This battle between the old nature and the new nature is vividly portrayed by Paul in Romans 7:7-25. We do well to remember that this battle is ongoing and there is no room for complacency in our walk with Christ. Whilst we must live in the freedom and grace which are available through the righteousness of Christ (there’s no need to be pessimistic or fearful in our walk with God), we must also be vigilant against sin. As Casting Crowns sing in their hauntingly poignant song ‘Waiting on the night to fall’, there is an old man, an old nature, motivated by the devil who will do all he can to cause us to sin:
‘There’s an old man living in the back of your woods tonight.
You forgot he was even there, but you’ve never slipped his mind.
He’s living off of scraps of you you never knew you left behind
And as the sun goes down, he rises with a smile.
He’s waiting on the night to fall;
The old man’s coming to call;
You don’t see the writing on the wall.
He’ll never step out in the light
No, he’s just biding time
And while you slumber, he’s gonna come and take it all.
He’s waiting on the night to fall.
He’s waiting on the night to fall.
He knows you have the answers, but Truth lies dusty on your shelf.
And the sword that you could slay him with has become an ornament and nothing else.
You could put him back down in his hole in the ground, but he knows you never will.
He’s been around so long, you got used to the smell.
He knows he’ll never have your soul,
But he will gladly rob you blind;
While you’re feasting at his table, he’ll tie your hands and numb your mind.
He’ll take you farther than you wanna go,
He’ll keep you longer than you wanna stay
And it will cost you more than you ever thought you’d pay.’ (‘Waiting on the Night to Fall’, Casting Crowns)
John reminds us that being related to God has two manifestations: righteousness and love. Both are characteristic of God; both are characteristic of the children of God. Moreover, both are and need to be actively expressed, and expressed in a way that conforms to God’s standard and to the pattern set by Jesus. We need to put on the armour of God so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes (Eph 6:10-20) so that we develop the family likeness and can be seen by the world as belonging to Christ.