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The battle with the flesh ‘For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.’ Galatians 5:17 The battle with the flesh: the allure of the world versus the desire to please God. It is the classic struggle of giving into our will or surrendering to God's will. It is the many choices we make every day to either honour God or rebel against Him. It is walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit. This is a battle that EVERY follower of Christ fights every day. As we read the Gospels, we hear Jesus laying down those classic challenges to "take up your cross and follow me," that "whoever loses his life for Me gains it," and "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul." Jesus preaches the message of giving your life completely to Him, of surrendering your very life to follow Him. The world clearly teaches that you should have all the money, pleasure, and things that it can offer. It is the eat, drink, and be merry mindset. It is in Paul's letters that we get the most insight into the practical application of how to fight this battle. Walking after the desires of our flesh and the temporal things of this world that can have such a hold on us, and having a deep desire for the things of the Spirit and keeping our focus on the eternal things of God. Paul even details this classic struggle of the flesh versus the Sprit in those verses in Romans 7 where he states that, "for what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." Many of Paul's writings deal with this struggle between our carnal nature and our spiritual nature. Whether you have been saved for 2 minutes or 70 years, whether you are seeking God for what you are to do to serve Him or you are a highly visible man or woman that has served God faithfully for many years, please understand that NOBODY is immune from this battle of the flesh versus the Sprit and it is a battle you will fight until this brief journey though life is complete. The most effective way to fight and WIN this battle is through our relationship with Christ. When Christ died on the Cross-, He died so that you could live in VICTORY, not defeat. His victory insured you would be able to live in victory too; victory over death, victory over this temporal world, and victory over sin. I implore you to be in the Word, to be in prayer every day. Our walk with Christ is not an hour a week on Sunday morning. Our walk with the Lord is 24/7/365. If we are to live in victory over the flesh, we have got to have the strength that only comes from Christ. That is why being in His Word and in prayer each and every day is so critical. The closer you are to Christ, the stronger you are to withstand the temptations of this world. Did your mother ever tell you that an idle mind is the devil's workshop? Of course, the best way to keep busy is by serving the Lord. After all, our purpose in this life is to serve and glorify God. So I encourage you to make the time and effort to look at your daily schedule and try to find places in your week that you can devote to serving God. Please don't underestimate satan and his goal to kill, steal, and destroy YOU! He knows your flesh is weak. He knows you love the things of this temporal world. He also knows you love the Lord and want to please Him. I will be praying that you will walk in the victory that Jesus won on Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago. By putting your faith in Him, you have the assurance of spending all eternity with Him when this brief journey is over. It also assures you that you can live THIS LIFE in victory as well. May you stand in VICTORY today as you defeat the flesh, say no to this world, and please God with your life! Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller ***If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com |
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