The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
1 Corinthians 15:56
When you, by faith, believe that Jesus is the only way you can have eternal life, God justifies you; He declares you righteous. Some use the phrase, “Just as if I never sinned.”
You become a new creation, and the power of sin is broken.
However, its power being broken and its presence are two different things.
Sin is still present and will seek to dominate.
So, what exactly is the power of sin, and how is it broken?
Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
What is the Power of Sin and How is It Broken?
Sin is disobedience to God, and the power of sin is the law, according to 1 Corinthians 15:56. The law defines what sin is but has no ability to overcome it. And sin wouldn’t have power if there was no law. The wages of sin is death. But when Jesus died on the cross, He paid the debt and broke the power of sin and death. Sin’s power is also broken in the life of the believer the moment they accept that Jesus paid that debt with His sinless life.
The Power of Sin is the Law
The reason you know right from wrong ultimately goes back to the Old Testament law of God. So, that means the law is what defines sin and gives it its power.
For example, you know murder is wrong because the law says, “Do not murder.” Or that it’s a sin to steal because God’s law says, “Do not steal.”
Paul names the tenth commandment to demonstrate how the law showed him his sin.
Romans 7:7b In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”
Paul goes on to explain how sin works.
Romans 7:8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there was no law, sin would not have that power.
As you can see, the power comes from recognizing the sinful desires within you.
The NLT Study Bible note says about the phrase, “sin used this command”:
Literally, sin took an opportunity through this command: the word opportunity is a military term for a position seized in enemy territory that becomes a base of operations (see 7:11). By expressing God’s demands, the commandments stimulate rebellion in sinful human beings. The commandments of God become an occasion for sin to accomplish its deadly purposes.
Sin would not have power if there was no law because people would not be accountable in the same way as they were after the law was given.
It’s not to say that sin didn’t exist before the law. We know it did because Paul wrote in Romans 5:12, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”
RELATED > > > > > What Does It Mean to Be Free From the Penalty of Sin?
Jesus Defeated Sin and Death on the Cross
All people are guilty of sin and have no hope of escaping its power on their own. We are born with a sinful nature, and our sin separates us from God. Its penalty is death which means eternal separation from God.
Therefore, we need a Savior, someone to pay the debt.
Jesus, the sinless God-man, was the only One who could pay the price God required. And so He did.
As a result, He defeated sin and death on the cross; we know it’s true because He rose from the dead.
When a person believes Jesus’ death is the only way they can have the power of sin broken in their life, they are saved and have eternal life.
RELATED > > > > > Will Everyone Go to Heaven? – What the Bible Says
Your New Position in Christ
You became a new creation when you accepted what Jesus did on the cross for you by faith.
The Bible says you died and were buried with Christ. And you will one day be raised to new life in Christ.
Romans 7:4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead.
Romans 6:5-6 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.
Romans 8:2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Galatians 5:18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
Colossians 2:13-14 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
1 Peter 2:24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed.
Listen to the things that happened:
- You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ
- You were united with Christ in his death
- Your old sinful self was crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power
- The life-giving Spirit freed you from the power of sin that leads to death
- Jesus canceled the charges against you by nailing them to the cross
- You are now united with Christ and belong to Him
- You will be raised to life as He was
- You’re alive with Christ
- You can be dead to sin and live for what is right
Positionally, your old self is dead. If you physically died today, your spirit would go to be with Jesus, and your body would get buried in the ground. You would be free from sin’s presence.
But until you die, you will struggle with sin.
Why Sin Still Seems to Have Power
Make no mistake, sin is still present in your life as long as you live on this earth. It has no authority over you but will still try to master you.
And it will be an ongoing battle.
God gave you the Holy Spirit at salvation, and He lives in you. And He is your new power for living righteously.
Additionally, Christ lives in you, and you are in Christ, who is in God. You are triple-protected.
Now when you sin, the Holy Spirit will convict you. You will feel shame, guilt, and separation from God.
And when you confess your sin to God, He forgives and cleanses you.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
However, You’ll still be subject to sin’s power when you try to live by the law (legalism).
In other words, trying your best to do everything right will not keep you from sinning.
Your victory comes when you rely on the Holy Spirit’s power, always available to the believer.
So, even though sin is still trying to be your master, you can say no through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in you.
RELATED > > > > > What Does It Mean to Be in Christ?
This is Amazing Grace
Final Thoughts
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using the affiliate link below, I receive a small commission.
What is the power of sin, and how is it broken?
Well, the power of sin comes from the law. The law tells you what’s right and wrong and arouses desires within you to do the opposite of what it says.
That’s not to say that every person desires to break all the laws, but the Bible makes it clear that breaking only one of the laws once makes you a sinner. And no one can claim to keep the law perfectly.
Jesus broke sin’s power when He died on the cross. He made it possible for anyone who believes what He did to be saved from sin’s power which results in eternal death.
The believer now has eternal life, is placed in Christ, and receives the Holy Spirit. They now have the power to say no to sin and to do what pleases God.
If you want a deeper understanding of what Paul teaches about the gospel of Jesus Christ and how to navigate the Christian life, I recommend Dr. David Jeremiah’s book on Romans. It’s from his Bible study series and is called Romans, the Gospel of Grace.