The War Between Flesh and Spirit

 

The war...lasted a long time. (2 Samuel 3:1 NIV)

 

When you decide to follow Jesus your old nature becomes Spirit controlled, not Spirit destroyed. Paul said, "While we are in this [body], we...are burdened, because we...wish to be...clothed with our Heavenly dwelling, so...what is mortal may be swallowed up" (2 Co 5:4 NIV). Note the words, "we are burdened." Struggle all you want (and most of us do!) to bring about a sudden transformation, but lasting change happens on God's timetable, not ours. We grow up Spiritually while we're grappling with the burden of our lower nature. That's because our weakness is the perfect showcase for His power.

Paul says, "Even though I received wonderful revelations from God...to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given...a messenger from Satan to torment me...I pleaded with the Lord...that it might depart ...And He said...'My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in [your] weakness'" (See 2 Co 12:7-9 NKJV). Dealing with your old nature is a time-consuming, grace-developing, ego-destroying, character-building process that happens day-by-day, and sometimes moment-by-moment. When God's grace rubs against our stubborn wills and self-serving ways, a refining process happens that can't be rushed or accomplished any other way.

The Bible says, "The war between the house of Saul (which represents your old nature) and the house of David (which represents your new nature) lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger while...Saul grew weaker and weaker." Only as you're willing to strip away the pride, get down on your knees day by day and ask God to work in you, will you experience His life-changing power.

THE VINE by Bob Gass © 2000 - 2007. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).

Abiding in Christ and the Holy Spirit

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. (Joh 15:4)

When the Lord works in believers' lives, He uses a variety of methods. There are times that we expect Him to intervene in our circumstances through an instantaneous, miraculous event, but He often works in much more subtle ways.

For example, I recall a time when the Lord quietly and patiently chipped away at an mistaken belief I had about the Christian life. For months, I knew something was wrong with my spirit, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I prayed, fasted, and pleaded with God to reveal the source of my uneasiness.

One evening, He revealed something in the Word that I'd never applied: abiding in Christ. In prayer that night, I was overwhelmed. I knew something awesome had occurred. My view of the Christian life had changed.

 

I'd been to seminary and understood all types of theology but had never fully grasped the purpose of the Holy Spirit. For years, I had tried to please God through my actions, rather than by submitting to the Spirit and allowing Him to work through me.

All of the sudden, the burdens of my heart lifted away. I realized that Jesus called me, not to do ministry, but to allow Him to work in me and accomplish His ministry through me. It wasn't my external actions that brought God glory; it was my willingness to submit to Him.

 

So, maybe you've been waiting for God to "hit you over the head" with some divine revelation. Remember, He often works in subtle ways. Might you have overlooked areas in which God is currently moving in your life?

 

In Touch Daily Devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley © 2007. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).

Why We Need the Holy Spirit

 

Jesus knew how important the Holy Spirit was in His life. Matthew 1:20 says that He was conceived by the Spirit. Think about that! It was the mighty Holy Spirit who took Jesus, the Word of God, and made Him flesh in Mary's womb! That's powerful! The Holy Spirit was also the One who descended upon Jesus and anointed Him in the river Jordan (see Luke 3:22). Then Luke 4:1 says it was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness. And He continued to lead Him. Jesus was led by the Spirit every day of His life.

Verse 18 says that He was also empowered by the Holy Spirit. And John 3:34 says the very words He spoke were given by the Spirit. It was also the Holy Spirit who kept Jesus sinless. Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was tempted just as we are. That means He could have sinned, but He remained sinless. How? Hebrews 9:14 reveals that He was spotless through the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, even Jesus would have failed. Although He was God, He was just as human as you and I are. And He needed the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus needed the Spirit from the moment He was conceived, how much more do we need Him! We don't ever stop needing Him, and He is always standing by, waiting for us to ask Him to help us.

