In the war, running the race.

EXCERPT-

'This war between the soul and the spirit is waged secretly but interminably within God’s children. The soul seeks to retain its authority and move independently, while the spirit strives to possess and master everything for the maintenance of God’s authority. Before the spirit achieves its ascendancy the soul has tended to take the lead in all regards. Should a believer allow self to be the master while expecting the Holy Spirit to help and to bless him in his work, he undoubtedly will fail to produce spiritual fruit. Christians cannot anticipate a walk and work pleasing to God if they have not crushed their soul life by persistently denying its authority and unconditionally laying it in the dust. Except all power, impatience, and activity of the natural life are deliberately and one by one delivered to the cross and a ceaseless vigil is maintained, it will seize every chance to revive itself. The reason for so many defeats in the spiritual realm is because this sector of the soul has not been dealt with drastically.' The Spiritual Man-  Watchman Nee

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The spiritual war is waged SECRETLY…. Is this true?  For the most part it is true. The war with ourselves is not truly shared even when we tell another all about it. It is still US who need to choose to pick up the cross daily, no other can carry it for us. No other person makes the choices we need to make at a moments in our thoughts. No other can ask God to forgive us as we need to seek forgiveness.  Yes, our soul-self wants to be in charge - we THINK we know what's best. Giving ourselves to God is something we do daily in all we do.

Truly as soon as we believe a selfish trait in us defeated it will do all it can to sneak backup. It will "SEIZE every chance to revive itself". 

We don't want to be failures because we give into our selfishness. We must fight and fight endlessly, tirelessly, knowing this is a war, this is a race and we are in the war until Jesus returns and we are in the race until Jesus returns.  Daily warring, daily racing not giving in for a single day all by the GRACE of God!

1Ti_6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Heb_12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

Please, Lord, please we would fight the good fight of faith, we would lay aside every weight and run with patience the race. Please, Lord, please, help us.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord!

Now and forever.

Amen.