One piece of evidence of kingdom life is that you will see more sin, not less. Outside the kingdom of heaven, there is no concern about sin. Unbelievers are indifferent to the fact that their sin is against God. When you are brought into the kingdom of light, you both see sin and get in a battle with it. The battle means you are alive.
The rules of engagement are simple. When you see sin, confess it as ultimately being against God. Respond in gratitude for the forgiveness he already gave you because of Jesus’ death, which was the payment for sins. Knowing that you have been given the Spirit so you can do battle with sin, you attack. Ask for the power to love. Ask others to pray for you and counsel you. Adopt a zero-tolerance policy with sin. When you fall in defeat, learn from it and get right back into the battle.
You will see more and more sin, but you will also notice that the Spirit is changing you. There have been times when you responded in humility rather than arrogance, love rather than indifference or even hatred. The change will be gradual but noticeable. Keep your eyes open. How are you different because of what Jesus has done? When you see it, the apostle John says that you can allow that evidence to assure you that you truly belong to God.
Edward T. Welch