3 THINGS TO DIE DAILY TO:
1. Lust of the flesh
2. Lust of the eyes
3. Pride of life
I John 2:16 NKJV
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
Yes! And that is the battle we all face, each of us in our own struggle. Circumstances may be different for us each but it's the same war. As God tells us in Galatians 5:17--
For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.
This is the conflict to which Paul refers in Romans 7!
So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:21-24)
And then, praise God, Paul gives the answer to the conundrum in the very next verse!
Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:25)
Yes, Jesus Christ alone is the answer to our struggle with the flesh. But how does that work? Why after we are saved does the struggle continue? Why when we love Him can we find ourselves so often overcome by sin, the product of our natural flesh? Well, the answer to that lies in Galatians 5:17 and is a key lesson to learn. Namely, it is this--our flesh, our "old man" as the Bible puts it, is irredeemable. It cannot be saved. In our flesh there is not one good thing. Not one. (Romans 7:18; Jeremiah 17:9) Indeed, Romans 8:7 tells us that "the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” This is why the prophet Isaiah could state that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Our righteousnesses! Not our sins, but our righteousnesses! That is because, outside of Christ, we produce our righteous works through our own self effort.
Now our flesh will always try to be in control, even if it means acting religious. Flesh is what causes penitentes to whip themselves and pilgrims to crawl up the steps of Lourdes with bloody knees. But while these things may have an appearance of godliness, they are far from it. When we try to use the flesh to be more godly we only puff the flesh up. And the flesh loves to be exalted. We therefore have to look in another direction, for the flesh cannot defeat the flesh. This is why Paul twice called the Galatians foolish.
O foolish Galatians ... are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1a, 3)
If, when we read the New Testament we view it as rules to be followed, we will be led astray into operating through our flesh, attempting to accomplish that which we read we should be and do. The descriptions of righteous living in the New Testament are not rules to be followed but goals to be aimed for. And I can assure you that these goals are achievable; just not by willpower or self-effort. The answer is found all through Paul's letters in the New Testament, but is most succinctly stated in Romans 8:13.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live.
It is by the Holy Spirit --and the Holy Spirit alone-- that we can put to death the works of the flesh. This is done not by focusing on our flesh and it's failing and flaws, but focusing on Jesus Christ. It is only as we walk in the Spirit that we can enjoy the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
(Galatians 5:16) It takes an intentional mindset, focused on the things of God, to reap the benefits of salvation. This is something we grow in: it does not happen by magic and it is not something that just happens. Our salvation (which is freedom from the penalty of sin) is instantaneous. And our glorification (which will be freedom from the presence of sin) will also be instantaneous, the moment we who are saved leave this life. But our sanctification, that process by which we are made more and more holy, more and more separate from this world, and more and more separate from our old nature, is progressive. Our sanctification is the journey by which we are more and more set free from the power of sin. And that is done only by the Holy Spirit, based exclusively on what Jesus Christ did for us on Calvary.
So, the answer to our ongoing struggle with sin, and the source of the victory over our flesh, is to walk in the Holy Spirit-- meaning to place our focus on the things of God, which occurs only through being in His Word and in His Presence daily. It won't happen by accident: we need to do it intentionally. When Philippians 2:12 tells us that we are to work out our salvation with trembling and fear, it is because of Philippians 2:13 which tells us that it is God who is at work in us both to create the desire and the ability for us to live according to His will.
As a pastor, whenever I find a defeated Christian, I find someone who is either trying to struggle against his or her flesh
through his or her flesh, or is careless and neglectful of his or her Bible, along with an absence of true prayer and worship. And whenever I find myself in a time of weakness in my own life, I find that I have put too many things (including ministry) ahead of my personal time with God.
I pray that anyone reading this will understand that the victory they seek in their own life comes only from drawing closer and closer to God through prayer and His Word, surrounded by an attitude of praise and worship. I pray that you discover --or rediscover-- that intimate, passionate, all-in relationship with God that He desires to have with you and you more and more will walk in the victory you desire! And this victory is more than just knowing that you are blessed by God, it is the key to our being an effective witness for God to the lost souls around us. It is our own victorious life that is the most powerful witness to the truth of the words of life we offer to others. I pray the Holy Spirit takes these truths to your heart.
Lord, please open the understanding of those who read this message. Help them to see that the peace and the joy they desire, the peace and joy that exists even in the darkest of circumstances, is found only in their relationship with You. May it not be a head relationship, but a heart one. May they fall deeply in love with You and experience all the love that You have for them, poured out in their lives. And I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
