Read

Romans 6:11 “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Think

Some things in life are true whether you feel them or not. Gravity still works when you're asleep. The sun is still shining even if clouds are covering it. And your heart keeps beating even when you're not aware of it.

Paul is tapping into that kind of truth in Romans 6:11. “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Some translations say “reckon” or “consider.” It’s a word that means to believe, to accept as fact, to see it as settled. This isn’t just about opinion. It’s about identity. Paul is telling believers to think differently because something has already changed spiritually.

But let’s be honest. That’s hard to do. It’s one thing to hear that you’re dead to sin and alive to God. It’s another thing to actually live like it’s true. Most of us still feel the pull of sin. We still have days when God feels distant. And we wonder, “If I’m really dead to sin, why does it still tempt me? If I’m alive to God, why does he sometimes feel silent?”

That’s why this verse is so important. Paul isn’t saying, “Feel dead to sin.” He’s saying, “Count it as done.” Believe what God says, even when your emotions and circumstances tell a different story.

Imagine someone receives a massive inheritance, but they never check their bank account. They live paycheck to paycheck, unaware that they’ve already been given more than enough. Their reality has changed, but their mindset hasn’t. They’re living poor even though they’ve been made rich.

That’s what happens when we don’t count ourselves dead to sin. We live under an authority that no longer has legal rights over us. We obey an old master who’s already been overthrown. And we feel powerless when, in reality, the Spirit of God lives within us.

This isn’t about pretending. It’s about aligning your mindset with spiritual reality. When Jesus died, you died with him. When he rose, you rose with him. That’s not symbolic. It’s your new spiritual address. You are now alive to God in Christ Jesus. His story has become yours.

But if you don’t count it, if you don’t consider it, you’ll drift back into living like the old you. You’ll fight battles that have already been won. You’ll carry weights that have already been lifted. You’ll beg God for what he’s already given.

Paul knows this isn’t automatic. That’s why he says, “Count yourselves.” He’s pointing to the work that happens in the mind. Transformation always starts with truth believed. Before your actions change, your thinking has to shift.

That’s why the enemy works so hard to keep you confused. He whispers lies that sound like truth: “You’ll never change.” “This is just who you are.” “God is probably disappointed in you.” “You might be forgiven, but you’re not really free.”

But Scripture says otherwise. You’ve been crucified with Christ. The old has gone. The new has come. You’ve been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. You are not a sinner trying to behave. You are a saint learning to believe.

It’s been said, “The Christian life is not about becoming who you’re not. It’s about becoming who you already are.” That’s the heart of this verse. Count yourself dead to sin. Because you are. Count yourself alive to God. Because you are.

Think about how this changes your day. When temptation comes, instead of thinking, “I’m probably going to mess up,” you say, “That’s not who I am anymore.” When anxiety rises, instead of spiraling into fear, you say, “I’m alive to God. His Spirit is in me. I am not alone.”

This is how spiritual maturity grows—not through perfect behavior, but through consistent belief. The more you believe what God says about you, the more you start to live like it’s true. The patterns begin to shift. The desires start to change. The old grip loosens.

And when you do fall, and you will, you don’t have to spiral into shame. You come back to this verse. You remind yourself, “That wasn’t the real me. That was me forgetting who I am. But I know who I am. I’m dead to sin. I’m alive to God. And I’m getting back up.”

Paul doesn’t say, “Try to feel alive to God.” He says, “Count it as done.” That’s the invitation. Not to work harder, but to trust deeper. Not to manufacture change, but to live from it.

When you wake up tomorrow, you may not feel new. But you are. And every time you remember that truth, speak it out loud, pray it over your day, or choose it in the face of temptation, you are strengthening that resurrection muscle. You are learning to live free.

So today, don’t let your feelings write the story. Let truth do that. You’ve been crucified with Christ. You’ve been raised with Christ. You are alive to God. And that changes everything.

Apply

Write down Romans 6:11 on a card, sticky note, or the lock screen of your phone. Every time you feel pulled toward something old—whether it’s fear, sin, or shame—pause and say: “That’s not who I am. I’m dead to that. I’m alive to God.” Say it until it becomes the loudest voice in the room.

Pray

Father, help me believe what you’ve already declared true. I’ve died to sin. I’ve been made alive in Christ. Teach me to count it as done, even when I don’t feel it. Train my heart and my mind to live from your truth and not my past. In Jesus’ name. Amen.