts of sin. Second, indwelling sin’s particular way of contending is to fight or war by rebelling against the principle of grace God has rooted in us; it greedily desires to contend for ultimate and uncontested rule over our souls. Sin rebels against the principle of grace by opposing it generally and by rebelling when we seek to perform our God-given duties. Sin also contends for rule over the soul by taking us by surprise, by its constant, incessant, and soul draining attempts to usher forth sinful acts, and by entangling the emotions in sin and drawing the mind after it.
Our real duty, then, is to walk humbly before our God. We do this, says, Owen, by reflecting on God’s glory, holiness, majesty, power, and authority and at the same time our mean, abject, and sinful condition. This should lead to humility if done in the presence of Christ and for his glory. The fruit should be meekness, compassion, readiness to forgive others, and love. There will be no room for a judging, condemning, and hypocritical attitudes. As Owen says,
The man that understands the evil of his own heart, how vile it is, is the only useful, fruitful, and solid believing and obedient person.54
45 VI:189.
46 VI:191.
47 Owen is not suggesting by this that we should not strive “to fan into flame the grace of God,” but rather he is simply saying that there are times when through no obvious faith or inclination of ours, we sense God’s working in us (cf. Phil 2:12-13).
48 VI:192.
49 VI:194.
50 VI:194.
51 VI:194.
52 VI:198.
53 VI:199.
54 VI:201.
At the beginning of each chapter we take a minute to review where we’ve come from. So let’s do so now. In chapter’s one through three we learned that indwelling sin acts as a law within believers (cf. Rom 7:21). Specifically, it is in an inward, compelling law, not something external to us. It is powerful and constant, deriving much of its strength from the citadel in which it resides, namely, the heart. This is true because, as Jeremiah reminds us, the heart is the center of who we are, but tragically, it is also incurably deceitful and at the same time unsearchable (Jer 17:9).
In chapter four we saw that sin is, in its very essence, enmity against God. Indeed, it is opposed to God himself and everything and anything connected to him. Further, while its center of operations is in our heart, there is no part of our constitution as human beings that is not polluted by its presence. Thus, in short, indwelling sin produces enmity toward all of God in all of us.
In chapter’s five and six Owen begins to outline two ways in which sin is enmity against God and therefore powerful. In chapter five we saw that sin entangles both the emotions and the mind in hatred toward God. As Owen says, sin is “aversation” toward God. There are moments when the emotions loathe the duty of worship and prayer to God and the mind struggles to sustain good and accurate reflection on God. This happens in both our private and public lives and we are to take positive steps to reduce its strength and constancy. You may want to read again Owen’s suggestions regarding how to do this.
In chapter six we learned that not only does sin produce aversation toward God and the things of God, it also directly “opposes” God. It does so by lusting for evil and by fighting and warring against the principle of righteousness within believers. But, says Owen, there are still two more aspects to sin as enmity against God. Thus, in chapter seven we learn about indwelling sin’s power to captivate people and its success in doing so. There are many factors that bring this “captivity” about, including the work of Satan, but it can ultimately lead to what Owen calls a “rage and madness” that attends sin. This rage and madness is the fourth aspect. Let’s take a closer look at chapter seven now.
Though Owen’s focus is primarily on Romans 7:23, it is worthwhile to quote 7:21-25:
7:21 So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. 7:22 For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. 7:23 But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 7:25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin (NET Bible; italics mine).
The utmost height to which sin reaches is to entangle a person to the point of making him/her captive to the law of sin. In reality, it is sin’s attempt to reverse the liberating power of our co-crucifixion and co-resurrection with Christ and the reign of grace in our hearts.
Owen argues that Paul’s point in Romans 7:21-25 is not, strictly speaking, concerned with the power of (the law of) sin, per se, but rather its success. It is true that power is involved in having success at anything, but power is integral to Romans 7:21-25 only insofar as it explains sin’s success and victory. Owen says that
it is not directly the power and actings of the law of sin that are here [i.e., in Romans 7:21-25] expressed, but its success in and upon its actings. But success is the greatest evidence of power, and leading captive in war is the height of success. None can aim at greater success than to lead their enemies captive.55
In this brief section Owen wants to clarify the difference between being captive to the law of sin and being dominated or captivated by any one particular sin.
Owen makes it clear at this point that when Paul speaks about the believer’s captivity to the law of sin, he is not speaking about captivity to particular sins, but rather to the law of sin, that is, every believer according to the good design of God, must “bear the presence and burden” of sin in this life. We cannot escape sin’s presence this side of death because God has designed it this way. This does not mean, however, that God ordains our captivity to particular sins. Instead he regularly and generally is pleased to supply whatever grace is necessary to prevent particular sins from dominating us.
