01/09/11

Fight between the flesh and spirit

Romans 7:18 - For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Today's message talks of one of the most difficult areas of our self-battle. We all know even after we are born-again in Jesus Christ after accepting His sacrifice for our sins and surrendering ourselves to Him, although we are forgiven of our sins we yet find ourselves falling to sin. We may not be the same person we were before but we do not become perfect and our conscious struggle to overcome starts. This is when we realize, after accepting Christ it is not a honeymoon but the start of a battle of fight against ourselves, our old carnal person.

Today's message states each one realizes at some time anything we do out of our human desire or instincts always results in no good even if it may seem good at first.

Many people attribute victory of good decision to their sixth sense.

Firstly there is no sixth sense. We have five senses between our human body and our inner man. It is through these five senses that input comes from the world into us. The sense which we call as sixth sense is not a sense between our human body and our inner man but between our spirit and inner man. It is this sense which we also call as spiritual discernment that allows our spirit and the spirit world to communicate with us.

If we try to control our senses so as to control our flesh we find our battle becomes very difficult with temporary success and always a failure on the long run. The only way out as Christ says is not to fight the flesh with the flesh but overcome the flesh by walking in spirit.

When we let our sixth sense or spiritual discernment control our five senses then we can have victory over our flesh. But this too is not easy because many times our mind fools us in talking to us and making us think it is our spiritual sense. Also there is a great danger when evil spirits tend to influence us through this sense and we think we are talking to our spirit or the Spirit of God. Therefore we need to protect or control this sense and this is possible only by the Word of God.

The Word of God plays a very critical role in our battle with our flesh. But by just studying it, it will not help us. Knowledge is good but just having knowledge will puff us and harm us. It does not need to be just worldly knowledge but even Bible knowledge may also land up doing even more harm to us then what we can imagine. We need to apply this knowledge in its right way to benefit us like knowing to cook will not fill our stomach but only when we use this knowledge properly will it benefit us.

When we grow in the knowledge of God by studying the Word and when we discern all communication in line with the Word will we be able to overcome our weak flesh. When we do not use the Word knowledge to discern then we land becoming religious people and hard hearted human beings like the Pharisees for whom there is no hope.

So let us stop walking in our flesh and also fighting our flesh with our flesh but overcome the flesh by walking in the spirit covered with the knowledge of God.

Jesus did not just say that 'Truth will set us free' but said 'when we become His disciples then the Truth will set us free'. So thirst for the knowledge of God and also do as the Word of God speaks unto us with the help of the Spirit of God.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, when You made man even though man was made in your image as powerful as the angels yet You put man in the flesh which is weak. In your wisdom and ability to see all things even the future You desired the Light to shine through man to overcome the darkness caused by Satan and his angels. Although You allowed sin to come into man You made sure the resource to overcome was made available to man. Your Word and your Spirit helps us overcome the flesh and our Testimony in Jesus Christ helps us remain in Light and overcome darkness. Open the eyes of your people Lord. You have the ability to make even the rocks to call out in worship, we ask You not to bring life in the rocks but in the hearts of your people who have harden their hearts more than the rocks...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Romans 7:14-25
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

John 6:63 - It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, are spirit, and are life.

Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:8-14
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

John 8:31-32
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.


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