Mortification of Sin: In Modern English

by John Owen

The second reason for publishing this is to address the dangerous mistakes made by some individuals who have recently given advice on overcoming sin. Unfamiliar with the gospel's mystery and the power of Christ's death, they have imposed a self-made burden of overcoming sin on their followers, a burden that neither they nor their ancestors could bear (Acts 15:10). The way they present and promote overcoming sin doesn't align with the gospel in terms of its nature, subject, causes, means, or effects. This approach often leads to superstition, self-righteousness, and anxiety in those who take on this heavy burden.

To kill a person or any other living thing means taking away the source of all their strength, vitality, and power, so they can no longer act or exert any of their abilities. The same idea applies here. Indwelling sin is compared to a living person called "the old man," with his faculties and properties, wisdom, cunning, subtlety, and strength. The apostle says this must be killed, put to death, and overcome—that is, have its power, life, vitality, and strength to produce its effects removed by the Spirit.

And it is genuinely overcome initially in regeneration when a principle opposite to and destructive of it is planted in our hearts (Rom 6:3-5; Gal 5:17). However, the entire work should be gradually carried out towards perfection throughout our lives.

The apostle's intention in prescribing the mentioned duty is that overcoming the indwelling sin remaining in our mortal bodies is the constant responsibility of believers, so that it may not have life and power to produce the works or deeds of the flesh.

Principle I: The most devout believers, who are certainly free from the condemning power of sin, should still make it their priority all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.

Mortify! Make it your daily work. Be always at it while you live; never take a day off from this work. Be killing sin, or it will be killing you! Your being dead with Christ by identification and your being revived with Him won't excuse you from this work (Rom 6:3-4).

Our Savior tells us how His Father deals with every branch in Him that bears fruit, every true and living branch: "He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (John 15:2). He prunes it, and that not for a day or two, but all the while it's a branch in this world. And the apostle tells you what was his practice: "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection" (1 Cor 9:27). "I do it," he says, "daily. It's the work of my life. I never skip it. This is my business." And if this was the work and business of Paul—who was so incredibly exalted in grace, revelations, enjoyments, privileges, and consolations, far beyond the average believer—how can we possibly defend an exemption from this work and duty while we're in this world? Mortification must continue throughout the believer's life on earth. Some brief account of the reasons for this can be given.

Indwelling sin always remains while we're in this world; therefore, it always needs to be mortified.

Sin not only remains within us, but it's also constantly acting, striving to produce deeds of the flesh.

We could leave sin alone if it ever left us alone, but sin is never more active than when it appears to be quiet. Its influence is often strongest when it's not obvious, so our efforts against sin should be vigorous at all times and in every situation, even when we least suspect its presence. Sin doesn't just linger within us, but the "law in my members [is] warring against the law of my mind" (Romans 7:23), and "the spirit that lives in us desires to envy" (James 4:5). It's always working: "The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit" (Galatians 5:17); lust is constantly tempting and creating sin (James 1:14).

In every moral action, sin is either inclining us towards evil, hindering us from doing good, or disru...

Why does this happen? Because "in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing" (7:18). Sin also prevents us from doing good: "The good I want to do, I don't do" (7:19)—this means either I don't do the good I want to, or I don't do it as I should, since all my holy actions are tainted by sin.

If sin is always acting, and we don't consistently work to kill it, we'll end up losing ourselves.

A person who stands still and allows their enemies to land blow after blow without resistance will undoubtedly be defeated in the end.

If sin is cunning, vigilant, powerful, and always trying to destroy our souls, and we're lazy, careless, and foolish in our attempts to prevent it, how can we expect a positive outcome? Every day, sin either triumphs or is defeated...