God, for the most part, ordereth things so, and gives out such supplies of grace unto believers, as that they shall not be made a prey unto this or that particular sin, that it should prevail in them and compel them to serve it in the lusts thereof, that it should have dominion over them, that they should be captives and slaves unto it.56
The way a believer is instructed to deal with sin is expressed quite well by David in Psalm 19:12-13:
19:12 Who can avoid sinning? Please do not punish my unintentional sins. 19:13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins; do not allow such sins to control me. Then I will be blameless, and innocent of blatant rebellion.
Now there are some believers who think, especially after some “sweet enjoyment of God” or “deep humiliation” or “return from backsliding” that sin will never again be present in them, but this is to claim too much. Sin will soon raise its ugly head and give the lie to this error. It is better that the believer be aware of this before it happens and be prepared to work out holiness all the days of their lives.
But the fact remains, and Owen realizes this, that some believers look as if they’re dominated or captivated by some sins, at least for a season. This seems to have been the case with David when he “lay so long in his sin without repentance” (cf. Isa 57:17-18). How do we explain this? Owen says that when such a situation exists with believers we need to think through Satan’s involvement in the sin.
Owen says that when a certain sin prevails over a believer so as to dominate their experience, to cloud their judgment, and to incite them in acts of rebellion—so that they fail to respond to God’s dealings with them—we can be sure that Satan is at the root of it. He says that
…for the most part, when any lust or sin doth so prevail, it is from the advantage and furtherance that it hath got by some powerful temptation of Satan. He hath poisoned it, inflamed it, and entangled the soul. [Such people are] ‘in the snare of the devil, being taken captive by him at his will,’ 2 Tim ii 26. Though it were their own lusts that they served, yet they were brought into bondage thereunto by being entangled in some snare of Satan; and thence they are said to be ‘taken alive,’ as a poor beast in a toil.57
Owen wants to make two further points by way of clarification regarding the work of the devil. First, when a certain sin grows and captivates a person, yet the person has no background or constitution that would predispose him/her to that particular sin (as opposed to any other), then we can be sure that Satan has given it its “prevalency.” This is true because the law of sin does not necessarily elevate one sin above another, but one usually excels another due to the disposition, background, education, etc. of the person involved. So then, if there is a sin present that seems out of sorts with one’s background and constitution, we may conclude that the devil is integrally involved. So Owen counsels that,
if…a man find an importunate rage from any corruption that is not evidently seated in his nature, let him, as the Papists say, cross himself, or fly by faith to the cross of Christ, for the devil is nigh at hand.58
Second, Owen also says that when a sin is “prevalent unto captivity” and “where it brings in no advantage to the flesh,” it is from Satan. The law of sin serves the flesh, but where sin captivates to the point that there are no pleasures from it, then we can be sure that Satan is vigorously at work instigating it. To account for this kind of sin requires that we understand not only the lusts of the flesh, but also the temptations and wiles of our archenemy, the devil.
The captivity that sin forces upon believers is against the principle of their renewed wills. That believers have a “renewed will” and thus resist sin’s captivity is clear from several texts:
Romans 7:15 For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate.
Romans 7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! 7:20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.
The text from Galatians clearly shows that the will is renewed in believers, that is, renewed in keeping with the work of the Spirit. Owen argues that
the spiritual habits of grace that are in the will do so resist and act against it; and the excitations of those habits by the Spirit are directed to the same purpose. This leading captive is contrary, I say, to the inclinations and actings of the renewed will. No man is made captive, but against his will.59
While men may not choose the captivity of sin itself—which is to choose pure misery and trouble—they nonetheless freely choose the causes and means to captivity and misery. Owen cites a text from the prophets as an example of what he means:
Hosea 5:11 Ephraim will be oppressed, crushed under judgment, because he was determined to pursue worthless idols.
Ephraim may not have chosen to be “crushed under judgment,” but he nonetheless chose idolatry knowing that it leads to judgment and oppression. In short, then, whatever consent the soul gives to sin—the means of captivity—it gives none to the captivity itself. Four things can be said, then, about this situation.
Throughout the chapters of this book, Owen has been trying to demonstrate the power and efficacy of indwelling sin. Its power can be seen from its prevalency to lead men and women captive. It is able to contend against the renewed will in believers, even the holiest of them. From this fact alone we learn of its power and success. “Its prevailing against diligence, activity, and watchfulness, the constant renitence of the will” evinces its power.
