READ: ROMANS 6:1-4, 12-14, 20-23; 7:15-25

Nova Anadosha, Warrior of Light, drew her sword and held it ready as the enemy assassin approached. The wide hood of a jet-black cloak concealed the assassin’s face, but Nova could hear a malicious grin in the words spoken to her. “Come on,” the raspy voice said. “Give up. Give in. You know you want to.”

Nova responded with her own grin and gripped her sword tighter. “I don’t think so.”

The assassin suddenly lurched at her, sword whipping through the air, but Nova easily dodged its dark blade. “You’ve given in to me before,” the voice said.

Nova sighed and gave her blade a quick swing through the air, just to feel the weight of it. “Yet here we are again.”

The assassin came at her once more, but Nova was ready. She sidestepped the sword aimed for her heart and twirled around quickly, then brought the hilt of her sword down hard on the assailant’s shoulder. The enemy’s sword clattered to the ground, and after Nova dealt a few more blows, the assassin was down on hands and knees. With the tip of her blade, Nova removed the hood from the assassin’s head. Her own face glared back at her.

Nova stared into the assassin’s filmy eyes. “You’re not who I am anymore. You’re dead.”

The ashen face of the assassin twisted in anger. “Liar!”

Nova shook her head. “You’re the liar. You can’t defeat me. You died the day I was born—the day the Light shined on me. I’m in the Light now, and you have no power over me.” She sheathed her sword. “I just need to hold on to that truth as I wait for the day when you’ll be banished forever. Then I’ll never have to deal with you again.”

Nova turned and walked away, ignoring the assassin’s angry rasps behind her. It wasn’t over yet. She knew the assassin would be back to fight another day. And she would be ready. • Courtney Lasater

• The book of Romans tells us that, though Christians have been saved from sin by Jesus and given new life, we still have a sinful nature living within us. Even though Jesus has freed us from sin’s power, our sinful nature will still urge us to do things that go against who we now are in Jesus—and sometimes we will give in. That’s why we must fight against this nature, remembering that through Jesus we always have the power to turn away from sin. Today’s allegorical story addresses this struggle. In what ways have you struggled against your own sinful nature?

• It’s important to remember that, once we know Jesus, our old sinful nature is not who we are anymore. Finding our identity in Jesus is both an act of resistance to temptation and an act of hope in His forgiveness. Because even when we give in to our sinful nature and do wrong, Jesus offers us forgiveness (1 John 1:9). He has already paid the penalty our sins deserve by dying in our place and rising from the grave. And one day, He will give us new bodies that will be free from the sinful nature we have now (Philippians 3:20-21). How can these promises give us hope when we’re struggling with sin?

• Often, our struggles with sin are hidden from those around us. But Jesus calls us to be in relationship with fellow Christians so we can help each other (Galatians 6:1-2). Who are trusted Christians in your life you can be open and honest with about your struggles? How could you be intentional about encouraging each other, praying for each other, and reminding each other of your new identity in Jesus and of His unending love, power, and forgiveness?

• If you want to dig deeper, read Romans 6–8; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21;Ephesians 2:1-10; 4:22-32; Hebrews 4:14-16; James 1:12-18; 1 John 2:1-2.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 32:1-12; 1 SAMUEL 30:1-6; HEBREWS 4:14-16

When you are afraid or in distress, where do you go? What do you do? Genesis 32 tells the story of Jacob preparing to see his brother Esau. These twins had a bad past—Jacob cheated Esau and then ran away. Years later, when Jacob heard Esau was on his way to meet him with four hundred men, the passage tells us Jacob was “in great fear and distress” (Genesis 32:7). He was afraid Esau was going to attack him because of their bad past. So what did Jacob do? He prayed! When Jacob was afraid, he went to God.

Later in the Bible, in 1 Samuel 30, we hear about David’s people being attacked while David was away, and many women and children were taken captive. Verse 4 says, “David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.” Then David “was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him,” but verse 6 tells us “David found strength in the LORD his God.” Like Jacob, David went to God when he was distressed. David found his strength in the Lord. The Lord was with David always, as He is with us.

Like Jacob and David, when we are afraid or in distress, whether it be stress about homework, fear of the future, or fear for a sick loved one, we can pray to God. He loves us, and He always wants to help us. Remember, Jesus Himself went to the Father in prayer when He was distressed. On the night before He went to the cross, Jesus was in anguish, and the Father heard His cries and lovingly sent an angel to strengthen Him (Luke 22:39-44). Because of Jesus’s sinless sacrifice, we can have a restored, close relationship with God. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God has given us the Holy Spirit to equip us and strengthen us. So we can pray to Him whenever we’re worried or afraid. We can strengthen ourselves in God by spending time with Him through prayer or reading Scripture, and we can thank Him for being the God who hears. • Elizabeth Cooper

• What do you tend to do when you’re stressed out or afraid? Consider taking some time now to talk to God about any fears that come to mind. We can take comfort in knowing He always hears us, and He always cares about us. And when Jesus returns, we will never be distressed again.

• Can you think of a time you went to God when you were afraid and He protected or strengthened you? What was that like?

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 (NIV)

READ: EXODUS 20:1-20; ISAIAH 53:5-12; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21

Are you ever confused or discouraged when you read the Old Testament and see the Ten Commandments or all the long lists of laws God gave His people? It seems impossible to follow every single one of those rules. And as humans in a fallen world, it is. God did not give the Israelites all these commandments because He thought they would follow them perfectly. He knew beforehand they would fall short. So why did He give them the law?

God wanted to show us we can never measure up to His perfection. We’ve all sinned, and we could never earn His forgiveness. And because God loves us, He wants us to realize our desperate need for a Savior. We need Jesus! Everything in the Bible points to Jesus, including the Old Testament laws (Romans 3:23-26).

So flash forward to the New Testament, when God the Father sends God the Son, Jesus, to earth to do what we could never do. Jesus becomes a human and lives a perfect life, embodying all of God’s good ways. Because Jesus is sinless, He is able to give up His own life as an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of all people in all time. When Jesus died on the cross, He took all our sin upon Himself (1 Peter 2:24). And then He rose again, defeating the power of sin and giving eternal life to all who trust in Him as their Savior.

So, whenever we read the law, let’s remember it shows us how much we need a Savior. We can’t do it on our own. And because of Jesus, we don’t have to! God saves us through faith in Jesus, not through any works or good deeds we do. Praise God! • Elizabeth Cooper

• Have you ever tried to please God by doing good things and trying to do everything right? How could it be freeing to know that we’re not perfect, but Jesus has already done everything that was needed to save us?

• The law points to our need for Jesus. We don’t need to do anything or clean ourselves up before coming to God. Because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can come to God just as we are. If you want to know more about what it means to trust in Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

• Once we know Jesus, God the Holy Spirit lives inside us. The Holy Spirit works to transform us to become more and more like Jesus, helping us turn away from sin and walk in God’s good ways instead. What might it look like to obey God, not out of fear, but out of love and gratitude?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)