Results of sin If left unchecked and not consistently fought against, sin won't just strive, act, rebel, trouble, or disquiet; it will produce significant, cursed, scandalous, soul-destroying sins. The apostle tells us what the works and fruits of sin are: "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like" (Galatians 5:19-21). We know what it did to David and many others. Sin always aims for the worst: each time it tempts or entices, if left unchecked, it would lead to the most extreme sin of that type. Every impure thought or glance would become adultery if it could; every greedy desire would turn into oppression; every doubt would become atheism if sin were allowed to fully develop. People might reach a point where they no longer hear sin urging them to commit scandalous acts, but every rise of lust, if left unchecked, would escalate to the worst kind of wickedness. It's like the grave that's never satisfied (Proverbs 30:15-16).

Yet sin keeps pushing forward, aiming for its ultimate goal: total abandonment of God and opposition to Him.

Nothing but mortification can prevent this; it weakens the root and strikes at the core of sin every hour, countering sin in whatever it tries to achieve. Even the best saint in the world would fall into numerous cursed sins if they were to abandon this duty.

"The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit." Well, and what then? Well, "The Spirit [also desires what is contrary] to the flesh" (Galatians 5:17).

It's our participation in the divine nature that helps us escape the corruption in the world caused by lust (2 Peter 1:4-5). There's a law of the mind, as well as a law of the body (Romans 7:23).

First, it's extremely unfair and unreasonable to bind one combatant and let the other one attack freely. Second, it's foolish to restrict the one who fights for our eternal well-being while allowing the one who seeks our everlasting ruin to roam free. The battle is for our lives and souls. Not using the Spirit and our new nature daily for the mortification of sin means we're neglecting the incredible help God has provided against our greatest enemy. If we fail to use what we've received, God may justifiably withhold more from us. His graces, like his gifts, are given to us to use, practice, and engage with. Not mortifying sin daily is to sin against the goodness, kindness, wisdom, grace, and love of God, who has equipped us with the means to do so.

Sin grows stronger like the house of David, while grace weakens like the house of Saul.

When sin achieves a significant victory due to the neglect of mortification, it breaks the soul's bones (Psalms 31:10; 51:8) and makes a person weak, sick, and near death (Psalms 38:3-5) to the point where they can't even look up (Psalms 40:12; Isaiah 33:24). If someone keeps taking hit after hit, wound after wound, defeat after defeat, without putting up a strong resistance, can they expect anything other than to be "hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) and for their souls to bleed to death (2 John 1:8)?

A person shouldn't think they're making progress in holiness if they don't confront their lusts.

Anyone who doesn't face opposition from sin and doesn't focus on its mortification in every aspect is at peace with sin, not dying to it.

May the good Lord send a spirit of mortification to heal our ailments, or else we're in a terrible situation!

There are two evils that definitely affect every unmortified professing Christian: one within themselves and the other concerning others.

Regardless of what they claim, a professing Christian without mortification has only shallow thoughts about sin, especially sins of daily weakness. The core of an unmortified lifestyle is the tolerance of sin without any inner disgust. When someone can conceive of grace and mercy in such a way that they can easily tolerate and accept daily sins without any bitterness, that person is on the brink of turning God's grace into an excuse for sinful behavior and becoming hardened by sin's deceitfulness (Jude 1:4; Hebrews 3:13).

To use the blood of Christ, which is meant to cleanse us (1 John 1:7; Titus 2:14); to use Christ's exaltation, which is intended to bring us repentance (Acts 5:31); to use the doctrine of grace, which teaches us to reject all ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12)—all to support sin is a rebellion that will ultimately break us.

Principle II: Only the Holy Spirit is sufficient for the mortification of sin. All other ways and means without Him are useless. He is the main cause of it, working in us as He pleases.

We receive all our mortification from the gift of Christ, and all Christ's gifts are given to us by the Spirit of Christ: "Without me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). All supplies and relief—in the beginnings, growth, and actions of any grace—come from Him alone, through the Spirit, by which He works in and upon believers.

root of sin, weakening, destroying, and removing it. That's why the Spirit is called a "spirit of judgment and...burning" (Isa 4:4), truly consuming and destroying our negative desires.

