The Shovel for the Snake
THE "SHOVEL FOR THE SNAKE": 9 STEPS TO KILL SIN
The metaphor of the shovel for the snake refers to the proactive, aggressive way a believer must deal with sin: just as you would use a shovel to decapitate a venomous snake in your home, you must strike at the head of sin through "mortification". John Owen famously warned, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you".
Use these 9 directives from his classic work, The Mortification of Sin (1656), as the practical application for "living the Great Exchange".
* Diagnose the Severity: Not all sins are equal in their grip. A sin that has been "indulged for a long season" is a deep-rooted tree that requires more vigorous hacking.
* Grasp the Consequences: Remind yourself that even small sins "darken the soul" and "deprive it of its comfort". Owen warns that if you don't kill it, sin will "blind the mind" and "stupefy the affections".
* Load the Conscience with Guilt: Don't offer yourself easy excuses. "Bring the holy law of God into thy conscience" and see your sin in light of the cross. Ask: "Was my soul washed that there might be room for new defilements?".
* Earnestly Desire Deliverance: You will not be free until you hate the chains. Owen says, "Unless thou longest for deliverance, thou shalt not have it".
* Know Your Natural Temperament: Every person has "treacheries" in their natural makeup—some are prone to "hasty determinations" like David, or "repining" like Jonah. Identify your unique weak points.
* Avoid the "Occasions" of Sin: Stay away from the "slippery places." If you "dally with occasions of sin," you will soon "dare to sin".
* Rise Swiftly Against First Signs: Don't let the thought take root. Strike while the desire is small. "He who has once smitten a serpent, if he does not follow on his blow until he be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel".
* Meditate on God's Majesty: Fill your mind with the greatness of God. Sin struggles to flourish in a heart that is "in continual awe" of Divine glory.
* Don’t Rush to Self-Comfort: Beware of "speaking peace" to your soul before God does. If your peace is not attended by a "detestation and abhorrence" of the sin, it is a false, self-made peace.
The Core Principle: "The Only Way"
Owen is clear that these steps are not "moral self-help." They are only effective when done "by the Spirit" (Romans 8:13). He famously stated:
The metaphor of the shovel for the snake refers to the proactive, aggressive way a believer must deal with sin: just as you would use a shovel to decapitate a venomous snake in your home, you must strike at the head of sin through "mortification". John Owen famously warned, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you".
Use these 9 directives from his classic work, The Mortification of Sin (1656), as the practical application for "living the Great Exchange".
* Diagnose the Severity: Not all sins are equal in their grip. A sin that has been "indulged for a long season" is a deep-rooted tree that requires more vigorous hacking.
* Grasp the Consequences: Remind yourself that even small sins "darken the soul" and "deprive it of its comfort". Owen warns that if you don't kill it, sin will "blind the mind" and "stupefy the affections".
* Load the Conscience with Guilt: Don't offer yourself easy excuses. "Bring the holy law of God into thy conscience" and see your sin in light of the cross. Ask: "Was my soul washed that there might be room for new defilements?".
* Earnestly Desire Deliverance: You will not be free until you hate the chains. Owen says, "Unless thou longest for deliverance, thou shalt not have it".
* Know Your Natural Temperament: Every person has "treacheries" in their natural makeup—some are prone to "hasty determinations" like David, or "repining" like Jonah. Identify your unique weak points.
* Avoid the "Occasions" of Sin: Stay away from the "slippery places." If you "dally with occasions of sin," you will soon "dare to sin".
* Rise Swiftly Against First Signs: Don't let the thought take root. Strike while the desire is small. "He who has once smitten a serpent, if he does not follow on his blow until he be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel".
* Meditate on God's Majesty: Fill your mind with the greatness of God. Sin struggles to flourish in a heart that is "in continual awe" of Divine glory.
* Don’t Rush to Self-Comfort: Beware of "speaking peace" to your soul before God does. If your peace is not attended by a "detestation and abhorrence" of the sin, it is a false, self-made peace.
The Core Principle: "The Only Way"
Owen is clear that these steps are not "moral self-help." They are only effective when done "by the Spirit" (Romans 8:13). He famously stated:
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