If the law of sin were not successful in particular sins, it could not be said to lead captive at all. It might rebel and attack, but, again, if it were never successful, it could not be said to lead captive. But the law of sin admits several degrees of success. Sometimes it leads to outward sin—and this is its ultimate aim—or sometimes it gets only as far as wearying and entangling the soul. In 1 Timothy 6:9-10, the apostle speaks about the varying degrees of success in terms of covetousness.
6:9 Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.
How sad it is, Owen says, to be treated (by the law of sin) so maliciously against the judgment of one’s mind, and against one’s will, strivings, and efforts; this is truly a miserable and wretched condition.
When the soul is principled by grace unto a loathing of sin, of every evil way, to a hatred of the least discrepancy between itself and the holy will of God, then to be imposed on by this law of sin, with all that enmity and folly, that deadness and filth wherewith it is attended, what more dreadful condition?60
Those who are not regenerate, who do not know the re-creating presence of the indwelling Spirit, are never said to be led captive to the law of sin. They may, however, be forced to serve particular sins against their better judgment and convictions. Thus an adulterer may be convinced of the wrongness or evil of his behavior, as also the alcoholic, but both find the temptations too great and thus give in to sin’s power. But, neither of them are said to be led captive to the law of sin, only to particular sins. The reason they cannot be led captive to the law of sin is because they are willingly subject to it. It has a rightful dominion over them and they cannot oppose it, except when it erupts to some particular sin that grieves their consciences; unbelievers cannot really consider the nature of sin as sin, but only the disturbing and embarrassing consequences of it. But the very meaning of being brought into “captivity” suggests that it is against one’s will. This, however, can only be true of a believer, not a non-believer, for only a believer has a renewed will and only a believer can oppose the law of sin.
At the beginning of chapter six Owen outlined two chief ways in which sin produces enmity against God, namely, by force and by fraud. While fraud is dealt with in chapter eight, force is unpacked along four distinct yet related lines in chapter’s six and seven. In chapter six Owen shows how sin exerts its strength in that (1) it lusts; and (2) it fights or wars. Up to this point in chapter seven he has shown that sin demonstrates its strength by (3) bringing the soul into captivity. Now he wants to close off his discussion of sin’s power as enmity against God by showing that (4) its success leads to rage and madness.
Owen says that the last way in which the law of sin opposes the law of grace and God’s will is in its rage and madness. There is, he says, madness in its nature. He quotes Ecclesiastes 9:3:
9:3 This is the unfortunate thing about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone; The hearts of all people are full of evil, and there is madness in their hearts during their lives—then they die.
This madness, bound up in the heart of all men, is well illustrated by the words of Jeremiah and Hosea:
Jeremiah 2:24 You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness. In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male. No one can hold her back when she is in heat. None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her. At mating time she is easy to find. 2:25 Israel, do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear out and your throats become dry. But you say, ‘It is useless for you to try and stop me! You cannot, because I love those foreign gods. I want to chase after them.’
Jeremiah 50:38 A drought will come upon her land and her rivers and canals will be dried up. All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. Her people act like madmen because of those idols they fear.
Hosea 8:9 They have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey that wanders off. Ephraim has hired prostitutes as lovers.
Now there are three areas that Owen wants to touch on regarding the madness or rage of sin. They are: (1) its nature; (2) the causes of it, and (3) what accompanies it, as well as its effects, properties, and that which it produces.
The rage of sin consists in its persistent, importune, aggressive pressing toward evil. If it be denied the first time, it will try again. If it be denied still again, it will press itself in the imagination still more. It will not give way even when God brings chastisement in the form of punishment or desertion. Indeed, in spite of all this, men continue on in the mad and vain pursuit of their lusts. Owen says that this madness is
…the tearing and torturing of the soul by any sin to force its consent and to obtain satisfaction. It riseth up in the heart, is denied by the law of grace, and rebuked;—it returns and exerts its poison again…And if it be not able to take that course, it is foiled and hurried up and down through the mire and filth of foolish imaginations, corrupt and noisome lusts, which rend and tear it….God is angry with [such people], and discovereth [i.e., demonstrates] his wrath by all the ways and means that it was possible for them to made sensible…Doth this work the effect? No; they go on frowardly still, as men mad on their covetousness…This is plain madness and fury.61
Owen argues that sin does not rise “to this height ordinarily,” but only when it has a “double advantage.” First, he says that such madness grows and is provoked by some great temptation; Satan himself adds poison to the lust and inflames it with strength and deeper madness. This seems to have been the case with David and Bathsheba. David committed heinous sins of adultery, cruelty, lying, and murder for which it is reasonable to conclude that Satan himself was involved in tempting the king.