The Holy Spirit works in us and on us as we are fit to be worked in and on, preserving our own liberty and free obedience. The Spirit works on our understanding, will, conscience, and emotions in harmony with their own natures. The Holy Spirit works in us and with us, not against us or without us, so the Spirit's help is an encouragement to enable the work, not an excuse to neglect the work itself.

endless, foolish efforts of poor souls who, being convinced of sin and unable to stand against the power of their convictions, try to suppress sin through countless confusing ways and duties; but all in vain, being strangers to the Holy Spirit. They fight without victory, experience war without peace, and live in slavery all their days. They spend their energy for things that don't satisfy and work hard for things that don't benefit (Isa 55:2).

Principle III: The life, energy, and comfort of our spiritual life depend a lot on our mortification of sin.

Strength, comfort, power, and peace in our walk with God are what we desire. If any of us were asked what bothers us, we'd have to point to one of these areas: either we lack strength, power, energy, and life in our obedience and walk with God, or we lack peace, comfort, and consolation in it. Anything that might happen to a believer that doesn't fall under one of these two categories isn't worth mentioning when we complain.

Life and comfort depend on mortification. In our everyday walk with God and in the usual way He interacts with us, the strength and comfort of our spiritual lives depend a lot on our mortification. Mortification is not only an essential cause of life and comfort, but it also effectively works in bringing them about.

Just as sin weakens the soul, it also darkens the soul. It is a cloud, a thick cloud, that spreads itself over the soul and blocks all the rays of God's love and favor.

Mortification nurtures all of God's graces and makes room for them to grow in our hearts.

But now let the heart be cleansed by mortification, the weeds of desire constantly and daily uprooted (as they grow daily, nature being their proper soil).

Mortification is the soul's strong opposition to itself; in such opposition, sincerity is most evident.

The first step in mortification is weakening this habit of sin or lust so that it doesn't rise up, disturb, provoke, entice, or disquiet as easily as it naturally would (Jam 1:14-15).

The first step in mortification, then, is weakening this habit so that it doesn't impel, disturb, entice, or disquiet as it once did, killing its life, vigor, promptness, and readiness to be active. This is called crucifying "the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Gal 5:24), taking away its blood and spirits that give it strength and power, and wasting the body of death "day by day" (2 Cor 4:16).

When a person is nailed to a cross, they first struggle, strive, and cry out with great strength and might. But as their blood and spirits waste away, their struggles become weaker and less frequent, and their cries become quieter and harder to hear. In the same way, when a person first confronts a lust or disorder, it struggles violently to break free and cries impatiently for satisfaction and relief. But when mortification weakens it, it moves less often and more faintly, cries less frequently, and is barely heard in the heart. It may have occasional dying pangs that seem to show great vigor and strength, but these pass quickly, especially if the lust is kept from significant success.

The Apostle Paul describes in Romans 6:6 that the "old man is crucified with" Christ, meaning that sin is cr...

To be aware that one has such an enemy to deal with, to acknowledge it, to consider it as a true enemy, and one that must be destroyed by all means possible, is necessary for this task.

many individuals may have little knowledge of the main enemy they carry within themselves.

To strive to understand the ways, tricks, methods, advantages, and opportunities of sin's success is the beginning of this battle. This is how people deal with enemies. They investigate their plans and intentions, think about their objectives, and consider how and by what means they have previously succeeded, so that they can be stopped. This is the most important aspect of strategy. Without it, all warfare would be primitive, even where there is the greatest use of human wisdom and effort.

In fact, one of the most valuable and outstanding aspects of practical spiritual wisdom is discovering the subtleties, strategies, and depths of any hidden sin.

A significant part of our battle is to consider and know: where its greatest strength lies; what advantage it takes of situations, opportunities, and temptations; what are its arguments, justifications, and reasoning; and what are its tactics, disguises, and excuses.