Victory Over Sin Takes Faith, Time, & Diligence

There are no quick fixes in the Christian life, when it comes to becoming Christlike. The "victorious life" teaching -- that there is a special mindset of submission to Christ that produces an instant experience of victory over every temptation -- produces a proud, judgmental attitude toward other Christians who struggle against temptation. When a Christian is wrestling with the spiritual-warfare reality described in Romans 7, that doesn't mean that person don't love the Lord. The Romans 7 believer concurs joyfully with the Law of God in his or her inner self (see Romans 7:22), and the Law's number one commandment is to love the Lord. Victory over sin takes faith in Christ, combined with diligent effort over time.