Thus it is that while a Christian who yields utterly to God and accepts
Christ as his victory may instantly be free from even the temptation
to drink, or to smoke, or to indulge in worldly amusements, or to
do a hundred and one things that he has been accustomed to do, the
temptations to the root-sins of lust and covetousness and pride _will
remain with him_. They will take more subtle forms. Satan cannot tempt
him now in the grosser, worldly way. He will now take advantage of this
one’s very zeal for God, and will make appeal to his earnest devotion
to God’s service to lead into sins of impatience and irritation and
jealousy and pride.
In the face of these temptations, what is the guarantee against failure
which the victorious Christian has, and which the man of the world
knows nothing of? When a Christian wholly yields his life to the
mastery of the Lord Jesus he has still the desire to enjoy things, the
desire to get things, and the desire to accomplish things. Christ does
not kill the natural desires. _It is the old self-life that Christ
wants to put to death._ That is why a Christian must share in present
experience the crucifixion-death of his Lord before he can share his
victory over temptation. This is what surrender of self means for
the Christian who desires victory. He must, moment by moment, reckon
himself to be dead unto sin. He is not dead to temptation, for his
natural human desires are still there.