Your Struggle Against Sin

Hebrews 12:4-5 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

Are you weary in your battle against sin? Do you feel the pain of discipline but not the pleasure of the Lord’s fatherly care and the peaceful fruit of righteousness? Be encouraged. The Lord disciplines those He loves. Indeed, His firm, disciplinary hand reveals that you are His child. During the Christian life, every believer will “struggle against sin” (Heb. 12:4). In light of this battle, the author of Hebrews teaches us several important truths about the discipline of the Lord.

First, believers are not to regard His discipline lightly or “be weary when reproved by him” (Heb. 12:5). Second, the Lord’s discipline proves that He loves us and has received us as His children (vv. 6–8). Third, the Lord’s discipline should lead us to respect Him in increasing measure (v. 9). Finally, the Lord “disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (vv. 10–11).

The writer of Hebrews is concerned that no one misses God’s grace, peace, and rest that come only through Christ. This happens when any form of immorality or ungodliness defiles a person and distracts him from true repentance and faith. A good example of this is Esau (vv. 15–17).

Esau’s appetite for food and sex got him into trouble. First, Esau’s appetite for food was costly. After a day hunting in the field, he was exhausted and hungry. Instead of delaying gratification, he demanded that his brother Jacob give him stew, but it came with a steep price tag of selling Jacob his birthright (Gen. 25:27–34). Second, Esau’s appetite for sex was costly. Instead of taking a wife from among God’s people, he took wives from among the Hittites, making life bitter for his parents (26:34–35).

It’s no surprise, then, that when Esau desired to inherit the blessing of the firstborn, he found that it had already been given to his brother. Although Jacob was a conniver and a schemer in securing the blessing, it was Esau’s sexual immorality and unholiness that led to an awful end. Sadly, Esau’s tears were not those of repentance, but of regret. Regret is not liking the consequences that our sin has caused, while true repentance involves hating and forsaking our sin. Esau’s tears were over losing the birthright and the blessing. Instead, they should have been over sinning against the holy God.

Dear believer, are you weary in your struggle against sin? Do you feel the pain of discipline but not the joy of the Lord’s tender care and the peaceful fruit of righteousness? Do not be discouraged. The Lord reproves those whom He loves. In fact, His discipline reveals that you are His son or daughter.

Perhaps some of you are unsure whether you are truly a believer. You know the root of bitterness. You have cried many tears of regret. But you wonder whether you’ve been truly repentant. Cry out to God today. Confess your sin, ask for His forgiveness, and trust in Christ alone for your salvation, so that you will inherit eternal life.

by Sarah Ivill - Tabletalk Magazine July 2025

Image

Sarah Ivill (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a Bible teacher and conference speaker who lives in Matthews, North Carolina with her husband and four children, and is a member of Christ Covenant Church (PCA). She is the author of numerous books and Bible studies, including The God Who Hears and Luke: That You May Have Certainty Concerning the Faith. To learn more, please visit www.sarahivill.com.