Though sin be always a fire in the bones, yet it flames not unless Satan come with his bellows to blow it up. And let anyone in whom the law of sin ariseth to this height of rage seriously consider, and he may find out where the devil stands and puts in in the business.62
The second reason why sin often achieves such heights of madness is that it has been countenanced and allowed to prevail in a person. Sin does not grow to such unmanageable proportions in its first assault. There must have been a yielding of the soul to its demands and such yielding over time has led to the present madness in the soul. But sin should be dealt with violently upon its first actings. It should be put to death immediately and not trifled with. We should rather die than yield even one step to it. We would do well to listen to Owen on this point:
If, through the deceit of sin, or the negligence of the soul, or its carnal confidence to give bounds to lust’s actings at other seasons, it makes any entrance into the soul, and finds any entertainment, it gets strength and power, and insensibly ariseth to the frame [i.e., state of affairs] under consideration.63
These then are the two conditions that often give rise to such heights of madness: (1) Satan’s temptations, and (2) previous “playing around” with sin so that it gains strength.
The rage in sin is at its greatest when it seeks to cast off, at least for a moment, the rule of grace in the believer’s heart. Because the believer is in Christ and indwelt by his Spirit, the rule of grace is now “on the throne,” but there are seasons in which its rule and dominion, though never completely rendered powerless, is for a moment or two seriously weakened as the law of sin “goes to work.” The influences of the law of grace may be intercepted for a season and its government weakened by the power of sin.
But how does sin do this? Owen says that we may understand this a bit better if we first understand how grace works in the soul. First, we need to realize that the seat and residence of grace is in the entire soul, including all of the mind, the will and the affections. Indeed, the whole soul is being renewed into the image of Christ (Eph 4:23-24). Thus the rule of grace impacts all these faculties of the soul as they come together in a single person with spiritual and moral powers.
Second, the interrupting of the operations of grace must come when the law of sin acts on these faculties of the soul in opposition to the law of grace. The law of sin disrupts the sanctifying work of grace and operates to cloud the mind with prejudice, error, and “false reasonings.” Thus the mind is led astray from its godly duty of guiding the will and affections into the likeness of Christ. The will, for its part, though enabled by grace to offer habitual obedience to Christ, is first weakened, then cast aside, and finally rendered useless through sin’s relentless solicitations and temptations. First, the will forfeits its hold on obedience, then debates with itself about the whole concept of obedience, and then finally relinquishes all control to the enemy. The affections, wherein sin often begins, torture the soul with the constant and contradictory desires for what is forbidden and “out of bounds.” This, then, is how the law of sin plies its trade in the soul and interrupts the law of grace, if only for a season.
Now sin’s madness also has within it other properties such as fearlessness and a contempt of danger. All concern for what the consequences may be are cast off in favor of satisfying our lust. And this includes what God himself may do to us because of our sin. Indeed, the madness in sin despises God to the point that we are often willing to sacrifice our souls in order to fulfill our wicked desires.
But God deals with us in the context of our pursuit of sin. First, he gives grace to keep us within the proper bounds, but if our souls fail to respond and desire to break loose from his renewing presence, he gives preventing grace. This is what the prophet says:
Hosea 2:6 Therefore, I will soon fence her in with thorns; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. 2:7 Then she will pursue her lovers, but she will not catch them; she will seek them, but she will not find them. Then she will say, “I will go back to my husband, because I was better off then than I am now.”
The kind of obstacles (“fences”) that God puts in our paths are of two sorts, says Owen. First, God presents us with rational considerations and second, he sends providential dispensations. The rational considerations include punishment for sin, including death, judgment, and hell. God is able to set a hedge of terror about the soul and remind it also of the temporal issues flowing from sin: shame, reproach, scandal, punishments, and the like.
The Lord’s providential dispensations include both afflictions and mercies. They are well suited to work on the soul and cause it to desist from its pursuit of sin. Again, Owen cites the prophets (and Job) to substantiate his thesis:
Isaiah 57:16 For I will not be hostile forever or perpetually angry, for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, the life-giving breath I created. 57:17 I was angry because of their sinful greed; I attacked them and angrily rejected them, yet they remained disobedient and stubborn. 57:18 I have seen their behavior, but I will heal them and give them rest, and I will once again console those who mourn.
Hosea 2:9 Therefore, I will take back my grain during the harvest time and my new wine when it ripens; I will take away my wool and my flax which I had provided in order to clothe her. 2:10 Soon I will expose her lewd nakedness in front of her lovers, and no one will be able to rescue her from me! 2:11 I will put an end to all her celebration: her annual religious festivals, monthly new moon celebrations, and weekly Sabbath festivities—all her appointed festivals.