 

Pray this prayer with me:
Lord, I love You. I need Your Holy Spirit afresh today. I thank You that He is in me to help me and guide me. May I always be alert in the Spirit so I will not miss Your mighty plan for my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

ORAL ROBERTS MINISTRIES © 2007. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).

The Battle between flesh and spirit (2)

Our Greatest Power
The flesh and the spirit cannot co-exist. They have only you in common. Salvation brings a new heart and a new spirit but not new flesh. We have to learn to walk by the spirit and deny the flesh, to prefer God's will for our lives over our own. Paul exhorted us not to conform any longer to the pattern of the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2) He said that we could be made new in the attitudes of our minds. (Ephes. 4:23) He was talking about learning to exercise our greatest power to drive out the flesh.

He said that this power is like the working of God's mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms. (Ephes. 1:20) He said that it's a divine power that can demolish strongholds (bad habits and attitudes) and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God (bad information). (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

This power is the God-given ability to choose whatever response we desire to any circumstance that confronts us. It sounds so simple, and yet it can have a profound effect on our lives. Think of it. We can say "No" to that next cigarette, or drink, or snack, or come-on, or any other temptation. When someone hurts us we can respond in love instead of anger. We can choose patience over frustration. We can turn the other cheek, give more than is required, forgive and even forget.

Although it's that simple, it's not easy. Remember, the flesh is older, bigger, stronger. It's used to calling the shots, and won't give up easily. There's a lot of inertia to overcome. All of our lives, the flesh has been in charge. It's not going to suddenly step aside just because we've invited a new power to reside within us. As long as we're on this Earth there'll be contention between the flesh and the spirit. Remember, Isaac and Ishmael have been at it for 4000 years.

And of course there'll be times when we choose to let the flesh win. We'll be having a bad day, or be caught off guard, or we'll be out of fellowship due to some unconfessed sin. And the flesh will be "crouching at our door" just as it was with Cain. (Genesis 4:7) Like Cain, we'll forget that it's our job to master it and we'll do something stupid.

But because of the cross, we won't be banished. God, who knows the end from the beginning, foresaw this sin and nailed it to the cross with all the others. Since we've accepted His death as payment for our sins, He's chosen to always see us as we will be instead of as we are. 2 Cor. 5:17 says that in His eyes we're a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. So He's able to distinguish the person from the performance and says, "That's not my child. My child is as righteous as I am. (2 Cor. 5:21) That's the flesh that dwells within my child." (Romans 7:17) So, as soon as we confess we're forgiven, the sin is forgotten, and we're purified from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Exercising our power of choice

is like every other form of exercise. At the beginning it's a lot of effort for very little result. But as we persevere the effort gets easier and the results become more noticeable. And like other forms of exercise, it feels uncomfortable at the beginning. That's because the flesh creates feelings to prompt our choices. The person who says, "If it feels good, do it!" is speaking out of his flesh. At the beginning, feelings are almost never a good indicator of choice. The Spirit recalls the Word of God to our minds and prompts us to act accordingly. That means we'll be making "contrary-to-feelings" choices. The question "What would Jesus do?" although misused by many, was intended to remind us to act in accordance with the spirit. Though our war with the flesh won't be won until we receive our perfected bodies, God has given us the power to defeat it every time we choose to engage. (Joshua 10:25)

Time And Eternity
Defeating the flesh has both temporal and eternal benefits. In this life it's the key to the abundant life Jesus promised. The Lord's promises are real so if they're not being fulfilled in our lives, then our flesh must be preventing it, because the spirit wants for us what the Lord wants. Defeating the flesh helps remove the obstacles that are blocking the fulfillment of His promises.

Defeating the flesh also wins the victory crown in eternity. (1 Cor. 9:24-27) It's one of the things that will cause the Lord to say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master's happiness!' as He hands you your crown. That alone should make the effort worthwhile.

GRACE THRU FAITH from article "Isaac and Ishmael, An Allegory" by Jack Kelley © 2007. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).

