The Great War
February 2004
Galatians 5:17 says that the flesh
and the sprit are at war against each
other and that both are battling to
win you over. The flesh sets its desire
against the spirit and the spirit
against the flesh. You need to get
the correct picture here. This battle
between the flesh and the spirit is
no walk in the park rather it is a
great way and a fight to the very
end and whoever wins will have won
your happiness in life and your ability
to experience abundance in the here
and now. DO NOT TAKE THIS BATTLE LIGHTLY.
The flesh wants you all to itself
and so does the spirit. Both are battling
for you and for control over your
life.
A major choice and are at the moment
of decision. Will we choose to turn
around and walk away or will we once
again find ourselves wrapped up in
the confusion that we have so often
found ourselves immersed in. Often
we stand and debate and debate and
if you are anything like me, you really
have a hard time some times putting
your feelings aside and doing what
you know is right; not because you
like it but because you know that
it is right. Your mind races between
good and evil. In your mind you hear
the words your mother and father spoke
to you when you were a little girl
or boy telling you to focus on Jesus.
You look at the wrong choice and it
looks so inviting. You are torn between
curiosity and righteousness. What
do you do? Who do you allow to win
the battle? Who gets the victory this
time? Often for me the battle has
been so overwhelming internally that
I have been brought to tears because
the desire to do wrong is so tempting.
Who will you let win?
And this is what we must contend with
as women who seek to stand in our
royal positions as daughters of King
Jesus with our heads held high. Paul
writes about his struggle in Romans
7: ...I am of flesh, sold into bondage
to sin. For that which I am doing,
I do not understand; for I am not
practicing what I would like to do,
but I am doing the very thing I hate.
Paul the apostle says in this passage
that he wants to do righteousness
so desperately. He really wants to
live a life that is holy and acceptable
before the sight of God yet He just
cannot seem to do it. There is something
that continues to pull at him and
cause Him to do the very things that
He does not want to do. I have often
felt this way, haven't you? We so
desire to follow Christ and to abide
in His ways yet often we find ourselves
simply unable to stand in the midst
of temptation. Why is this? Why are
we so easily led astray and capture
by those things that are unholy and
unjust. Why is great war so often
won by the flesh. Paul says that the
"flesh" has a hold on us
that refuses to let go. Although we
desire to finally rid ourselves of
it, we just cannot seem to do it.
The flesh is the culprit. Although
once we accept Christ we are now born
again and righteousness now indwells
us, we are still surrounded by our
external covering that is infested
with the disease of sin. The flesh
is that covering. It is with us wherever
we go. We cannot run or hide from
it. As long as we are on this earth
we will be attached to our flesh,
our bodies. There is only one way
to outsmart it...to meet Christ face
to face! This is the day when you
will receive a new body and no sin
will dwell in your flesh.
I understand that you are probably
thinking, "OK Priscilla that
sounds really great. I'll do my best
while I am on earth, but I will not
be able to really overcome this flesh
thing until I get to heaven. That
nice and everything but what about
for right now." I need something
for the here and the now.? For you,
I have great news. Romans 7 ends with
assurance that through Jesus Christ
our battle with the flesh will be
over when we see him face to face,
but Romans 8: 1 gives us hope for
the continuous battle that we face
each and every day. It says, "There
is therefore now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus. For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has set you free from the law
of sin and death." Amen! You
and I have all that we need right
now to keep us until the day when
we see Him face to face! In other
words, you are no longer bound to
chains of sin, rather you have been
freed to live as a slave to Christ.
The flesh no longer has a right to
rule over your life as it did before
you met Christ. Your spirit can and
will be victorious if you simply grasp
the concept of what your salvation
actually means. It means that you
are free. Sin is no longer your master.
Romans 6:6-7 puts it this way,"...our
old self was crucified with Him in
order that our body of sin might be
done away with, so that we would no
longer be slaves to sin. "For
he who has died is freed from sin."
When you accepted Christ blood for
the remission of your sins, you died
to the mastery of sin over you. The
Great War in your life can now be
won as you choose to walk in holiness.
What battle will take place in your
life today? Who will win; the flesh
of the spirit? My prayer for you and
I is that we will know how great a
salvation we have and walk with our
heads held high in victorious spirit
filled life.
|
