Yes, if you say that you overcame addiction by your own human strength then you are denying that God played a part, therefore your works is of the flesh. Your works are of selfrightiousness. Your works are dead, therefore you already have your reward since you did not give Glory to God, but to yourself.
Whether or not a person overcomes sin through human strength is irrelevant.
It seems very odd to me that anyone who is a Christian would deny that God played a part in helping a man to overcome sin. What Christian has ever said, "I overcame sin, no thanks to God". It strikes me as odd that anyone who's not joking would suggest that they believe such. Only an unbeliever would suggest that. I am no unbeliever, and for the thread, we are not talking about non-Christians overcoming sin, but instead Christians overcoming sin.
Secondly, if a person overcomes sin through human strength, that does not negate the fact that God would play a role in the process. In fact, it necessarily implies that God has actively worked in that persons life, and the righteous behavior that is attained by a Christian, is due to God having worked on man to guide him. So can we can dismiss any notion of a christian who says that God plays no role in sanctification?
As for the works of flesh, what you and I think about these two things seem to be very different.
It seems that you believe the works of the flesh are described as trying to overcome sin through human effort.
What had lead you to believe that?
I believe the works of the flesh are sin. Think about it, what is sin like? All sin is derived for the most part from the lust of the flesh, and that includes adultery, gluttony, homosexual acts, theft, and so on.
In fact, Paul describes the works of the flesh.
Galatians 5
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
His mentions in Romans, in regards to the works of the flesh, should be interpreted in light of the above passage.
There is nothing wrong with a believer, attempting to overcome an addiction through his own effort. Or should we shame those who attempt to stop their own sins, and label them as "self-righteous" people who are to be looked down on?
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Philippians 3:9
I've described the way I interpret that verse, and that deals with the Torah. If we're both talking about different things, iot seems that we're talking past each other, on entirely different paradigms.
From what I understand, you believe Christ's righteous is like a status, and that is put into your account, and it's as if God views you as righteous, and that is true even if you had continued in the addiction? Am I understanding you correctly?
I was addicted and was able to remain clean and dry for a year and a half, but I was constantly in fear of failing and going back to my own ways. It was not until I became a born again Christian that I was truely free. My efforts were dead works because I did not know Jesus Christ, therefore I did not give the Glory to Him.
When someone would question me as to how I became clean and sober I would point out the fact that I was going to anywhere from 6-12 meetings a day. That would usually get me a pat on the back or an "atta boy". But I was not free. I was miserable and I was denying my family the time that I spent at meetings, which usually lasted much longer than an hour because I would hang around and "fellowship" with others in the same boat.
But after salvation Jesus Christ took away that fear in a short period of time and today I know that it was He that set me free. Not by my dead works, but by faith. Today, praise The Lord Hesus Christ, I am free, indeed.
Then a few months later He set me free of a 3-5 pack a day cigarette habit. I had tried many time on my own human power to quit smoking but each time I failed miserably.
Jesus Christ not only took the habit from me but He did it in a split second. No withdrawal, no cravings, no struggling when I would be amongst smokers. Nothing. It was as though I had never smoked. That was over 36 yeas ago and, Praise the Lord, I have never had to struggle with temptation. Not once.
So, you see, it was not by me trying to become rightious that I no longer smoke, but by faith in He who has imparted His rightiousness to me. I was freed by faith, not works.
So it seems to me what you're saying is Jesus, once we believe in him, we no longer have to fight temptation. It seems to me that you describe your own experience as such. But I ask, have you sinned since being saved? I have, and I believe it's my responsibility tasked by God to continue to try with my human effort to battle daily against sin.
I have never had the experience you've had in which all your desires for sin somehow without practice and diligence just vanish in a split second and remain that way for decades. I've had to deal with sin many times, and I've found myself in repentance, with despair and self-loathing as a Christian because of the sins I've committed.
Tell me, as a Christian should I expect God just to somehow make me stop desiring the things which I've struggled with; the things of sin? If so, why hasn't he taken away my heterosexuality, and made a desire no woman. Why hasn't he made me void of sin? Does it please him to see me try to fight sin, while he has taken away your sin without any effort on your part. I've asked God to simply take away temptation from me, and to make me stop sinning. I've done that multiple times, and later on I had fallen due to temptation and a lack of diligence. If I should be expecting the experience of the Christian life like you, who's behavior is transformed effortlessly, perhaps God is not in my life at all since I have been having to try to resist sin with failures at times.
