Spiritual Growth and Struggle

Order of Service

• Prayer of Invocation
• Sermon
• Discussion
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: Spiritual Growth and Struggle

Scripture: No single passage cited

I. The Reality of Struggle in the Christian Life

A. New Christians often expect rapid, unhindered growth — a mountaintop experience from beginning to end B. The New Testament calls believers not to childishness but to maturity — growing up into the fullness of Christ C. One mark of growing spirituality (per Reformed teaching) is an increased awareness of one's own fallen condition — the struggle intensifies rather than fades D. Easy-believism and quietism ("let go and let God") are false and dangerous shortcuts

1. God does promise to complete the good work He begins — Philippians 1:6
2. Yet believers are also commanded to work out their salvation with fear and trembling — Philippians 2:12-13
3. The basic accent of the New Testament call to sanctification is disciplined struggle

II. The Three Principal Obstacles to Christian Growth (Luther)

A. Translated by Abraham Kuyper as: fallen nature, fallen humanity, fallen angels — i.e., the world, the flesh, and the devil

III. The World

A. Nature itself is fallen, having plunged into ruin at the fall of man

1. From the beginning, man's toil involves thorns and briars; childbearing involves great pain
2. The whole created order groans together in travail, awaiting the day of redemption — Romans 8:22 B. God has appointed nature to struggle with us — even this is for our sanctification C. The fallenness of mankind adds a second layer of resistance
3. War, violence, and nuclear threat characterize 20th-century life
4. Wounded interpersonal relationships hinder spiritual growth — estrangement from spouse or parents makes growth difficult
5. The great commandment includes loving one another; growth in grace means growing toward whole rather than fractured relationships

IV. The Flesh

A. The biggest enemy of spiritual growth is oneself — "you are your own worst enemy, and what a formidable opponent" B. Paul's warfare between flesh and spirit (Galatians 5:17) is not body vs. soul, but the old man's pre-regenerate desires fighting the new man quickened by the Holy Spirit C. The old man is under a death sentence at regeneration, but its death is not instantaneous — it dies daily, squawking and resisting all the while

1. Illustrated by a headless chicken — dead in principle, yet still causing chaos
2. Illustrated by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — the capacity for almost any evil still resides in the Christian heart D. Christians in positions of leadership are especially warned: no one is ever far from the failures of David, Peter, or Judas
3. Christ's warning to Peter: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat" — Luke 22:31

V. The Devil

A. Satan is a potent reality in the mind and teaching of Christ — not to be dismissed as unsophisticated B. Satan's two strategies: convince people he does not exist (most effective), or make people so preoccupied with him that he becomes the center of attention C. He is not omnipotent and cannot be in more than one place at a time, but commands legions of fallen angels — Luther called this the "unbridled assault" D. Christ's inclusion of "deliver us from the evil one" in the Lord's Prayer — Matthew 6:13 — confirms the reality of a personal adversary

1. The Greek ponēros is masculine, not neuter — it refers to the evil one, not a vague force of evil

VI. Resources for the Struggle

A. All that the Christian has to withstand these three enemies is Christ and His Holy Spirit, His church, and the means of grace B. Future sessions will explore practical steps for growing in grace within a hostile world