Resolution 56Näide

“Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be” (Edwards, 1722/1723, Resolution 56).

Edwards did not pretend or even suggest that the Christian life would always be a steady upward progression. His opening to Resolution 56 directly addresses that frustration you likely know well: the same sin that keeps resurfacing, the same thoughts, the same patterns of behavior, the same sense that you should be further along by now in your walk with Christ. It is here, in that tension, that Edwards makes a quiet but firm decision: I will not quit. His resolve “never to give over” reflects a steady, stubborn commitment, the kind you must cling to when you are tired of fighting but know you cannot walk away.

A careful reading of Romans 7 reveals this is not just Edwards’ experience; it is Paul’s as well. Paul describes wanting to do what is right and yet finding himself doing the very thing he hates (vv. 14–24). His acknowledgment may seem unsettling at first, but it should actually steady you as a believer. The struggle itself is not proof that something is wrong with your faith. Rather, it is evidence that something is alive in you that now opposes sin. Before Christ, there was no real fight. Now there is tension, resistance, even grief over sin. And notice where Paul lands: he does not resolve to try harder. Instead, he points outside of himself: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v. 25). The struggle does not disappear overnight, not for Paul, not for Edwards, and not for you. Yet Christ meets you and steadies you in the midst of it.

When you fall into that same sin again, you do not throw your hands up and say, “What is the point? I give up.” And you do not pretend you can fix yourself through sheer discipline or force of will. You get back up. You confess. You turn again toward the Lord God Almighty and the path of righteousness He has set before you. You keep going. The prophet Micah speaks directly to this truth: though you fall, you will rise (Mic. 7:8). In 2 Corinthians 4:8–9, Paul reminds you that being knocked down is not the same as being destroyed. And Psalm 73:26 anchors it all: even when your strength fails, God does not.

The Christian life is not about never stumbling. It is about refusing to stay down when you fall.

Lord, You know how easy it is for me to grow tired in this fight. When I am discouraged by my own weakness, keep me from giving up. Remind me that You are my strength when I have none, and help me to keep turning back to You again and again. Amen.

• Where do you feel most worn down in your fight against sin right now?
• How does seeing Paul’s struggle in Romans 7 change the way you interpret your own sin struggles?
• What would it look like for you, in a practical sense, to “not give over” this week?