THE ENEMY WITHIN: STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT THE POWER AND DEFEAT OF SIN, by Kris Lundgaard

A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance

by Benjamin Montoya

 

About the Author

Kris Lundgaard was associate pastor of University PCA in New Mexico. He is currently a manager in the computer industry. He lives with his wife, Paula, and four children in Austin, Texas.

 

Introduction

We all have an enemy within us—our flesh. It drives us to sin and fights against any attempt on our part to fight it. Why is that? What is the flesh? How can we fight it? Take some time to reflect on Kris Lundgaard’s book to learn more about the enemy that we must fight in the Christian life.

 

In This Book, You Will Learn:

• Just how bad sin really is
• How sin tries to tempt us
• Why it is so important to understand well
• How to fight it with meditation and prayer

 

The Larger Contribution of This Book:

There are a lot of books that focus on the positives in the Christian life, e.g., Bible reading, prayer, etc. But, few books focus on the negatives. This book asks us to focus on the negatives of the flesh and sin. It is only when we understand them that we can begin to fight them well. This book helpfully explains both so that we can fight them with God’s means of doing so—biblical meditation and prayer.

 

Table of Contents

Part 1  The Power of Sin in What It Is
Chapter 1  Evil at My Elbow
Chapter 2  The Long Arm of the Law
Chapter 3  The Haunted House
Chapter 4  Irreconcilable Differences

Part 2  The Power of Sin in How It Works
Chapter 5  The Tricks of the Trade
Chapter 6  Getting Carried Away
Chapter 7  No Idle Mind
Excursus  Loving God with All Your Mind
Chapter 8  Hooked
Chapter 9  Maculate Conception

Part 3  The Power of Sin in What It Does
Chapter 10  Slip-Sliding Away

Part 4  Nailing the Lid on Sin’s Coffin
Chapter 11  A Bone-Marrow Transplant
Chapter 12  No Easy Peace
Chapter 13  Lethal Faith

 

Summary

 

Part 1: The Power of Sin in What It Is

 

Chapter 1: Evil at My Elbow

No matter where we go and what we try to do, evil is at our elbows. We struggle with evil desires that manifest themselves in evil actions. Why is that? Why, even in our best efforts, do we still struggle with sin? The Apostle Paul helps us understand ourselves better as he talks about sin; he gives us four key truths in Romans 7.

First, indwelling sin is a law within us. “Paul uses ‘law’ as a metaphor. He needs a way to express the power, authority, constraint, and control that sin wields in our lives, and he picks ‘law’ with a touch of irony.” Second, we, as believers, find this law within us. Unbelievers do not recognize it because that is all they want to do and are able to do. Third, we find this law even at our best. Even when Paul wanted to do something good, he found sin still. Fourth, this law never rests. The tug-of-war between wanting to live righteously and sin remains in the believer throughout his life. We have to continue to fight sin so we can live for God. It helps us to get to know the nature of our indwelling sin so that we can fight it. . . .

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