The Ongoing Battle Within (Chapter 13, Paragraph 2)

“This sanctification is throughout the whole man, yet imperfect in this life…”

Sanctification reaches every part of the believer—mind, will, emotions, and body—but its work is not completed here on earth. We remain dependent on grace each day. The whole man is being renewed, though the work is ongoing (2 Cor. 4:16).

“…there abides still some remnants of corruption in every part…”

Even the holiest Christians must confess that sin still lingers. No faculty of man is entirely free of its effect—not even the affections or motives (Rom. 7:18).

“…whence arises a continual and irreconcilable war…”

The Christian life is not one of ease but of spiritual warfare (Gal. 5:17). The flesh wars against the Spirit. The presence of this conflict is a sign of spiritual life—not its absence.

“…the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.”

This is the daily battle of sanctification. The believer does not coast into holiness—it is a battle marked by struggle and growth, failure and renewal. Yet God has not left us powerless.

Application for the Believer:

Do not despair when you feel the tug of sin or the weariness of spiritual battle. That war is not a sign of defeat, but of new life. The unbeliever feels no such tension. You fight because the Spirit is in you. God is not done with you, and though sin remains, its power is broken. Press on. Put sin to death. Feed your soul with the Word, prayer, and the fellowship of the saints. And when you fall, run to Christ. The work He began, He will finish. You are not alone in this battle—and in Christ, the victory is sure.