Thursday, February 20’s devotional. “We know that our old self was crucified with him… so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6, CSB)
Before Christ, sin ruled every aspect of your life. You were a slave to it—trapped in its power with no means of escape. But Paul declares that your old self has been crucified with Christ. Mark put it this way: “If you are in Christ, the person you used to be—the one enslaved to sin—was nailed to the cross with Him. That person is dead.”
This means sin no longer has authority over you. It is not your master. Mark emphasized, “You don’t have to sin anymore. You are not bound by its demands. You are free, truly free.” Yet, many believers live as if they are still in chains. They struggle, thinking they are powerless, when in reality, their old self has already been rendered powerless.
Paul continues, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6, CSB). The word ‘powerless’ means to be deprived of strength, to be made inoperative. Sin hasn’t just been weakened—it has been defeated. When Christ died, He didn’t just pay for your sin; He broke its control over you.
But freedom must be walked in. If sin no longer owns you, why do you keep obeying it? Why do you keep giving it control? If a prisoner is released from jail but refuses to leave his cell, is he truly free? He has been given freedom, but he must step into it. In the same way, believers must actively reject sin’s influence and walk in the righteousness that Christ provides.
So how do you live in this freedom? Paul gives the answer in Romans 6:11: “So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (CSB). You must change the way you think about sin. Stop seeing yourself as a slave. See yourself as free. Walking in freedom starts with believing what God has declared—your old self is dead, and your new self is alive in Christ.
Application:
Ask God to reveal areas where you still live as though sin controls you. Confess them and pray for His strength to walk in the freedom He has given you.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that in Christ, my old self is crucified and I am no longer a slave to sin. Help me to live in this truth, rejecting sin’s control and walking in the freedom You have provided. Amen.
This devotional content is not penned by the preacher. It is derived from the sermon notes. We aim to provide bite-sized reflections throughout the week for devotion and reflection.