Job 33:16 Then he gives a revelation to people, and terrifies them with warnings, 33:17 to turn a person from his sin, and to cover a person’s pride. 33:18 He spares a person’s life from corruption, his very life from crossing over the river. 33:19 Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed, and with the continual strife of his bones.
So then, by appealing to our minds directly and bringing circumstances about that cause us to reconsider our ways, God prevents us from going headlong into deeper and deeper sin. But again, there are seasons where sin’s madness violently lays hold of the soul and possesses the mind so that it casts off all restraint whatsoever and maintains its stubborn resolve to “venture all” upon the way of sin.
Indwelling sin acts as an inward, compelling law within believers. It gets its strength from that fact that it dwells in the heart which itself is deceitful above all things and beyond searching out. In its essence, indwelling sin is thoroughgoing enmity against all of God. It is enmity in that it loathes God’s presence, but also in that it stands in constant, unmitigated opposition to God. It opposes him in at least four ways, that is, by lusting, by fighting and warring, by bringing the soul under captivity, by generating madness and rage.
The purpose of this chapter has been to look more closely at the last two ways sin is enmity against God. Owen explained, based primarily on Romans 7:23, that the law of sin leads the soul captive, even against the renewed inclinations of the believer’s heart. He explained that the phrase “to lead captive” refers to the success of the law of sin in a person’s heart and that when a certain sin, which had no previous opportunities in a person’s life and/or brings no pleasure to the flesh, takes such a root, we may conclude that Satan is directly involved.
There is also a fearlessness and contempt for danger that accompanies such heightened sin. People in such a condition do not seem to care about what God will do or what people think; they simply move forward in their arduous pursuit of sin and gratification. Though God sends calm “reasonings and considerations” as well as “calamity and mercy,” there is often no response. Believers who act like this have thrown off the reign of grace for a season and are inviting the painful, chastening hand of God.
This chapter, then, beings to a close the idea of sin as enmity against God. In the next chapter Owen will look closely at the deception involved in sin. He will look closely at how the mind is affected through the deceitfulness of sin and how it is led astray from its holy duties.
55 VI:202.
56 VI:203.
57 VI:203.
58 VI:204.
59 VI:205.
60 VI:205-6.
61 VI:206-7.
62 VI:207.
63 VI:208.
The apostle Paul says in Romans 7:21—Owen’s primary text for explaining the power of indwelling sin in believers—that he found “another law” at work in his members, waging war against the law of his mind and making him a prisoner of the law of sin. No better description can be found of the power of sin that still abides in the regenerate soul. Owen rightly refers to indwelling sin as an “operative effective principle, which seems to have the force of a law…with a constant working towards evil.”64
It has been the puritan’s point throughout this essay to demonstrate the power of indwelling sin in believers. Owen has shown that sin draws much strength from the fact that it dwells in the heart (which is deceitful and ultimately incomprehensible) and is pure enmity in all of the soul to all of God. Further, sin expresses its enmity in two related, yet distinct ways: (1) aversation or loathing against God, and (2) opposition to God.
Sin’s opposition to God is, itself, expressed in two ways. First, sin works by force to dethrone grace and secondly, by deceit. In terms of force, sin lusts, fights and wars, brings the soul into captivity, and leads to madness. We looked at these ideas in chapter’s six and seven.
We are now prepared to look at the second way in which sin works its opposition, namely, by deceit. This specific subject will occupy Owen for the next five chapters. In this chapter he will begin his discussion of how sin deceives the mind and lures it away from its two primary duties. The effect of sin’s deceitfulness on the mind will be further discussed in chapter’s nine and ten. The impact of sin on the affections will be discussed in chapter eleven, and its overthrowing of the will in chapter twelve. The last five chapters will be concerned with obstructing sin (chapter thirteen) and giving further evidence for the power of indwelling sin (chapter’s fourteen through seventeen).
Owen says,
The second part of the evidence of the power of sin, from its manner of operation, is taken from its deceitfulness. It adds, in its working, deceit unto power. The efficacy [power] of that must needs be great, as is carefully to be watched against by all such as value their souls, where power and deceit are combined, especially advantaged and assisted by all the ways and means before insisted on.65
There are several texts in scripture that reveal the connection between sin and deceit. Owen cites the following:
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception.
Jeremiah 17:9 The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 4:22 The Lord answered, “This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children who have no sense. They have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not know how to do good.”
Job 11:12 But an empty man will become wise, when a wild donkey colt is born a human being.
Ephesians 4:22 You were taught with reference to your former life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.
