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How is it
that people, even ministers, who love God and have walked with Him for
years, backslide and do things they never thought they’d do? How does
that happen? It’s because they lost the battle over the flesh.
Every single one of us has to deal with the flesh, no matter how long
we’ve known the Lord and no matter how spiritual we may be. You may
think flesh has to do with just sexual lust. Actually, “flesh” in the
New Testament refers to the unregenerate state of man, or the carnal
cravings of our natural man that war against the soul. It’s the weaker
elements of man.
Paul tells us some of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19:
“adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (sensuality),
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance (quarreling), emulations
(jealousy), wrath.”
You might as well face it and learn to deal with the fact that as long
as you’re alive on the earth, you’re going to battle the flesh. I’ve
been a believer for over thirty 35 years, and I still battle the flesh.
Now, I don’t struggle with the stuff I used to struggle with, but I
constantly have to keep my flesh in check. The good news is that no
matter what battles you’ve lost in the past, or what you’re facing
right now, you’ve not lost the war. Today is a new day.
Before venturing into HOW to deal with the flesh, let me explain WHY we
must be aggressive when it comes to this subject.
Romans 8:13 tells us, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will
die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you
will live.” My friend, if you don’t kill the flesh, the flesh will kill
you.
I don’t want to just “make it” to heaven. We make it by the blood. No,
I want to enter heaven having been victorious on this earth. So much of
our lives is focused upon what’s temporal. It’s all about self – how
you can be everything you want to be on this planet and how to get
everything you want to get. God looks at all this and says, “No.
Remember, you’re a people passing through. This earth is not your
home.”
1 Peter 2:9 admonishes us, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers
and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the
soul.”
Let’s find out from the Word of God how to effectively arm ourselves to
win this age-old battle of the flesh.
You can win the battle by
committing to watch and pray. This may come as a shock to
you, but the first ten minutes of every day are like hell on earth for
me. I am not a morning person by nature, but I made a commitment to get
up early each day to spend time with Jesus. Not once in all these years
has my body been happy to get out of bed, but rather than give in to my
flesh, I get up, make myself a cup of coffee, and then sit still for a
few minutes as I wake up. Then I go into prayer. All the while, my
flesh is giving me fits. Yet as I press through, the Lord faithfully
meets with me, and as a result, I’m spiritually alert and ready for
whatever comes my way that day.
Jesus exhorts us, “Watch and pray,
lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is willing, but the
flesh is weak (Mark 14:38).” To watch means to be sober, to stay
alert. To pray means to be in continual communion with God. The devil
is crafty. He’s waiting to slip into your life when you’re unaware, at
a time when you think everything is fine and nothing’s going to happen.
That is why you must stay sober and alert, 24/7.
You can win the battle by
filling yourself with the Word of God. My friend, if you’re not
reading the Word on a daily basis, something’s wrong. You’re on the
wrong kind of spiritual fast. You’re giving up spiritual food that is
absolutely vital to your spiritual, mental and physical health.
It makes us wise (2 Timothy 3:15)
It helps us grow up (1 Peter 2:2)
It directs our lives (Psalm 119:105)
It keeps us from sinning (Psalm 119:11)
It guarantees our success (Joshua 1:8)
It prepares us for God’s plan for our lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
If you talk to any backslider, you’ll find that before he ever
backslid, he quit reading the Word. The Word is your ammunition. Don’t
go to battle unarmed.
You can win the battle by
refusing to participate in ungodly behavior. We are told in
Titus 2:11-12 that we should deny ungodliness. That means to refuse to
participate in it. You reject it. It’s a decision you must make each
and every day.
Do you know what happens when you participate in ungodly behavior? You
get the stench and filth of the world on you. Denying ungodliness means
you choose not to watch movies that have swearing, nudity and blatant
adultery in them. It means you refuse to participate in backbiting and
gossip. It means you guard your thought life, don’t cheat on your exam,
and remain upright in your business dealings.
You would think it absurd for a sewer worker to come home after a long
day at work, take a shower, and put back on the same smelly, filthy
clothes. Yet a Christian who does not deny ungodliness is virtually
doing the same thing. Beloved, the blood of Jesus has washed you. Now
don’t keep putting on the filth of the world!
You can win the battle by
recognizing and fleeing temptation. To flee in the original
Greek means to run or to escape to the point of vanishing. That means
you’re gone. You’ve run so far from the temptation that you can’t even
see it any more. This truth is so simple, yet so profound! It’s also
the area where so many stumble. When faced with temptation, many run a
little – but not far enough – away from temptation.
You must cut sin off at the root. If you’re weak in certain areas,
don’t keep surrounding yourself with the opportunity to stumble. Avoid.
Flee. Disappear. There’s no wisdom in entertaining the thing sent to
destroy you. Escape that temptation to the point of vanishing!
Friend, no matter what battles you may face, the Lord has already given
you the tools you need to overcome. As you heed the Word and stay
filled with the Holy Spirit, you will win the battle over the flesh
every single time, and live a life of honor before the Lord and man.
Steve
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