Devotion – The Mortification of Sin

Scripture

Romans 8:13
“If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

---

Puritan Insight (John Owen)

“Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”

Owen reminds us that sin is not a passive presence in our lives — it is an active, living enemy. If left unchecked, it grows in strength and influence, suffocating spiritual life. Mortification — the putting to death of sin — is not optional for the Christian; it is a daily necessity.

---

Reflection

Mortification is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Christian life. Some attempt it through mere willpower, thinking sheer determination will overcome sinful habits. Others neglect it altogether, assuming that grace excuses the fight. But Scripture commands: “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

The key phrase is “through the Spirit.”Mortification is not a grim self-improvement project, but Spirit-empowered warfare. The Spirit brings the power of Christ’s death into our daily lives, enabling us to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24). Without the Spirit, our efforts will falter. With Him, even deeply rooted sins can be uprooted.

Owen warned that sin is always at work. It doesn’t sleep or grow tired. If we are not actively putting it to death, it is actively seeking to kill us — draining joy, dulling conscience, and robbing intimacy with God.

---

Contemplation

• Am I trying to fight sin in my own strength, or am I relying on the Spirit’s power?

• Do I take sin seriously, treating it as an enemy to be destroyed, or do I tolerate it as something small and manageable?

• Where in my life do I need to bring sin into the light of Christ’s cross and Spirit’s power today?

Mortification requires honesty. It means dragging sin out of the shadows, naming it, and refusing to coddle it. It means agreeing with God that sin is deadly, not harmless.

---

Prayer

Spirit of God, I confess my weakness before You. Too often I try to fight sin in my own strength, and too often I fail. Give me holy hatred for my sin, and power to crucify sinful habits. Apply the victory of Christ’s cross to my heart, so that I no longer live for the flesh but for You. Fight in me and through me. Let me not grow weary in this battle, but persevere until the day when sin will be no more. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

---

Challenge

Mortification must move from theory to practice. Today, choose one practical step to put sin to death in your life:

• Fasting – weaken the flesh to strengthen prayer.

• Scripture memorization – arm your mind with the sword of the Spirit.

• Accountability – confess your struggle to a trusted believer who can watch and pray with you.

• Radical removal – cut off access to temptation (Matt. 5:29–30).

Select one and act on it today, trusting not in your own strength, but in the Spirit who works in you to will and to do for God’s good pleasure.