Even the coming of the “man of sin” in 2 Thessalonians 2 is said to be accompanied by deceitfulness and a disregard for the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles and signs and false wonders, 2:10 and with every kind of evil deception directed against those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth so as to be saved.
Indeed, the entire life of men who are under the dominion of the law of sin, is one of deceit and being deceived.
Titus 3:3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another.
2 Timothy 3:13 But evil people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.
Owen says that the power of sin may be understood from the fact that scripture places deceit “for the most part as the head and spring of every sin, even as though there were no sin followed after but where deceit went before.”66
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:13, 14 says that it was not Adam who sinned first but actually Eve. The reason, of course, is that Eve was deceived and then she ate. This is made clear by her own words in Genesis 3:13 as well: “The serpent deceived me and I ate.” Eve began the first sin in deceit, her soul being safe until her mind was led astray, and the same thing happens today. Using the example of Eve, Paul warned the Corinthians of Satan’s deceitful activity in 2 Cor 11:3:
But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Owen is not engaging here in blaming one sex as opposed to the other. He seeks, rather, to demonstrate that deceit precedes actual sin. The devil is a master of inducing deceit in order to lead men into sin, guilt, and death. Owen says,
Hence, all the great works that the devil doth in the world, to stir men up to an opposition unto the Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom, he doth them by deceit: Rev xii. 9, “The devil who deceiveth the whole world.” It were utterly impossible men should be prevailed on to abide in his service, acting his designs to their eternal, and sometimes their temporal ruin, were they not exceedingly deceived.67
Where sin fails not in its bid to deceive us, it fails not in bringing forth its fruit. Therefore, the Christian is warned numerous times throughout scripture to exercise caution lest he/she be deceived (Eph 5:6; 1 Cor 6:9; 15:33; Gal 6:7; Luke 21:8).
The efficacy of sin by deceit can be understood from the faculty of the soul affected with it, i.e., the mind. When sin attempts to enter the soul by some other door, such as the emotions, the mind, retaining its right and sovereignty, can cast it down. But when the mind is deceived, the power of sin must be great because the emotions and the will simply run after its dictates. It is true that sin entangles the emotions and this is troublesome, but when it deceives the mind, this is dangerous, says Owen. The office of the mind is to “guide, direct, choose, and lead; and if the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness.” When the mind is thoroughly deceived by sin, the impact on the person is devastating.
Owen continues his point about the deceitfulness of sin by considering the nature of deceit.
[Deceit] consists in presenting unto the soul, or mind, things otherwise than they are, either in their nature, causes, effects, or present respect unto the soul. This is the general nature of deceit and it prevails many ways. It hides what ought to be seen and considered, conceals circumstances and consequences, presents what is not, or things as they are not….it is a representation of a matter under disguise, hiding that which is undesirable, proposing that which is indeed not in it, that the mind may make a false judgment of it.68
These various aspects of deceit can be seen, Owen says, in the first temptation. How did Satan manage to tempt our first parents? He did it by presenting things not as they really are. Eve saw the fruit and realized that it was desirable. Satan capitalized on this and in his temptations insinuated that God was short circuiting the couple’s happiness (i.e., he’s a capricious tyrant) by requiring that they not eat from that tree. Of course, Satan also hid from Adam and Eve the fact of ultimate spiritual and eternal ruin.
So far we’ve seen that deceit is given a prominent place in the biblical portrayal of sin. It attacks the leading faculty of the soul, namely, the mind, and seeks to present things other than they are so that the mind, thrown into error, will be led into the bondage of sin. “But,” Owen asks, “how does it do this?” In what manner? In short, it manages its course by degrees, i.e., little by little.
The deceit of sin always moves forward little by little making use of any advancement that has been gained. First, it deals with any objections to a particular sin, then it proposes some good to come from it, all the while withholding any thought of the consequences of the proposed act. It hides and conceals ends, moves forward by degrees, and constantly stands sure upon any ground already attained. This progression can be seen in James 1:14-15.
The next few chapters are built in large measure on thoughts coming from James 1:13-15. Therefore, we will cite it in both the original as well as the NET Bible:
MhdeiV" peirazovmeno" legevtw o{ti ajpo qeou' peiravzomai: oJ gaVr qeoV" ajpeivrasto" ejstin kakw'n, peiravzei deV aujtoV" oujdevna. 14e{kasto" deV peiravzetai uJpoV th'" ijdiva" ejpiqumiva" ejxelkovmeno" kaiV deleazovmeno": 15ei a hJ ejpiqumiva sullabou'sa tivktei aJmartivan, hJ deV aJmartiva ajpotelesqei'sa ajpokuvei qavnaton.
1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil,15 and he himself tempts no one. 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. 1:15 Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.
