War- Flesh and Spirit

War!

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Flesh and Spirit.

We are to walk in the Spirit but our flesh nature will not make this easy. They'll war because they truly are CONTRARY to each other.

Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Rom 7:23  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.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Rom 7:25  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

We must choose to serve the law of God, the moral law of God that has revealed right from wrong to us.  The law of God which we all know encompasses a moral standard that most people follow even if they claim no religion at all whatsoever.  We must choose to serve God with our minds, with our hearts, hating the sin our flesh draw us towards.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9  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.

Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Rom 8:11  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.

Rom 8:12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Rom 8:13  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.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

THROUGH THE SPIRIT- MORTIFY THE DEEDS OF THE FLESH!

(((MORTIFY- STRONG'S CONCORDANCE-

G2289 From G2288; to kill (literally or figuratively): - become dead, (cause to be) put to death, kill, mortify.))))

Through the SPIRIT-  we cannot ignore that part! We make a grave mistake when we leave out the SPIRIT.  The mortification of the deeds of the flesh that would keep us from living in the Spirit for Christ, MUST be killed through the SPIRIT, not through flesh. Our flesh nature -destroying our flesh nature? If we even try to do that - we are automatically taking glory to ourselves for our own salvation. 

Salvation comes through our SAVIOR, not us, not our power. Through the HOLY SPIRIT we have hope! Allowing the HOLY SPIRIT to live in us, accepting our Savior's sacrifice, choosing to be led by Him, learning of Him, following Him, recognizing Him, this is our life! 

Our flesh nature will rise up constantly so that we do cry out wondering how we are to ever be saved from it, but just as that flesh nature rises up, the Spirit will rise up and mortify that flesh.  WE have to believe the SPIRIT is doing this within us! Through all we are called to endure we must trust that the mortification process is taking place and our hope is to be found in Jesus Christ! 

We don't know how the Spirit works, we don't know what fires we will be called to walk through. We don't know what tribulations, what lessons we must learn, what refining is necessary within us. We know the chastising exists and we know that we are far from being rid of our flesh nature, and we know that it might not be until the last moment of our lives that we are truly where Christ would have us be. We must CLING to the hope found only in Christ, outside of our selves! Our Hope cannot be within ourselves, but outside in CHRIST to save us! 

Through the Spirit the deeds of our flesh will be killed, will be destroyed so we may be God's and this is the battle we are engaged in.  The battle to remain Christ's, to CHOOSE Christ over self, seduced by Satan, this is our life, this is the race we run.  We will not let go of Christ until He blesses us!

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We must confess our sins!

We must recognize our helplessness and cling to our HOPE.

Through the SPIRIT the deeds of our flesh must be mortified. We must die daily to self, choosing our Savior!  Please, LORD, please help us to constantly CHOOSE YOU, letting YOU live in us.  Help us NOT of our own pretend we can save ourselves in any way. Live in us truly, wholly, fully, know us, let us know You. Please, save us from ourselves!

We are at war- flesh and spirit. Help us to choose Spirit always over flesh. And when we live to our flesh help us to repent, to confess, to seek forgiveness through You.  Be our all in all, always!

We believe, Lord, help our unbelief.

Help us to live in the Spirit, help us to live through the Spirit. Do for us all that WE cannot do for ourselves in the weakness of our Flesh, and help us to allow the Spirit to do all that You need the Spirit to do in us so we may be wholly yours! All by YOUR grace, YOUR love!

In Jesus Christ, always!

Amen.