In Phaedra one of Euripides’s plays, Phaedra was married to Theseus who had a son named Hippoytus. Hippolytus, a great athlete and hunter, worshiped only Artemis and despise those who fell in love. As Phaedra saw Hippolytus the first time, she fell in love with her stepson (though Aphrodite was behind the wretched affair based on the story) and her passion flared up disproportionately so that she couldn’t conquer it. Out of desperation and seeing no help for her shameful passion and love she resolved to kill herself but left a letter to her husband Theseus condemning Hippolytus of trying to rape her. To Theseus’ amazement and anger, he banished Hippolytus from the country and cursed him to death. The curse was indeed fulfilled later.

Phaedra was burning up with lust for Hippolytus and she knew the love for her stepson was shameful and hideous. But she was so overwhelmed with the uncontrollable passion that she couldn’t overcome it. She then surrendered herself to lust, leading her and her stepson to destruction. The apostle Paul in Romans 7 illustrated how he was struggling with sin. He described him as a miserable person who kept fight against sin in his mind. “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind” (vv 23-24). Paul was aware that sin still dwelled in him and had the power to dominate his life and would cause him to death. However, he knew the solution to delivering him from sin and death, which is in Jesus Christ. He said in Romans 8:2, “Because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

As for followers of Jesus Christ, sin has no power and authority over them though it still lives in them. Temptation stills surrounds us and tried to beat us to death. But in Christ we have the power, the power of the Holy Spirit that sets us free from our sinful nature. Like Phaedra we are unable to conquer the sin of lust, greed, anger, and the like, but God are able and his Spirit has the power to deliver us from evil.