Are you winning: The battle of the flesh and the spirit

We all experience life differently and see it through the perspectives shaped by our life experiences. Those life experiences determine how we think about ourselves and others; and our thoughts transcribe into our emotions which dictate our actions. Thus, life experiences are pretty significant in shaping how we process every element of this side of heaven.

We are fashioned, shaped and formed by the encounters we have or do not have with others. And some people audaciously hold on to the belief that we are merely a product of our environments, nothing more or less. And while I think this belief removes the saving grace of God, yet I examined this belief more closely and I have discovered something about this assertion.

The little people that grow up to be the big people are greatly influenced by the big and the little people in their lives. 

This part I believe and though I can understand the logic in that we are a product of our environment, I believe that we are not merely an accumulation of the mess that gets piled on us as we walk through life. We are the sons and daughters of the one true God, the King, and the creator of the universe. I am not a pile of mess and I am certainly not the leftover remains of my environment, whether those remains are good or bad.  But, I am not all of this because of my own works or my strength, but instead when I accepted Christ into my life I was the same. The old self was gone.  The Bible illustrates for us, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. (2 Cor. 5:17)

We are not the same, but there are still issues that reside within that must be uncovered and handed over to God. We have to be willing to sort through the mess and let go of anything that weighs us down and keeps us from walking and operating in God's truth. It is a daily act of submission and obedience, because the old self, the sinful nature of the flesh, fights the spirit and is always in battle against the spirit. The bible makes it very clear: The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions (Galatians 5:17 NLT)

The mess that gets piled on us as we walk through life can leave impressions on our hearts and inspire faulty thought-processes and logic, then we can find ourselves struggling with the old self all while we are earnestly trying to embrace the new self.  It can feel very overwhelming if we think we must take on this battle alone. But, there is hope for us, because we are free in Christ and God is on our side.  The Bible offers us this truth: We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. (Romans 6:6 NLT)

But, remember the spirit is in constant battle with the flesh and if we are not strengthening our spirit through studying the word of God, prayer, fasting and putting on the full armor of God, then the flesh is bound to win a few battles. Because, sometimes we struggle so much with the flesh and the battle feels so intense that giving up seems to be the only option; we're especially weak because we are not allowing the power of God to fully operate in our lives. Plus, the pressures of our culture and the ideals of the world disguised as truth and joy confuse us and cause us to stumble. This is because when we give into the flesh we are no longer operating in the spirit, thus we cannot please God. The Bible states:  6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8: 6-8) 

But remember this good news: God already knows the struggles we face, which is why He offers us incomparable grace and mercy, the wisdom and truth of His word, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the example of righteous living through the life of Jesus Christ.  God has given us everything we need to win the battle. Plus, He is on our side. If our God is with us, then who can be against us! God is tender and patient. He knows exactly where we are, how we got there and where we're headed.  We have to remind ourselves that we do not have to accept the lies that the world delivers as truth, but instead we can propel forward in our lives through living and operating in God's truth.

And although, the culture has bombarded us with a plethora of ideals, philosophies and perspectives that are simply flawed, inaccurate and false imitations for the truth that is only found in the word of God. We can still be set apart, holy and pure just as God calls us. The Bible makes it clear: For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time--to show us his grace through Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT). This reminds me that God's grace is sufficient and I do not have to accept anything this world has to offer, but that I can be everything God says I am and everything He calls me to be. So, for the many of us that have chosen to follow Jesus, we must decide to refuse to accept the fate that the world wants to give us. We are not merely a product of our environment. Instead, we must seek God, pursue Him and develop a relationship with Him so we can embark and stay on the journey He has design for our lives.

So, what happens when we draw near to God and He reveals to us areas in our lives that are not in alignment with His word, thus unpleasing to God.

 As we draw near to God, the darkness inside us is uncovered and sometimes we discover that there are dark places within us that only God can transform. We may discover we have tainted perspectives and faulty tendencies that have resulted in unfruitful, selfish and mediocre-faith driven lives. Some of us never notice until we look inward and see all the areas we have tried to hide, run from and pretend didn't exist, or the areas that we are unwilling to change. But when we draw near to God and grow in our relationship with Him, then there comes a time when pretending will not work and the stubbornness must come to a halt. Yet, this is not a one-time occasion, because we are always growing, always transforming and always pursuing to be more like Christ. We should never want to stay the same, even if we think we are doing well, we must always be willing to trust God's ability to search our hearts; but I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve. (Jeremiah 17:1) 

Remember, God sent His son to die for us as the ultimate act of sacrifice and expression of love that allowed redemption to manifest between God and mankind and initiated the process of purifying our lives; He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. (Titus 2:14)

I want God to search my heart and to renew my mind so that I can walk in His will, be used by Him and for Him. It may not feel good at times and I certainly have uncovered some things about myself that weren't easy to face, but in those moments of discovery God is tender, gentle, patient and loving. So, I encourage you today to spend time drawing near to God and ask Him to search your heart and to renew your mind so that you may become more like Christ and walk in the peace and joy that only a relationship with God can offer. 

You can win the battle; God is on your side and you have all that you need.  

Let's Pray Together: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for desiring to have a intimate relationship with me. Thank you for making yourself available to me, at any moment and thank you for loving me enough to never leave me. Father, I want to honor you with my life and I want to serve you with a pure heart and a mind that is set on you, but I struggle with this. I struggle with the impressions left on my heart from my past experiences and I struggle with surrendering to you every hurt, mistake, disappointment and thought. So, I need you to help me. I need you to transform me. I need you. I ask that you will help me to have the strength I need to face the areas of my life that are not pleasing to you and the desire to change them. May you guide me every step of the way in becoming more of the woman you are calling me to be. In Jesus name, Amen.

Let's Reflect: Think of a time in your life that you had a positive experience that altered or improved your perspective and think of a negative experience that had the same affect. Have you developed any thought processes or ways of thinking that align with God's word as a result? Have you developed any thoughts that are not a reflection of the truth in God's word? 

Let's Live Out Our Faith:  

Step 1: Think about someone who shared in one of your positive life experiences. If it is possible, call them and tell them how much they mean to you. If they are deceased or unreachable, but have a family member that you are able to contact, then give that person a call and let them know how much that person means to you. Spend time thanking God for allowing that person to share in your positive life experience.

Step 2: Think of someone that shared in one of your negative life experiences and pray and ask God to search your heart for any ill feelings for this person. If you discover any bitterness, resentment or grief, then I would like to challenge you to lift that experience and that person up in prayer for the next 10 days or longer.  (If you would like encouragement in this area, consider seeking the help and support of a spiritual leader such as a pastor. ) You can always send me an e-mail and I will also pray for you too. I'm not a pastor, but I am a praying sister! 

If this blessed you, please share it with a sister.