Are We Fighting Against Sin or for Joy? // Ask Pastor John

Should we focus on fighting against our sin? Or should we focus on fighting for pleasure in God, which will in turn kill our sin?

Is holiness the fight against sin, or is it the fight for joy in God? It’s a question from a listener named Kendall. “Hello, Pastor John! A group of guys and myself have been reading your book Desiring God. Awesome book, thank you for it!

“My question: In overcoming sin and temptation, the strategy most of us attempt to employ is to fight it, overcome it, out-power it, and out-will it. But after reading the first few chapters, I am wondering if our job as Christians is not to fight against something but to fight for something — namely, joy and pleasure in God. My heart was created to be pleased, so when I fight against sin am I unwittingly fighting against my own nature to find pleasure.

“I understand that sin offers a certain level of satisfaction and pleasure, so to fight against it, with no better satisfaction in view, is to deny my own humanity. But to fight for pleasure in God, as a means of overcoming sin and temptation, affirms my desire to be pleased and reorients my desire to its proper place. So, should we fight against sin? Or, instead, should we fight for pleasure in God, which will in turn kill our sin?”

Episode 1258: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/are-we-fighting-against-sin-or-for-joy

Related Resources:

“How Much Joy Can We Really Expect in This Life?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCtnCYdwFpY

“Is My Joy Essential in Glorifying God?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4z1yQYI0yI

“How Does ‘Willful Sinning’ Threaten My Salvation?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWQiFKVaWVk

“How Do I Feed My Joy in Jesus Every Morning?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm1gnecsaC4

Ask Pastor John Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKvMOJ1T8T4&list=PLFF7F6AE365DA3564

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