There are two sobering descriptions of our [human] hearts I have found in the Bible, both by God—our Creator. The first was made in Genesis just after the flood. God, seemingly regretting why He had destroyed the world because of man, said: “‘Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.’” (Genesis 8:21). In this verse, our Creator reveals that right from childhood our hearts are inclined towards evil.

The second description was made by Jesus Christ in Mark 7:20–23: “‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’”

If you have not yet grasped the extent of the evil within us, consider the meanings of the twelve things God says have their source within us.

1. Sexual immorality – Using sexuality in a way that is irresponsible, disrespectful, or outside healthy boundaries.
2. Theft – Taking something that doesn’t belong to you without permission.
3. Murder – Intentionally ending another person’s life.
4. Adultery – Being unfaithful to a committed partner.
5. Greed – Always wanting more, even when you already have enough, often at the expense of others.
6. Malice – Wanting to harm someone or taking pleasure in their suffering.
7. Deceit – Lying or misleading others to gain an advantage or avoid consequences.
8. Lewdness – Acting in a way that is openly inappropriate or sexually disrespectful, especially in public or towards others.
9. Envy – Resenting what others have and wishing you had it instead.
10. Slander – Spreading false or harmful statements about someone that damage their reputation.
11. Arrogance – Thinking you are better than others and acting like their opinions or feelings don’t matter.
12. Folly – Making careless or unwise choices, often without thinking about consequences.

With these submissions, both the Father and the Son leave no doubt about where the problem lies—within us. This is why, I believe, when God sent the Holy Spirit, He sent Him to reside within a believer—where the problem that needs to be fixed is (John 14:16-17, Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 3:16).

I have heard many people call upon the Holy Spirit to subdue Satan for their spiritual victory. And indeed, the Holy Spirit can. However, the Holy Spirit was not sent to subdue Satan. Satan’s day will come (Revelation 20:10), but not now.

The Holy Spirit’s mandate is not to subdue Satan but rather to work in the life of a believer so that, instead of being a source of evil, they bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22–23.

Can we, as followers of Jesus Christ, be victorious over our sinful nature and Satan’s temptations to satisfy them? Yes, we can, just as many have been. However, a critical step in achieving that victory is recognising and admitting where the problem is and humbly accepting the solution as prescribed by our Creator.

A brother in the Lord has these words on a frame hanging in his house: “As long as you think the problem is out there, that very thought is the problem.” My sister, my brother, our spiritual problem is not out there. It is within you; it is within me.

This is why Romans 12:1–2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” It is you and I who have to submit and resist the devil—like Jesus Christ did—before he can flee. And how do we submit to God and resist the devil?

Jesus Christ showed us that the most effective weapon we have against Satan is God’s word. No amount of binding, cursing, or calling down fire, however loud, will send Satan flying. Only God’s word. And since Satan tempted our Master three times, it is clear that he does not give up easily. We must, therefore, be believers who are soaked in God’s word, able to resist him to the end.

God created this world with His Word (Genesis 1:3-25; Psalm 33:6). That Word was Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3, 1:14). Jesus Christ came to this world and died for us to fulfil the Word (Matthew 26:51-54). The Holy Spirit lives in us to remind us of the Word (John 14:26). This world and heaven shall pass away, but God’s Word is eternal (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35). It is this same Word we need for our spiritual victory.

If we must, the things that need cursing, binding, and calling fire upon are our individual desires. Because, as James 1:14–15 rightly diagnoses, our iniquities come from a desire to satisfy our [natural] sinful inclinations. Righteous living is not achieved by an absence of Satan (an impossibility in itself) but rather by us overcoming our sinful nature in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we see from Eve in the Garden of Eden and in our daily lives, our nature leads us to make decisions based on our natural senses for personal gain or gratification. Satan cannot tempt us with something we have no interest in. This is why he tempted Jesus Christ to turn stones into bread not after a full meal, but after a long fast.

Therefore, for a recalibration of our desires, from the sinful to the godly, as Colossians 3:2 tells us, we need to commit to a journey of renewing our minds (for that is where our decisions are formed) by studying God’s word and putting it into practice.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” – Colossians 3:2

Setting one's mind on things above does not mean losing all interest in earthly things. Not at all. God created this world and all its fullness for us—His children—to enjoy. Instead, setting our minds on things above means that we are interested in the things of this world with godly motives. Satan cannot tempt us to pursue godly motives.

The truth about the evil condition of our hearts is not popular because it is uncomfortable. Many would rather stick to the humanly preferred script of blaming something—anything—but themselves for their shortcomings. This is why many of us are unaware of how dire our situation is and hence reluctant to commit to the daily study of God’s word, which leads to non-obedience, as one cannot obey what they do not read.

Thankfully, by reading this article, you are no longer among those who do not know what the problem is, where it lies and what the solution is. May God grant you, and me, the courage, strength, and grace to do the needful.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – James 1:22