Thursday 6 December 2012

SUBDUE THE FLESH


READ: GALATIANS 6:7-8

When a new government has come into the life of a sinner, his body will fight it to the finish. The body will call for its allies – Satan and his demonic host – to join battle and fight the new government. Any step of spirit will be greeted with opposition from the body. It gets to the point that if care is not taken, the ex-sinner becomes a victim of an ongoing war. To have effective control of the situation, the battle lines must be drawn. You must decide to establish the new government or the old order return.
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)
Your worship goes to God through your spirit. Your spirit relates to the Holy Spirit and receives instructions from him, which he will later pass down to your soul and body. The more your spirit communes with the Holy Spirit, the more like him it will become. Proverbs 20:27 says your spirit is the candle with which God searches your body. Yield more to him.
Galatians 5:16-24 lists our enemies and our friends. Our enemies are called ‘the works of the flesh’ while our friends are called ‘the fruit of the spirit’. To please God, you should cooperate with your friends and they will help you to subdue your body.
Our reading tells us we can sow in flesh and we can sow in spirit. What we reap depends on where we sowed. Each time you sin, you are sowing in the flesh. But God expects you to begin to sow in the spirit by worshipping him, praying and studying his Word; by witnessing to others and giving to God’s work. You must expect opposition from the flesh each time you want to sow in the spirit. 1 Corinthians 9:27 says you should subdue your flesh and bring it to submission. It understands the language of force. When you take a step toward God, he will reciprocate with a giant move towards you and together you can defeat the flesh. The battle against the flesh takes a lifetime. Be prepared for it daily.  

MEMORIZE: JOHN 4:24 –God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.