But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more…” Romans 5:20
When the idol Dagon got knocked down, there was a stump left. This is a picture of the battle inside of a believer between sin and grace. Just because you make Jesus the Lord of your life does not mean that you will never again have the temptation or desire to sin. There is still a lingering for the things that you used to want. That is part of being human. It doesn’t mean you weren’t saved. It just means God hasn’t finished working on you.
Dagon fell, but it wasn’t broken yet. Maybe Jesus is in your heart, but you still have those taste buds for Egypt. The good news is the Bible says that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. (Romans 5:20) When you are weak, then you are strong because the grace of God gets under you and gives you an infusion of power to say no to the devil.
Even though the Ark was in the temple and it was now a holy place, and even though Dagon (sin) had been dethroned, there remained a stump. Even after you get saved, you will still be tempted. If you start hanging around the wrong people and flirting with the old sins again, you can be led back into bondage. If you want to keep the victory, you will need to learn how to deal with that stump of Dagon. You will need to “shun the very appearance of evil” to keep Jesus on the throne. If you battle with addictions, remove the temptations. Ask for help from a qualified Christian counselor and get support. Don’t leave it to chance on whether you will be able to withstand temptation.
Don’t get discouraged if you fall back a little. Don’t quit too soon. Just get right back up, dust yourself off, and stay faithful to your new life in Christ. The temple still has the Ark, and Dagon is coming down!
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