The Battle between flesh and spirit (1)

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. (Galatians 4:22-23)

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." [Genesis 21:10] Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. (Galatians 4:28-31)

Another way to say it is that one of Abraham's sons was born of the flesh while the other was born of the Spirit. When Sarah took matters into her own hands and gave Hagar to Abraham, they produced a son in the natural way, the biological union of egg and sperm.

But when Sarah was 90 and Abraham 100, Isaac was born. By all accounts it was a miracle, a supernatural event. Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." (Genesis 21:6-7)

The Allegory
This makes a great model of the believer's life. First we're born in the natural way, born of the flesh, the biological union of egg and sperm. Later we're born again, in a supernatural way, born of the spirit.

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3:5-6) Being born of water refers to the fact that in our mother's womb, we matured in a sack of amniotic fluid, or water. As the birth process began, our "water broke" and we were soon delivered, born of the flesh. Later, when we asked the Lord to forgive us and received Him as our Savior, we were born again, born of the Spirit. The Lord said that just one birth won't do. It takes both to enter into the Kingdom.

Paul also spoke of the result of our first birth as the flesh. Our flesh is like Ishmael, older, bigger, stronger. He's self-directed and self-centered, used to being the only one, used to calling the shots. He's experienced and independent, and acts on his own initiative. In assessing a situation, he says, "Self, what's best for me?" Our spirit starts out like Isaac, younger, smaller, weaker. He's God directed and God centered. He's a newcomer, inexperienced and dependent. He consults with the Spirit of God. In assessing a situation, he says, "Lord, what's best for you?"

The flesh doesn't like the spirit, he thinks he's weak and taunts him. He tries to assert his control over him, to push him aside, to silence his voice.

This is the challenge we're faced with when we're born again. Which one do we put in charge? Students of architecture learn that the weakness of any structure will present itself under stress. And so it is with us. As long as we go about our routine lives and don't try anything out of the ordinary they get along OK. But whenever an unusual situation confronts us there's stress, and the flesh immediately goes into attack mode to prevent the spirit from exerting any control. This could be anything from deciding how to respond when we've been put upon or rejected all the way up to deciding whether to give our earthly life in service to the Lord out of gratitude for receiving eternal life because of Him.

Ishmael wasn't interested in God's plan for Abraham's offspring. He was the first born and resented the intrusion of this newcomer in his family, usurping his rights. Similarly, our flesh isn't interested in God's plan for our life, only in the fulfillment of selfish desires.

We might think that Sarah was being her usual dominant self when she demanded that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away. After all, the whole thing had been her idea. And Abraham felt terrible about it because Ishmael was his son. But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." (Genesis 21:12)

Paul told us to make the same decision. "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 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 5:16-17)

GRACE THRU FAITH from article "Isaac and Ishmael, An Allegory" by Jack Kelley © 2007. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).

Dealing with Disappointment

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)

Lately I have noticed that I tend to be more "testy" than usual. I've noticed it, but haven't addressed it. So this morning I asked, "Where is this anger coming from?" I had my Bible program open and so I put in the word "anger." One of the words that came up was "disappointment," and immediately I knew where the anger was coming from.

Each of us has hopes and dreams for our lives. God actually designed us to be goal and vision oriented. Proverbs 29:18 says that without a vision we actually perish. So it's not a bad thing to have plans, goals and desires for our lives. But what happens when those plans are diverted?  Proverbs 13:12 says that hope differed makes the heart sick. My heart had become sick with disappointments and I hadn't even realized it.

Disappointment is a part of life that every person deals with. Our kids disappoint us; our spouse disappoints us; our friends disappoint us; we even disappoint ourselves. Left unchecked, these disappointments build up and begin to dam up the River of Life that God desires to flow through us. We must regularly ask the Holy Spirit to shine the light of Truth into our hearts and dislodge the hurts, disappointments, and offenses that threaten to cut off the fruit of God's Spirit in our lives. Bearing good fruit is God's greatest desire for our lives (John 15) and so it is no wonder that Satan works overtime to dump garbage there! What we do with it greatly affects our life and the lives of those around us. All those little foxes destroy the vine of our lives!

