1 John 5:18-20 ESV  We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. (19) We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (20) And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Christians know instinctively and experientially what the Apostle Paul was talking about in Romans 7. When he said that he did what he did not want to do, and found himself unable to do the good he desired to do, we know exactly what he means. The sad reality is that most Christians I have known constantly explain that, as humans, we all sin all the time and they seem to really believe this. Their lives reveal a lack of victory over sin that necessitates this explanation. But the witness of Scripture and the Spirit speak otherwise. Now, understand that I am not advocating sinless perfection whereby some Christians attain an exalted status and never are tempted or sin again. I realize that we will always face temptation in this life and therefore face the possibility of sinning. But God did not save us from our sin so we could continue to live in sin. Otherwise His salvation is not effective for us. He leaves us with the same problem we were facing before, our sin, and we are just as helpless and hopeless as before we came to Him.

In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul was not describing the normal experience of Christians, but the experience of someone who was trying to live by the law under the law in order to earn salvation or sanctified living. Victory over sin is the birthright of every born-again believer. In fact, the evidence that Christ has come into our lives, brought new life and new changes, and has given us new spiritual power is our response to sin, is this: “Sin no longer has dominion” over us. We do not keep on sinning. The “one born of God,” our Savior, protects us and the evil one cannot touch us while we remain under His protection. The reason the world cannot understand this experience is because it “lies in the power of the evil one.” We are no longer under that power. We have God’s Spirit, who empowers us.

We have been given understanding. We KNOW Him who is TRUE. We are IN Him who is TRUE. He IS the TRUE God and eternal life. Its all about what is TRUE. Have you come to an understanding of what it TRUE? Have you accepted and now believe what is TRUE? Do you have a relationship with the TRUE God, Jesus Christ? Our world wants to downplay TRUTH. They want to redefine what is TRUE in terms of what they want it to be, or to adjust it according to their experience, or to explain that what is TRUE for you may not be TRUE for them. God deals in TRUE TRUTH. His TRUTH is TRUE for everyone all the time in all ages.

Confident living is understanding the TRUTH, and believing the TRUTH, and living the TRUTH. We have the knowledge, we have the witness, we have the power.