Why You Keep Fighting the Same Sin | Matt Chewning | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Why You Keep Fighting the Same Sin

Authentic Church • Jul 15, 2026 • 73 min

Start a Devotional

Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message, Pastor Matt Chewning addresses why so many believers feel stuck battling the same habitual sins and lacking spiritual power. He explains that while every Christian has the Holy Spirit indwelling them at salvation, believers must also seek the Holy Spirit coming upon them in power. By persistently asking, seeking, and knocking for the Holy Spirit's empowerment, believers can crucify the flesh rather than exhausting themselves trying to fight fleshly desires through human willpower.

Themes

The Holy Spirit and Spiritual PowerOvercoming the FleshPersistent PrayerSanctification and Identity in ChristBeliever's Baptism

Key Points

1.
Every true believer has the Holy Spirit indwelling them for salvation, but scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit also comes upon believers in power.
2.
Believer's baptism is an essential outward public declaration of a believer's allegiance and tethering to Jesus Christ.
3.
Jesus did not come merely to offer forgiveness and a clean slate, but to transform believers into a holy, perfected dwelling place for God.
4.
Many Christians experience repentance and religious activity, yet lack the supernatural power needed for daily spiritual victory.
5.
The flesh cannot be tamed, managed, or matured; its desires multiply continuously and must be actively crucified.
6.
Just as wild hogs multiply exponentially and destroy land, unchecked fleshly desires escalate and consume a believer's life if not put to death.
7.
Attempting to defeat fleshly temptations using human willpower is fighting the flesh with the flesh, which inevitably leads to exhaustion.
8.
Receiving the Holy Spirit's daily power requires a posture of persistent asking, seeking, and knocking rather than relying on a one-time emotional event.

Sermon Moments

“Every believer has the Holy Spirit living in them, but scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit comes upon believers in power as well.”

“Jesus didn't just come to forgive you of your sin and to give you a clean slate; He came to transform you into a dwelling place for God to house Himself.”

“You find yourself trying to fight the flesh by the power of the flesh.”

“The flesh never submits to God... no matter how much you try to starve it, it will never fully die, and no matter how much you feed it, it is never full.”

“The flesh works like wild hogs; it never stays small, it always multiplies. You can't manage it—you have to kill it.”

“If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

This Week

Begin every morning by persistently asking the Holy Spirit for His power to face the specific tasks and temptations of your day.

Identify specific areas in your life where you have been feeding or managing fleshly desires instead of actively putting them to death.

If you have committed your life to Christ but have never undergone believer's baptism, take the step to be baptized.

Stop attempting to overcome addictions, anxiety, or shame through white-knuckled willpower, and surrender them directly to the Holy Spirit.

Evaluate your weekly habits against Galatians 5 to determine whether your actions are producing the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit.

Engage daily in worship, prayer, and singing spiritual songs as a biblical means of being continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

Confess hidden struggles or secrets to a trusted brother or sister in Christ to break the power of isolation and shame.

Remember This

You cannot defeat the flesh with the power of the flesh; you must persistently ask, seek, and knock for the Holy Spirit to empower you to put sin to death.

A Challenge for You

Today's the day it breaks because we're going to ask, we're going to seek, we're going to knock... From this moment forward, I at least know how I fight: I fight in the Spirit, I crucify the flesh by the Spirit, I put to death the flesh by the Spirit.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.