So, How Do You Win?
Hey Friends,
You will never understand today’s blog if you don’t check out Monday’s and Tuesday’s first. Please let the Lord use this blog because the topic is too important to miss. We have read a very graphic accounting of the flesh monster that is within us all. Does God have a way for us to win? You’d better believe it and He bought our victory on the cross. The following steps for victory are only for a Christ-follower:
Step 1. Realize you can’t fight alone. Your will is way too weak. Romans 7:18 says, ”for the willing is present in me, but the doing of good is not.” There you have it – Paul’s will was weak and insufficient to win this war of all wars.
Step 2. Galatians 2:20 says to ”crucify the flesh.” The flesh is like a snake – if you bring it in, it will bite you.
Step 3. Romans 6:4,6:11-13: “Consider yourself dead to sin.”
Step 4. Ephesians 5:18 tells us to, “Be filled with the Holy Spirit.” This is not a one-time event, but is to happen daily. Surrender and seek Him. “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”
Step 5. Romans13:14: “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” Stay clear away from anything that would tempt you.
For me, I try to make Jesus Lord of my heart freshly every morning. I seek to be filled, yielded, and controlled by the Holy Spirit every minute, for the flesh can cause problems in minutes. As leaders, we always have people watching us. They use us as models and follow our faith. We can’t let one of them fall because we failed in the fight. Winning this war is essential for every Christ-follower, especially leaders in the church.
How are you doing in the war that rages inside of you?
Yours to count on,
Pastor
7 Comments
As I read over the blog message for the second time this morning, I can’t help thinking—again—about how great heaven will be without the worry of the flesh! The “war that rages” inside us all is a constant reminder of our separation, through our own doing, from the glory of our God. The thought of the unspeakable joy of being finally with Him keeps me fighting the ever present battle. Through prayer, intense quiet times and reading the Bible I, as I am sure many others, get relief from the struggle. It can be such a yo-yo, that’s why I think church family, small group and worship services are SO important, it’s a connection that’s just not found elsewhere. In helping others with problems it undoubtedly radiates into ministering also to ourselves, not to mention it’s God’s commandment to do so continually. In my case personally it also is paramount that I have a believing friend in my husband; I would say that’s crucial for me. Still, it’s constantly an issue, everyday, to defeat the enemy of the flesh. Praise the Lord for His mercy and love!
I am beggining to understand God’s temendous power. The more I see his Power the more I see that calling on it is the only way for me to win the battles.
I can’t, He can and I think I will let him.
I agree with Cathey. My favorite time of the day is my mornings when I have the Word, my journal and a cup of coffee. That’s the only calm before the storm. The battles I face most are those in the mind. For me it’s more than each day surrendering and asking for filling of the Holy Spirit, it’s throughout the day as I encounter various situations. Thanks PC for being such an encouraging, honest model!
Pastor, I appreciate that list; the flesh battle occurs daily and no matter how good any of us get, we will never master it or be free of struggle. A few things help me to win over the flesh: having an accountability partner, having a daily quiet time with prayer and Bible reading, and personal motivation. One big motivator for me is that when I recognize an area of my life in which I have developed bad, fleshly habits, I picture my life two ways. I picture the bondage and dysfunction that the flesh will perpetuate in my life, and on the flipside, I picture the freedom and productivity of a life dead to the flesh. When I picture in my mind those two scenarios, I really want to do everything I can to put the flesh to death.
I feel like putting the flesh to death has a cummulative effect. If you are not used to doing it, it is very hard to start. But if you have allowed the Lord to train you, it becomes less and less of a challenge. Similar to the concept that you discussed recently in the blog about sacrifice.
Thanks for being faithful to provoke our thoughts toward growth in Christ. I enjoy the discussions here daily!
My family has been talking about how we put the flesh to death and how we should “give no provision”. The Spirit has really been pressing the phrase “give no provision”. No shelter, prisoners, or quarter is given to sin. We have been trying to cut the head off that snake this week. Specifically, we have been battling consumerism and the idolatrous place that stuff takes in our lives. The sad difficulty is how consumerism/consumption takes away from having the resources for Kingdom purposes. I encourage others who are sticking it to the old man to give no provision to sin and take a drastic step of faith in cleaning house.
Great points about spending time with God early in the morning. Today, I let my time slip until after lunch and so little has been accomplished because the flesh has taken over with my time management. Spending time with God first always allows me to keep my priorities intact.
As best as I am made able to set my mind and spirit on the course of following and seeking the work of God (Jn 6:28-29) and walking it out in the temporal seems to be the most effective way to deal with the flesh nature.
Pastor said something in the last message that was pertinant to a conversation I was a part of just yestarday so I brought it up. He said something to the effect of: Most often at church we give a ? then later give the answer and this time it is for the congregation to go seek the answer for themselves. My friend said in response, “that is wisdom on his, PC’s, part.”
The conversation was over the brides propensity to be like the children of Isreal when they told Moses you go speak to God and come and tell us what He says. They don’t want an intimate relationship with God and that is to their own peril and what I try everyday to avoid. I want His wisdom for without it I am nothing but failure in the things of and pertaining to eternal communion with My Lord and what I most often find myself encouraging others to do. I believe with every fiber of my being without a lifestyle surrendered to knowing Jesus intimately all will hear “depart from Me I do not know who you are.” That scares me more than anything this world or my flesh or any other temptation or sacrifice ever could. Let alone whether or not anyone else thinks I am a fanatical in withdrawing from the things of the world and it’s lusts, I do not fear anyones opinion in regards to me sharing what I know to be saving information. All that said I will share a truth ingrained in my belief wholeheartedly and why I agree with my friend in saying we have a Pastor who truly shepards this congregation after the heart of Jesus. Because he didn’t shrink from his duty to share the warnings of God in place to save us from our own selves.
2 Tim 2:11-15It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: If we suffer,we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He will also deny us: If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself. Of these things put them in rememberance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
-if we die to ourselves and defer to the WORD we live victoriously in our walk.
-dieing to self is one way of suffering because it is hard. But if we do we can be able to lead others and help them to embark on a life charachterized by the fruit of the Spirit.
-But if we do not strive for this when we can then we are denying the truth of the Word as to what it says about us. If we deny it to the point it can not be found in us, I ask you are we not denying Jesus residence in our hearts? and if He be not found present within our heart why would we expect Him to parden us when He says though He is faithful He can not deny Himself. Yes, He is faithful to never leave or forsake us but most often we are not so faithful…yes? If He be not found how can He claim Himself in us?
-We are to, by charge, point to this one thing…Know Him.
-We are told not to strive. Why give a message that offers no real encouragement to help someone be both a hearer and doer instead prefering to just live a life that speaks of believe yet doesn’t produce the victory Christ says we have and must partake of, we hear it but are we convinced to do.
-It starts with study for ones own self in addition to our accountability partners, Pastors, etc….all seeking and encouraging others to pursue intimacy with our Father, our Saviour and friend, and the voice of Wisdom that never stops speaking to give us sure foundation that will not seperate us from His sight.
Jesus tells us how to walk in victory, to live fruitful lives and He also tells us why we fail and the danger of hell which simply is being seperated from Him with no chance of reprieve and having as our only companion a wicked and disobedient self for all eternity. With a neverending accuser of our worthlessness which one will have to agree with because God is a righteous and true judge and no lie in Him and He said this is our portion what we really wanted in our heart when we chose to rule it by our own decisions.