I had to admit that I've had several disappointments over the last several months. Then I had to repent and ask God to forgive me for carrying them. Rather than giving them over to God (Matthew 11:28) and allowing His Spirit to strengthen me, I had 'stuffed' them, causing a dam to be built in me. Praise God I saw it today and not twenty years from now!

Don't be afraid to be honest about what you're dealing with. When we agree with God, His grace empowers us to do that which we cannot do on our own. And I don't care how much you try, you can never overcome without the Holy Spirit's Help. Apart from Him you can do NOTHING!

I pray that today the River of Living Water will well up inside of you and dislodge all the hurts and disappointments in your life. I ask the Holy Spirit to work within you to bring healing and restoration to your body, mind, soul and spirit. May you be filled with the fullness of God's love and may your life abound with lots of good, healthy fruit;  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, meekness, gentleness, and self-control! (Gal. 5:22-23).

 

May you be empowered by God in your inner being so that you may be completed flooded with His grace, His power and His peace.

CINDE LUCAS OVERFLOW MINISTRIES © 2007. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).

Christ In You

 

"God wanted to make known to those among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27 HCS)

While moving through the line at a college cafeteria, one of my friends spotted a note stuck in a bowl of apples. It read, "Please take only one apple per student. Remember, God is watching!"

When my friend, one apple in hand, got to the end of the line, he spotted another note – this one hand-written – next to a bowl of cookies. It read, "Take all the cookies you want! God is watching the apples."

Has it ever struck you how comically absurd it is for us to behave as if God is compartmentalized, convincing ourselves that somehow we can live separated from – or hidden from – God's omnipresent spirit?

But this belief – and the resulting behavior – is contrary to the Gospel. The brutal and bloody death of Jesus was not just about paying the penalty of our sins; it also released the Holy Spirit to scrub us white as snow so this Jesus-Spirit could live within us.

When you become a believer, God breathes the Holy Spirit into you (John 3), creating a constant connection between you and the Heavenly Father, a flowing fountain of living water springing up into life eternal. (John 4:14)

To echo Ian Thomas, who is an obedient teacher of Christ, the work of Jesus allows God to come out of heaven and dwell inside you. You now have the energy and power of Jesus working actively within you, transforming you from the inside out. (Ephesians 2:10)

You are united with Christ, but not in some New Age mystical sense – He is God, and you are not– I repeat not – any sort of God. As a Christian, you partake in the Divine nature, but you are not divine. (2 Peter 1:3-4) You're merely – yet quite uniquely – a trophy of God's grace, wholly and totally dependent upon him for your salvation, your sanctification, and the next breath you take.

The Good News is simply this – Christ in you – and that is your only hope for glory (that is, an eternity with God). "The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message." (Colossians 1:27b MSG)

So what?
· God is our strength – Here's a radical "so what?" With the Spirit of God inside, you can stop praying prayers like, "God, please give me strength." The fact is, he is your strength. Your prayers can move toward allowing his strength to transform you. (Strength is just an example here – this also applies to wisdom, peace, joy, etc.)
· Up close and personal – God is not a distant God. His spirit is working within you. Paul suggests this is a down payment on the eternity to come, but it also shows that God values intimate relationship over rules or religion.
· Expect God to work in you – You are "God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works …." (Ephesians 2:10a NIV) Don't hope that he's at work in you; expect him to work in you, transforming you into a reflection of Christ. Ask God where he's working in you, and then expect him to show you.

 

PURPOSE DRIVEN MINISTRIES by Jon Walker © 2007. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).

Did You Know that Holy Spirit is an Intercessor?

We have the Holy Spirit, God's divine intercessor, actually living inside us to teach us how to pray, to reveal God's Word to us, to guide us into all truth and to actually pray for us!

