Warfare Spirituality part 3 (The Flesh, the Soul)

How do we deal with the flesh (our soul)?  How do we overcome temptations, which are common to all of us?  Is not the Living God who dwells in us Greater than that which opposes the formation of His Son in us?

Yet temptation is a reality for all of us.  We must be ruthless with ourselves, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  We must speak to ourselves Truth (see Psalm 42 & Romans 12:1-2) to overcome the Lies which abound.  We must realize who we are in Christ and that sin SHALL NOT be our master, because we are not under law but under Grace.  And one last tremendous thought before we discuss common temptations, did you ever stop and think that the Father allows these common temptations to arise and often persist in our lives to bring a greater revelation of His Son in you?  We often pray “Lord remove this temptation” right?  But God deals with us on much deeper levels, that would cause us to flee to Him and discover that “through it all” Christ is able, Christ is Mighty, Christ is the Victor in the believer who abides in Him.

Temptation to Anger (Insofar as depression is anger turned inward, these affirmations are relevant for depression as well.)

1. This is sin. "The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God" (Jas. 1:20). [This is not dealing with anger against sin (cf. Ezek. 7:3; Mark 3:5), but with sinful anger (Gal. 5:20).]
2. I do not want to sin. Sin is beneath the dignity of the person I have become in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:4-7).
3. I do not have to sin. I am no longer under the power of sin, but I am alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:11; 8:12-14).
4. Then why am I tempted to get angry? Because I have embraced wrong thinking. I have committed myself to unrealistic plans. [I am using "unrealistic plans" in the sense of plans that, for whatever reason, did not come to fruition. For example, I may be committed to the short-term plan of catching a particular flight so that I can get to a meeting on time. If a flat tire blocks this plan, it was "unrealistic"--it was not realized. The problem was not in desiring to get to the meeting on time, but in making my sense of well-being dependent on it.]
5. The correct way to think is to remember that God is in control and has my best interests at heart (Rom. 8:28).
6. My response to this truth is first to trust in the Lord and not lean on my own understanding (Prov. 3:5-6). [Since 5 is true, God must have intentions in this situation that I cannot presently grasp.]
7. Second, I will walk by the Spirit and not carry out the desire of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

Temptation to Seek Revenge

This is sin. "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. . . . If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge" (Rom. 12:17-19).
2. I do not want to sin. Sin is beneath the dignity of the person I have become in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:4-7).
3. I do not have to sin. I am no longer under the power of sin, but I am alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:11; 8:12-14).
4. Then why am I tempted to seek revenge? Because I want justice. [This may be as trivial as someone cutting me off in traffic or as deep-seated as the unforgiving spirit (and bitterness) of harboring a resentment against another person for years.]
5. But God did not give me justice (what I deserve); He treated me with mercy (not giving me what I deserve) and grace (giving me better than I deserve).
6. Because I have been forgiven, I will forgive others and treat them with mercy and grace (Col. 3:12-15). [The better I understand God's mercy and grace in my life, the more I will be willing and ready to forgive others when they sin against me.]
7. I will walk by the Spirit and not carry out the desire of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

 

More to follow on the flesh/Soul.

Warfare Spirituality part 2

3. Warfare on Three Fronts

·        The World

 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:4

·        The Flesh

 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Galatians 5:16-17

·        The Devil

 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.    
John 16:11
 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
1 John 2:14
 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4

 “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors"

C. S. Lewis, Preface to The Screwtape Letters

4. Warfare With the Flesh (handling temptations)

 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colossians 2:23
 For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
Romans 7:22-23
 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Romans 8:23
 For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
Romans 7:22-23
 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
Colossians 1:13

More to come on handling Warfare with the Flesh