Living with a Zombie

Its amazing how fast time flies. I haven't had time to blog lately but have had some good devotional times. Romans is rich. Matthew is still pure Jesus. I am glad Romans 7 was written. I wish it wasn't true. I know the same frustration Paul expresses when he talks about doing what he doesn't want to do and not doing what he does want to do. Paul, who refers to himself in another place as, "the chief of sinners." He describes sin as a cancer living in him that causes him to sin, "I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me." Sometime its like being a puppet on a string. I can almost feel the "body of death" mentioned in vs. 24 living overlapped on my. As if cell adjacent to cell, this body lives with me, so that when the temptation to sin comes on me, it is truly as if every fiber of my being wants to sin while all of me also refuses to sin. This context helps me to better understand the instruction from 6:11 to "consider yourselves dead to sin." I am dead to sin because my natural self was crucified with Christ. So I am living with a zombie. Though he is dead, he still expresses desire. Just like the old movie zombies that walk aimlessly, arms outstretched and moaning. I prefer these to the newer movie zombies which seem to have learned to run.

The trouble with zombies is they seem strong and alive.

So I have to keep reminding myself that the zombie me is dead and is no match for the living Spirit that reigns within me. Because Jesus was resurrected, life conquers death.

Father help me to live dead to sin. Show me the decay of sinfulness. Don't let me be fooled by the appearance of life in the old me. And help me to ruthlessly slay the zombie within.