What is an intercessor? The word intercede is from the Latin words inter, which means "between," and cede, which means "to go." To intercede means "to go between." Between what? you may ask. As intercessors, we stand in the gap between what is (the need) and what should be (God's will).

We intercede on behalf of people, crisis situations and nations. We also intercede for righteousness where we see unrighteousness, for mercy where we see unforgiveness, for love where we see hate, for grace where there is need, and so on. The Holy Spirit knows the gaps that the Father desires for us to fill. So He gives us a burden for that which we should pray.

Lest anyone should begin to think that this is beyond his reach, the Holy Spirit of Jesus is actually given into our hearts so that we may pray in His likeness, in His name, and in His power.

Now we can understand how Christ could give such unlimited promises of answer to prayer to His disciples: they were first going to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who breathes God's own desire into us and enables us to intercede for souls.

Although many feel that they must be good at praying, God requires only that we are available. If we will be faithful and step up to the plate, God will take our inaccuracies and inadequacies and hit a home run! When we pray, we actually partner with the Spirit of the living God! Our success in prayer is not based on how well we articulate the words of prayer, but simply whether we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit so He can pray through us!

Are there times when you don't even know how to pray for the things that burden you? You will never miss the mark by praying the Scriptures. For example, if a riot had developed in your city after a rock concert, you could pray, "Lord, according to Your Word in Psalm 55:9, 'Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.' And now I stand in the gap for the youth of our town, that they will see You as their salvation and help."

Continue to ask God for breakthrough until you feel His peace.

Bible Reference : Please read the following Scriptures and list some situations in which you could pray using these verses. Psalm 91:5–7; Psalm 91:11–13; Colossians 1:13–14; 2 Timothy 1:7

Section Two: Prayer as Intercession. Lesson Seven: Holy Spirit is An Intercessor

TEACH ME TO PRAY by Eddie and Alice © 2006. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward).

Praying with the Holy Spirit

Praying mental, rote prayers without emotion is vanity. God does not hear prayers that are offered without faith! (Read John 16:9; James 1:6–8).

There are two requirements for approaching the Lord in prayer :

(1) The first requirement is to believe that God is—that God exists. You say, "Of course I believe God exists." But many of us live our lives as "Christian atheists." We say with our lips that Jesus is our Lord, and we announce our total dependence upon Him. However, our practice is to make our own decisions and to depend totally upon the works of our own hands!

(2) The second requirement for approaching God in prayer, is to believe that God will. John Wesley said, "God will do nothing on earth except in answer to believing prayer." God is looking for fervent, but also for faithful, prayers who believe that God will do as He has promised!(Ezek. 22:30). He is not moved as much by our tears as He is by our faith. (Read Matthew 9:2, 22, 29; 15:28; 17:20.)

Come to the throne of God with a heart full of faith, for faith is the currency of heaven. You have plenty in reserve if you will access it. Write a check of faith in prayer today.

Section Two: Prayer as Intercession. Lesson Ten: Faith-Filled Prayer

TEACH ME TO PRAY by Eddie and Alice © 2006. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward).

Seal of Ownership

In the apostle Paul's day, goods shipped from one place to another would be stamped with a wax seal and imprinted with a signet ring, bearing a unique mark of ownership. The same was true of an important document from a ruler. No one would dare open it other than the addressee.

As a part of the great work of conversion, the Holy Spirit also seals us. God has set His royal seal on us. It is the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And when the devil comes to wreak havoc on our lives, he is stopped cold by that seal of ownership. He sees an imprint on us that says, "Property of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God," because we are under the protection of God.

But what about the person who is not a believer? Can the devil wreak havoc on an unbeliever's life? Absolutely. He can have his way, for the most part.

But as believers, we come under God's protection. Ephesians 1:14 says the Holy Spirit "is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. . . . " It is the idea of putting a deposit down on something. And it is a reminder that God will keep His promise to you, that you will see Him one day in heaven.

Now that is a serious down payment!

HARVEST MINISTRY by Pastor Greg Laurie © 2006. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward).