Do you ever wonder why the process of sanctification is so difficult? And why does it seem to get harder the longer you work at it? It is not impossible that a mature Christian could grow weary and lose heart in his striving after holiness. There is a reason for this - a very understandable reason. When one is young in the faith, he or she is typically ignorant of much of the Bible. Even when new believers possess a knowledge of the content of the Scriptures, they have not yet plumbed the depths of Scriptural truth. They also do not know themselves very well. They tend to excuse certain behaviors because "that's just the way I am." Growth in grace includes an increase in knowledge - knowledge of the depths of God's word and the depths of human nature. While you mature, you gain a greater awareness of what God truly requires of His people. You also see yourself more clearly and more accurately. Sin that has formerly remained hidden in the shadows of your life now stands out in its grotesque ugliness. You look at yourself, and you look at your Bible, and you start to see yourself as God sees you. To say it another way, God enables you to see yourself as you truly are - and its not a very pretty picture. Hence your understanding of the task of sanctification comes into startlingly clear focus, and you begin to comprehend the enormity of the task. Added to this is the reality that as you make some measure of progress in holiness, a trinity of evils increases the resistance. The world, the flesh and the devil gang up against you to suppress your progress and retard your growth in grace. Immature believers are no threat to them, but a strong, well-rounded, mature Christian is enormously dangerous to their cause. So they try all the harder to pull you down from within and without. Praise God that He who dwells within us is greater than any of our enemies and all of our enemies combined! The Spirit of Christ shall have the victory, though the battle will not be an easy one.
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