Post 6: Overcome the Tug of War—Accessing the Power of God to Partake of the Divine Nature

Overcome the inner battle between the natural man and the Spirit. Discover how Christ transforms weakness into strength, leading you to divine peace and oneness with God.

Moving Beyond the Tug of War

We all feel it—the inner tug of war. The natural man pulls toward selfishness and sin, while the Spirit calls us upward. Maurice Harker teaches a clarifying question: “When you lost, what technique did the enemy use to defeat you?” This shifts us from shame to understanding. Instead of condemning ourselves, we begin learning how the adversary operates—and how God’s power overcomes him.

Scripture teaches that the natural man is an enemy to God (Mosiah 3:19). But can he be overcome? Joseph Fielding McConkie once observed, “As long as I can prick my finger and blood comes out, I am corruptible.” Mortality carries weakness. Even Paul acknowledged this reality: “When I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). His weakness kept him humble and dependent upon Christ, enabling him to say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

Growing Grace for Grace

God commands us to be perfect (Matthew 5:48), but perfection is a process—growing “grace for grace” and “grace to grace” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:12–13). This is not perfectionism; it is steady spiritual progress. As we live God’s law and partake of its fruits, we align more fully with His will and grow “perfection upon perfection” through Christ’s enabling power.

Transcending to Oneness with God

Joseph Murphy explained that spiritual growth requires dying daily to false ideas and resurrecting truth: “Paul said, ‘I die daily,’ meaning he was constantly dying to erroneous concepts and negative ideas, and resurrecting continuously more of God’s wisdom, truth, and beauty.” This is how the natural man is overcome—not by force, but by light.

As we yield to God, our eye becomes single to His glory, and we begin to comprehend all things (Doctrine and Covenants 88:67). True faith rests in One Power—God’s power. When we trust Him as our sole source of strength, the struggle of duality fades. We deny ourselves of ungodliness, and His grace becomes sufficient (Moroni 10:32–33). False traditions fall away, and spiritual strength grows (Doctrine and Covenants 93:39).

Becoming Firm in Every Form of Godliness

Moroni taught that angels minister to those of “strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness” (Moroni 7:30). This firmness is not rigidity—it is spiritual stability. As we align with God’s power, the adversary loses influence. The illusion of competing powers dissolves as we come to trust in One Power alone.

This transformation comes through humility and grace. As we obey and prove God’s laws, we grow strong in faith and firm in godliness. Eventually, we partake of the divine nature and stand in spiritual safety: “Satan hath no power over the hearts of the people; for they dwell in righteousness” (1 Nephi 22:26).

A Journey Worth Taking

The tug of war is real—but it is not permanent. As we yield to Christ, weakness gives way to strength, conflict to peace. We stop being pulled in two directions and begin walking forward with faith.

Through Christ, we deny ungodliness and become holy—not by our own strength, but by His promise (Moroni 10:32–33). God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Through Him, we escape corruption and partake of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Originally published Wednesday, November 27, 2024