Overcoming By Grace

It is often perceived and understood that we are saved by grace. This much is clear from Romans 3-5, Galatians 3, Ephesians 2:5-9, and other passages. However, we often leave grace here and start living on the power of Christian teachings, prayer, and , primarily, our redeemed will-power; if not in our expressed beliefs we do so practically in our lives. We, believers everywhere in this universe, still struggle with sin, knowing that it ought not be in our lives and that we often combat it with our "new creation" (II Corinthians 5:17) will. We read the Bible and pray for the sin to be removed - though, more often than not, after committing the sin - but in the heat of battle of temptation we charge in our own will power and determination, only to fall flat on our faces. The problem is that our own will, the one supplying our charge, is the very source and head quarters of the temptation we are trying to overthrow (James 1:14-15).
No one is more personal and transparent about  this war in the New Testament than the apostle Paul. In Romans 7:13-8:30 we find him lamenting his inability to live as he desires, holy and acceptable to God; yet he concludes by rejoicing in Christ's work that defeats death and provides the Holy Spirit to overcome sin. Again, in II Corinthians 12:7-10 we find Paul humbled by a "thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan."1 We sense his agony and weariness of struggle as he "implores the Lord" to remove it; but the passage crescendos in verse 9 where God says "My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness." Thus Paul is comforted and content with his limits.
Notice this, in each circumstance Paul appeals to God's grace. If we remain with our understanding of grace as only within the context of salvation we are left with a mere assurance of the security of our salvation (something we are given in Ephesians 1) at best and a license to sin at worst (which is in direct conflict with Romans 6:1ff).
Therefore we must broaden our understanding of grace. Turning back to Galatians 3 we find the Spirit and grace as the means of our salvation and the means of our sanctification. Building upon Romans 7, it is seen that even a redeemed will is incapable of overcoming sin on its own.2 It is only by the Holy Spirit we can overcome. Grace is our daily means of sanctification, our spiritual manna.
Back to our starting scenario. We struggle, we pray, we read, we may even fast, but God does not instantly remove the sin - though sometimes He does - or give the automatic, painless, and effortless will to overcome the sin. Often times He seems to respond with "My grace is sufficient." Not giving us a license to sin or a mere assurance of salvation, but a promise that every day, every moment, every temptation He has and gives enough grace for us to overcome the sin; though we shall do it panting, sweating, bruised, and exhausted in our strength, but victorious and rejoicing in His strength. God is removing the sin, but not by the effortless and instantaneous work of Christ we experienced at salvation and often expect sanctification and/or grace to be, but by the gradual, grueling, and seemingly mundane work of the Holy Spirit. This, I believe, is the comfort and hope that Paul was given in II Corinthians 12; he was spent (II Cor. 1), but God assured him of the daily supply to live a disciplined and godly life. In the end it is by grace you are saved and sanctified, not by your redeemed will and power.
Perhaps this image might be helpful: It is through the cuts, bruises, scorch marks, piercings, lacerations, broken bones, stinging eyes, and pulled hair of our total war, our no-holes barred brawl with sin that our sinfulness is hacked and torn away, leaving only the image of Christ.
May you grow and take every step mundane and momentous that God directs in overcoming, ever looking to the Author and Perfecter of our Faith, setting your mind on things above and not on earthly things.


Notes:
1. There are many views as to who/what this was in Paul's life, but that is not important to this discussion and I leave the reader to come to his or her own conclusion on the matter. I will take a moment to denounce the notion that it was poor eyesight as based on Galatians 6:11. This view completely disregards the rest of the entire letter which was written in a righteous rage. The very next verse itself is an angry denouncement of the false teachers in Galatia.
2. This is assuming that Paul is using a normal sense of the present tense and thereby writing about his condition even after salvation; but this is a disputed matter.