Customer Reviews

The Enemy Within: Straight Talk about the Power and Defeat of Sin

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Have you ever wanted to read the Puritans but felt too intimidated to give it a try? You are not alone. And now, you can get the same doctrine without the cumbersome sixteenth century grammar and syntax. Kris Lundgaard's book distills John Owen's powerful books on Indwelling Sin and The Mortification of Sin into easy to understand, bite-zize chapters that edify and instruct without tripping your mental circuit breakers! If you, like me, often find yourselves living in Romans 7:14-25 and want to know how to kill sin, get this book. It will furnish you with sharp weapons.

If you're a Christian struggling with sin - especially repetitive sin, and can't seem to break the cycle. This book is for you.

The book is very easy to read and the applications are very apparent throughout the book. The book is very challenging but you walk away from it with a good idea of how to battle the sin in your life.

Probably the best outcome of this book was that I realized that fighting sin is really an all-out war that we need to be ready to fight, with the power of God (and not our own power) spurring us on.

The Enemy Within presents in an easy to read format the great work of the Puritan theologian John Owen. It is one of the most helpful books I have read on the subject of indwelling sin in the life of the Christian. The writing is enjoyable and to the point. The book is excellent for use in a small group study. It is easy to read and quite accessible for younger readers. It is a book that you will want to read more than once and prayerfully put into practice. The power behind the book is not the author but the word of God which he explains. May God bless you as you read this book.

I found this book to be an outstanding review of the problem that all Christians face--the battle with the flesh. While most of us recognize the fact that we continue to have an "enemy within" very few books and or sermons focus on the specifics of that problem. For anyone that desires to grow in Christ I would highly recommend this book.

I have always enjoyed reading the Puritans. I have not always agreed with them 100% of the time but I have found their passion for practical holiness in every area of their lives a relief in the midst of our sinful generation (1 Peter 1:15-16). However, anyone who has read the Puritans knows that their theology and language can be deep and tough to work through.

Thankfully we have books such as this work from Kris Lundgaard. He takes the powerful writings of John Owen and brings them into the 21st century. No he doesn't change Owen's theology but only his language. In fact, Lundgaard jokes that he has kidnapped Owen and they co-wrote the book.

The book itself is an excellent Puritan and Reformed view of sin in the life of the saint. We all know that 1 John 1:9 is precious to each of us whether we are strong Reformed Calvinist or Arminians. Lundgaard (and John Owen) help us to see the destruction of sin on the cross of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10) and that we have the power by God's grace and God's Spirit to overcome our sin. We don't have to struggle with our flesh but we can have victory through the power of the cross (Gal. 2:20). I highly recommend this book for all disciples of Jesus Christ.

If you're wondering why you keep sinning, you need to buy this book. Going off solid Biblical theology, Kris does an excellent job in describig the problem of sin in the Christian life and how to overcome it. He digs at the root of sin, external and internal influences and what the believer can do to overcome them.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to ANY believer- you will NOT be dissapointed in the least, regardless of where you are i your spiritual walk.

It's 2004 - I also recommend (specifically, if you're struggling with sexual temptation) Josh Harris' book on the subject - NOT EVEN A HINT.

Anyone seeking to understand the basics of Puritan theology via John Owen on the subject of sanctification (growth in Christ) will love this book. It is easy to read, clearly written, and easy to apply. Lundgaard has thoughtfully given us a volume on the difficulty of sin in a believer's life that should be understood with the utmost precision.

However, the book is repetitive and at times overbearing. The theme that kept reoccurring was that believers, at their core have an indubitable force living in them that hates God. There is little to no mention of the Holy Spirit except for the obvious doctrine of regeneration that leads us to accept the truth of the gospel.

This is, no doubt, a great book if you want to learn about sin. However, you will be left with the picture that true godliness is to be hopelessly left in the quagmire of an inner, unending war with the flesh. If you are looking for hope in defeating sin, this book is not the best, but it will give you good knowledge of what you are up against.

This book has to be one of the most outstanding books I have read in a long time. What a clear and well ilustrated book. I have used it's contents in my messages, in my counseling sessions and have given it as a reading assignment to my students. It has the makings of a classic.

Gavin Aitken
Professor of Biblical Counseling at Brazil's Word of LIfe Seminary

If you're wondering why you keep sinning, you need to buy this book. Going off solid Biblical theology, Kris does an excellent job in describig the problem of sin in the Christian life and how to overcome it. He digs at the root of sin, external and internal influences and what the believer can do to overcome them.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to ANY believer- you will NOT be dissapointed in the least, regardless of where you are i your spiritual walk.

Friends, if you are like me, you have looked at your Christian walk in this sex-saturated, me-first, convenience-oriented, I'm-OK-You're-OK world and wondered why you don't seem to have the faith or the purity of heart possessed by Paul or Timothy, Peter, James, or the other martyrs. If you're like me, you've grown content to have a less than obedient, less than satisfying, less than life-changing walk with Christ. And maybe at some point you've thought, "I am sick of sin and I want to know Christ better!" only to slip quietly back into your self-indulgent lifestyle. Worst of all, perhaps you've expected the Holy Spirit to sanctify you passively, so that you don't have to be involved or get your hands dirty.

If so, then this book may be the springboard for a changed life. Learn what sin is--how detestable it is to God, how powerful it is in each of us, how it quietly appeals to us and blinds us to what God really has intended for His children, and then discover tools you can use to change.

I know that my walk will not be the same after reading this book and doing the exercises. It is so easy to read and makes so much sense; I can't believe I was this blind to what sin really is. But now I see.