The Enemy Within

At the end of last year I asked our church to submit to me a list of their favorite books that have made a valuable impression on their souls. One of the suggestions was The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard. A good friend of mine was also reading it as he was preaching through the book of James. So a few weeks before I came to James 1.13-16, I read this book. I just finished preaching two sermons over these four verses and now I would like to give a brief description about this book and my recommendation. Thanks Julie Troxel for recommending the book it blessed me and pushed me to fight harder against the enemy within!

___________________________________________________

The Enemy Within—Straight Talk About The Power And Defeat Of Sin

The Enemy Within was written by Kris Lundgaard. His aim is to answer the question, Why do I keep on sinning? A description of the book says, “This book takes dead aim at the heart of ongoing sin. Drawing from two masterful works by John Owen, Kris Lundgaard offers insight, encouragement, and hope for overcoming the enemy within."

This was definitely one of the best books that I’ve read recently. And since I read this book while preaching through James, specifically James chapter one, it certainly made it resonate with me even more. It is absolutely a ‘straight talk’ about the influence of indwelling sin.

It addresses the war that is present in every single Christian. It is a war that is made up of many battles against our unredeemed flesh. Christ has conquered the eternal defeat of sin for Christians, so what is left is a temporary earthly and worldly fight that we must engage in daily. Simply we must know the enemy that is within. Lundgaard says,

“Getting to know indwelling sin, as humiliating and discouraging as it can be, is our wisdom—if we have interest at all in finding out what pleases the Lord (Ephesians 5.10) and avoiding everything that grieves his Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4.30).

This indwelling sin has absolutely no power over the Christian. But it seeks to rule and reign, bullying its way through your mind, your heart, and eventually your will. And so the hope is that “the more you discover the power of indwelling sin, the less you will suffer its effects.”

Jeremiah 17.9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

In the Epistle of James he gives this counsel, “Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” Pastor James’ counsel is…you’re the problem.

The Enemy Within is a great edifying work. It is worth your time and money, of course assuming that you take seriously your battle over temptation and sin.

The best price I found was at Westminster Theological Seminary’s online bookstore. Just click on this link The Enemy Within.

The Enemy Within

At the end of last year I asked our church to give me their list of books that have made a spiritual impression on their lives. As a pastor/shepherd I wanted to see what our people are reading and also I wanted to read several of their suggestions (which was almost 100 books). Out of all their recommendations I have chosen to read six books recommended by our congregation in 2010.

So I have been reading The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard that was recommended. This is an excellent book and it is addressing the very issue of indwelling sin that we are studying and preaching through in James chapter 1.

I wanted to highlight something that Lundgaard says concerning how the "flesh pumps up our heads and shrivels our hearts." He says,

"A person with a big head and a small heart can learn the doctrines of sin, yet never be convicted of sin. He can learn the teachings of grace and pardon and the great atonement for sin, yet never feel the peace of God that passes understanding. When the flesh gets a person to the point that he can sit under the teaching of the Word, and even delight in it for its intellectual beauty, yet not be changed, he has snuffed out the wick of his first love." (p.118)

We must be serious about the sinful pride of knowledge. It is true that we can attain knowledge without it ever changing us. Therefore as pastors, leaders, and as Christians we must pray as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians...

"for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction..." ~ 1 Thessalonians 1.5

This is a good word!