What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."

  - Romans 7.7

...through the flesh the Enemy is always dragging me towards death, that is, towards what is enticing but unlawful...

  - Patrick, Confession (British, 5th century)

We will not make progress in the life of faith as long as we hold on to the sins of our fleshly past.

Unconfessed sin hinders our prayers (Ps. 66.18), cuts us off from fellowship with God (Is. 59.1, 2), and is a slippery slope to even more sin (Ps. 73.18). The longer we hold on to a sin, the more we will be in lined to rationalize it away, and the more we thus make our souls vulnerable to further attacks from the enemy.

The devil entices us to sin by appealing to fleshly interests. We may only go toward them reluctantly - as if being dragged rather than running headlong toward them - but we can soon enough find ourselves indulging the very things that sear our consciences, harden our hearts, darken our minds, and spread the cancer of spiritual death throughout our souls.

The law of sin within us acts as a fifth column in our souls, always seeking to open a gate for the hosts of hell to make inroads. We must be vigilant against it, and the way to do this is by being well-versed in the Law of God and all His Word. The Law defines sin and sends up warning flares to illuminate its approach, whether by our thoughts or affections. The Law of God sounds the alarm of warning, reminding us that God loves purity and He loves us, and He will not sit by and allow either to be compromised (Heb. 12.3-11). The Law of God shows us what is holy and righteous and good, and provides a map to the path of true discipleship and Kingdom greatness (1 Jn. 2.1-6; Matt. 5.17-19).

Patrick had spent his youth in foolishness and frivolity; he saw his enslavement by Irish raiders as a judgment of God and a calling to a new way of life. He followed obediently, but not without fortifying himself against further sinning by becoming immersed in the Word of God. His Confession, as brief as it is, is crafted upon over 125 quotations, references, or allusions to the Scriptures. He hewed the path of God's Law and Word, and thus he was able to recognize and resist the enemy of his soul and do a work that sparked a revival lasting nearly four centuries.

What might God do in us if we ever get serious about overcoming our casual confederation with sin? How might God use us if we ever decide to build the remaining years of our lives on the trellis and framework of the Law and Word of God?

"If only you too could be persuaded to do better!" So Patrick exhorted his readers, and so he exhorts us yet today. The enemy of our souls does not rest in his effort to keep us from knowing full, abundant, and fruitful life in God. Constant vigilance and aggressive spiritual warfare are our calling.

If only we could be persuaded to take this calling more serioiusly!

T. M. Moore, Principal

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