Owen wants to make two general observations about sin from this passage: (1) indwelling sin strives for the everlasting death of the sinner: “sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.” For a believer to be deceived about this is serious, yet to realize and be gripped by this fact is a great means by which to defeat sin; (2) the general way in which sin seeks to bring about its desires is by temptation: “each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.” Owen says that “the life of temptation lies in deceit; so that, in the business of sin, to be effectually tempted, and to be beguiled or deceived, are the same.”69
Owen argues from James 1:13-15 that there are five specific ways in which sin carries on its work of tempting or deceiving, that is, by: (1) drawing the mind away from its principal duties; (2) enticing; (3) conceiving sin; (4) bringing forth sin in its actual accomplishment, and (5) finishing or completing sin in death. Let’s take a closer look at the first of these.
According to Owen. there are two duties of the mind—duties that are in keeping with the office of guide and director. First, the mind is to keep the whole soul in a frame of obedience. Second, the mind is to ensure that all our particular duties before God are performed in accordance with God’s desires, that is, all acts of obedience are done in the proper time, manner, and season. The rest of this chapter will be taken up with a consideration of the first duty.
The first duty of the mind is somewhat general compared to the second, more specific duty. In short, the first duty is to keep the whole soul in such a frame or posture as to be ready to obey the Lord in any particular act. The mind, therefore, must carefully watch for sin’s enticements.
Now there are, according to Owen, two aspects to this general duty of the mind. They are: (1) to consider ourselves, sin, and its vileness properly, and (2) to constantly dwell on God, his grace, and goodness. Indwelling sin labors to draw the mind away from these two elements of the first duty.
First, sin attempts to draw the mind away from a constant and proper consideration of its vileness and attending danger. Owen says that
…a due, constant consideration of sin, in its nature, in all its aggravating circumstances, in its end and tendency, especially as represented in the blood and cross of Christ, ought always to abide with us…Every sin is a forsaking of the Lord our God. If the heart know not, if it consider not, that it is an evil thing and a bitter,—evil in itself, bitter in its effects, fruit, and event,—it will never be secured against it.70
This “due” and “constant consideration” of sin’s vileness can only be achieved by those who walk humbly, in the fear of the Lord (Isa 57:15). This, of course, is what scripture enjoins by precept and example. Peter says that we should live our lives as strangers here in reverent fear—fear of sinning against God and suffering loss at the hands of the impartial Judge (1 Peter 1:17-19). Joseph is a classic example of someone, who when enticed to commit adultery, asked how he could do such a thing and sin against God (Gen 39:9; cf. Job 28:28).
Now sin attempts to draw the mind away from guarding the soul in this humble frame. It seeks to prevent the mind from considering sin, its developments, acts, and consequences, making no end of deceitful excuses. It does this in two ways: (1) by a “horrible abuse of gospel grace,” and (2) according to the state and condition of men in the world. Let’s explore these two ideas for a moment.
First, sin abuses the grace offered in the gospel. The gospel is the remedy for any and all sin and opens us up to the gracious will of God toward sinners. But some people, through the deceitfulness of sin, misunderstand the efficacious nature of grace and turn God’s favor into an opportunity for license. But this is definitely not the gospel of God’s grace. On the contrary, listen to what Paul says grace produces and the end for which it aims:
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. 2:12 It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 2:13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2:14 He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.
Philippians 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that—whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent—I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel.
Ephesians 4:20 But you did not learn about Christ like this, 4:21 if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him just as the truth is in Jesus. 4:22 You were taught with reference to your former life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, 4:23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 4:24 and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.
It is clear from these passages that the grace of God expressed in and through the gospel leads to holiness, not license. Those who claim to know the gospel and yet walk habitually after the lusts of their flesh do not yet grasp the gospel. Such people often use the doctrine of God’s free and complete forgiveness as an occasion to sin. This, of course, is the deceit Paul exposes in Romans 6:1: “Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?” Paul rightly denounces such a thought: “May it never be.” Nonetheless, Jude says that there are some who pervert the grace of God into a doctrine of license (Jude 4). On the other hand, when reflection on God’s grace keeps the heart humble before God, circumspect, and hating sin, this is a true sign that genuine gospel light and wisdom has entered the soul.
To be more specific, sin abuses gospel grace in a number of ways. It leads us to treat lightly the relief offered in the gospel. The soul may become weary, needing as it does, to go to the throne of grace many times each day for pardon, mercy, and grace. As a result, it may begin to treat such duties lightly and with mere formalism. We need to be careful in this regard. Sin also urges the soul, on the basis of gospel mercy, to go beyond the boundaries God has set for us, especially boundaries having to do with sensuality. Finally, sin also attempts to draw the mind off from rightly contending against temptation. It often does this by holding God’s pardon before our eyes, all the while encouraging us to sin. It even perverts the knowledge that God will never cast us off; this too becomes an excuse to give way to temptation. Now the doctrine of God’s full and free pardon is true, but it does not lead, rightly understood, to antinomianism (i.e., lawlessness).
