Hello friends,
Have you ever held on to something you knew you should let go of?
My favorite movie trilogy of all time is The Lord of the Rings. I still remember sitting in the theater watching The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time.
In the story, the world of Middle-earth is under the shadow of Sauron. Although he appears to have been defeated, his power remains in the One Ring. The only way to destroy evil completely is to throw the Ring into the very fire where it was forged.
One man has the chance to end it all.
But he can't let it go.
Instead of destroying the Ring, he keeps it for himself, believing he can possess its power without being consumed by it. That single decision allows darkness to continue spreading across Middle-earth.
As Christians, we often do the same thing.
God calls us to put sin to death, yet we convince ourselves we can hold on to "just a little." We think we can manage it, control it, or keep it hidden. But sin never stays contained. Whatever we refuse to surrender eventually begins to shape us.
Paul writes, "Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature..." (Colossians 3:5). Notice he doesn't say to manage it, tame it, or hide it. He says to kill it.
Why? Because anything that holds our heart more tightly than Christ will eventually master us.
The good news is that we don't fight sin to become a new person—we fight it because we already are one. Through Christ, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old life has died, and a new life has begun. Our identity is no longer found in our old desires but in the Savior who gave us new life.
Blessings,
Pastor Matt