Those who are truly "in Christ" are not still "in sin"for it is written in Him is no sin, so no not all scripture speaks of those who are already washed and who are in Christ referring to those who say "we have no sin". It is necessary to distinguish past, present and future when looking at those verses. Just as it is written "for all have sinned", which agrees with what you posted above "if we say we have no sin" it just proves this point "for all have sinned." So if anyone claims they have never sinned in the past, then we know this is not true by those words.
But this is not saying you cannot truly be set free from sin and cease from sin because that also contradicts Jesus words and Johns and even Pauls in Romans 6 and 8. As it is necessary to look at Romans 6 and 8 along with Romans 7 to see the whole picture of how we can indeed be set free from sin by the power of God.
And no one said it would not take a fight to overcome sin, but the Lord empowers you to be an overcomer if you are willing to resist temptation and stop sinning by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Here is a thread I wrote concerning the fight that immediately follows a new convert...
Some people may not understand the great
spiritual battle that is, and has been ongoing for thousands of years now. But for each new individual believer and born again Christian there is a personal
battle that is to be waged and won, if one is willing to
fight the good fight of faith.
This
battle between the mind of
flesh and
Spirit of God is the
enmity that was shown in the very beginning, but this personal battle ground for each new believer takes place in the heart and mind after first being illuminated by the
Spirit of God. It is written
Hebrews 10:32 “But call to remembrance the former days, in which,
after ye were
illuminated, ye endured a
great fight of afflictions;”
This
battle against the saints by the Devil and his
spirit is shown many times in scripture, and many of the saints were also prophesied to be
overcome.
Revelation 13:7 “And it was given
unto him to make war with the saints, and
to overcome them: and
power was given
him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” But some also would hold fast and endure unto the end, and be
overcomers by the
power given to them by God, and by the faith of Jesus Christ.
This
spiritual battle and
war that wars against the soul is mentioned several times in scripture.
Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against
powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
Romans 7:23 “But I see
another law in my
members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me
into captivity to the
law of sin which is
in my
members.”
James 4:1 “From whence come
wars and
fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your
lusts that
war in your
members?”
1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from
fleshly lusts, which
war against the soul;
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war after the flesh:[SUP]4 [/SUP](For the
weapons of our
warfare are not carnal, but
mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)[SUP] 5 [/SUP]
Casting down imaginations, and
every high thing that exalteth
itself against
the knowledge of God, and bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
When a person is born again of God’s
Spirit we are
empowered by God to be able to resist
sin, resist the
Devil, and resist the
wicked ways of the world, and even to bring
every thought into
captivity to the
obedience of Christ. But this
war and
battle takes some effort on each believer’s part, as personal sacrifices need be made to
overcome all these things.
Remember….
1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath
no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make
a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