We move now to the second way in which sin attempts to keep us from a proper consideration of its vileness. This has to do with the changing condition of men as they grow older. In their younger days mens’ (by “men” Owen means all people) affections work more vigorously and with greater strength than they do later in life. But as affections begin to decrease in things natural, so also in things spiritual. So with the decay of these emotions also comes a diminishing of the sense of sin’s presence and guilt. The mind is thus diverted from a due consideration of the vileness and ugliness of sin through a diminishing of the affections. Owen says,
No sinner like him that hath sinned away his convictions of sin. What is the reason of this? Sense of sin was in their convictions, fixed on their affections. As it decayed in them, they took no care to have it deeply and graciously fixed on their minds. This the deceitfulness of sin deprived them of, and so ruined their souls. In some measure it is so with believers. If, as the sensibleness of the affections decay, if, as they grow heavy and obtuse, great wisdom and grace be not used to fix a due sense of sin upon the mind and judgment, which may provoke, excite, enliven, and stir up the affections every day, great decays will ensue.71
Second, sin attempts to divert the mind from its holy duty of dwelling on God and his grace which is the “spring-head of gospel obedience.” The way in which sin does this is by filling the mind with earthly things and considerations. Yet the apostle urged Christians to set their minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col 3:2). We cannot love both the world and the Lord. We must choose. John told us not to love the world or anything in the world (1 John 2:15).
Thus the mind must make a choice as to whom the master will be. But sin seeks to obfuscate this choice and lead the mind away from its proper attention to God and his grace. Now sin often uses that which is lawful and good to accomplish this end. For example, the people who failed to respond to Jesus’ message because they had to plow their fields or take care of their oxen serve as a pattern of those who allow good and proper responsibilities in this world to usurp the place of God in life. As Paul said, they failed to realize that the world is passing away and so were using it as if it were going to remain eternally.
The specific duties of the mind will be taken up in later chapters. This heading is included here so that the reader will more easily follow, and perhaps recall at later points, the outline of Owen’s argument.
Owen’s primary thesis in this essay is to demonstrate that indwelling sin works with great power in the Christian. He has argued that sin’s power comes largely from the fact that it is enmity against God, and resides in a deceitful, unsearchable heart. He says that it expresses this enmity in two ways: (1) in aversation or loathing against God, and (2) by opposing God. Now, he further adds that sin opposes God in two ways: (1) by force and, (2) by deceit. We’ve seen that force involves sin’s lusts, its fighting and warring, its attempts to take the soul captive, and its inherent madness. In this chapter we’ve begun to discuss the power that indwelling sin receives by virtue of its deceitfulness.
That sin plies its trade largely through deceit cannot be doubted. Many biblical texts make this clear. And this deceit begins in the mind and moves forward by degrees, always seeking death in the sinner and making its advancements through temptations. James 1:14-15 points to these realities.
So then, sin attempts to lure the leading faculty of the soul, i.e., the mind, away from fulfilling its two cardinal duties: (1) to keep the whole soul in a frame of obedience, and (2) to ensure that all our particular or specific duties before God are performed in accordance with God’s desires, that is, all acts of obedience are done in the proper time, manner, and season.
Now there are, according to Owen, two aspects to this first duty of keeping the entire soul in a frame of obedience. They are: (1) to consider ourselves, sin, and its vileness properly, and (2) to constantly dwell on God, his grace and goodness. It was Owen’s point in this chapter to deal only with these two aspects of the mind’s first duty. He will deal with other aspects of this first duty as well as the second duty in the following chapters.
As far as considering ourselves, sin, and its vileness is concerned, indwelling sin seeks to cause the mind to abuse grace (when we treat our duties lightly or we use mercy as an occasion to sin) and to divert its proper attention from a due consideration of sin’s vileness as we get older and our emotions diminish. Indwelling sin also leads the mind away from dwelling on God and his grace by filling it with earthly concerns—concerns which choke out God and his will for our lives. From this brief chapter, it is clear that Christians must watch carefully (but not with a fretful attitude) for the ways in which sin seeks to deceive the mind.
64 VI:158-59.
65 VI:211.
66 VI:212.
67 VI:213.
68 VI:213-14.
69 VI:215.
70 VI:217.
71 VI:222.