Early in the morning, as I was exercising in the basement, I heard a strange sound—something lightly tapping against a window. Initially, I assumed it was a squirrel attempting to steal birdseed from the feeder outside the kitchen window. But then, something caught my eye. I stopped exercising and slowly approached the little culprit. Outside the sliding glass doors, a male robin was hopping around, pecking at the window and even leaping up in an attempt to attack the glass.
Then it hit me— as the sun rose, it created a mirror-like effect on that door. And this persistent robin saw its own reflection, mistaking it for an intruder threatening his territory, and was determined to win. In its limited understanding, the bird was fighting itself!
How often do we do the same in our own lives? Many believers struggle endlessly against sin, unaware that they are fighting a battle already won. The Bible tells us that before we knew Christ, we were enslaved to sin. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures . . . (Titus 3:3-7). But now, everything has changed.
A New Creation in Christ
When we come to Jesus, He doesn’t merely modify us—He makes us entirely new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.
This truth is life-changing! We are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1), our spirit is alive because of righteousness. We are heirs of God’s promises, God’s workmanship created for good works, and brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:10, 13).
However, when we don’t truly believe we have been made new, we live as though we are still bound by sin. We strive, fight, and struggle in an endless battle—like that robin at the window—trying to defeat an enemy that no longer has authority over us. But when we embrace our identity in Christ, we shift our perspective. No longer are we hopeless and powerless.
Fighting FROM Victory, Not FOR Victory
Knowing who we are in Christ frees and empowers us. Instead of striving in our own strength, we fight with the spiritual weapons God has given us. We step back and remember who and whose we are now, no longer orphans but beloved children of the King! We allow the fruit of the Spirit to manifest in our lives, carrying us from victory to victory. Proverbs 4:18 beautifully illustrates this journey: The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until full day.
It all comes down to how we see ourselves. We can live in frustration, believing we are still captives to sin—or we can step into the fullness of our new identity in Christ, walking in the freedom He has given us. We choose how we’ll see ourselves.
So, the next time you find yourself battling sin, ask yourself—are you fighting the old, defeated self, or standing firm in the victorious identity Jesus has given you?
