Verse
of the Day:
Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV)
“Now the
works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry,
sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,
divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like
these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will
not inherit the kingdom of God.”
This flesh needs to be subject to me and I need
to rule over it in righteous, but the flesh kicks don’t it? I thought to
myself as I was putting my kids to bed, “I just want to kick back and watch a
movie.” Then there is another thought, “I can relax and study about fighting
this flesh.” Both sound good, but most of us would rather choose the movie. The
flesh is selfish let’s admit it. It wants what it wants when it wants it. It is
a constant war with the flesh and the spirit.
Galatians
5:17 (NIV)
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the
Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with
each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”
Now,
there is nothing wrong with a “good” movie, but when the options are flesh or
spirit, you choose spirit as the option that will bring you fruit. We desire to
walk in the spirit so we must sow to the spirit spiritual things. There are a
lot of movies that are just not “good” to allow into a pure mind because once
you put those words and images into your mind they are a part of you, no matter
how small. Being mindful of the things we allow in helps us better fight the
flesh and temptation to sin.
Romans
7:21-25 (NIV)
“So I find this law at work: Although 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 me, waging war against the
law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body
that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who
delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
We have the choice to choose good or evil for
every decision we make every day. When we take up the scepter of righteousness,
we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. We can do all things through
Christ who strengthens us. Take up the whole armor of God that you may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
There are many
things we want to do because our flesh says yes. R. Kelly used to sing a song
about his mind telling him no, but his body telling him yes. We all war in the
flesh with the spirit. It is a battle of the mind. We want to do right, but the
flesh is right here with us.
Romans
8:5-8 (NIV)
“Those who live according to the flesh have their
minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the
Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed
by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by
the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
Those who are in the realm of the flesh
cannot please God.”
Psalm 1:2
“But his delight is in the
law of the Lord; and in his
law doth he meditate day and night.”
We are in this world, but not of this world.
When we are more concerned with pleasing ourselves, we are not pleasing God. We
need to set our minds on things above, the things that the spirit desires. We
have life and peace when our mind is governed by the spirit rather than the
flesh.
Philippians
4:8 (NIV)
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
John
4:24 (KJV)
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth.”
We got to bring our focus to God, His Kingdom,
and His righteousness. Resist the devil, and he will flee. The devil is a liar
and deceiver, but he can’t make us do a thing. We are tempted and drawn away by
our own desires.
James 1:14 (KJV)
“But every
man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
Our
flesh will get us in trouble. The narrow way will lead us to eternal life.
Matthew
7:13-14 (KJV)
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it.”
It is so easy to get caught up
looking at what other people are doing, how they are doing it, and almost, well
yes, envying them which we know is the flesh. The broad path is well traveled. It’s time to set up a standard. It’s time out for conforming to the world. Aren’t
you tired of being a pawn for the industry? I am. I am tired of being told what
to wear, how to talk, how to raise my kids. The leaders of this world have
dummed us down to accept what they put in front of us as “okay.” We do it
because everyone else is doing so it must be “okay.” They make immodest clothes
cheap so we like slaves buy it and think that it’s “in”, but who is setting the
standard? The TV, media, music industry, movies? Who is setting the trends?
Think about if we did not have
all these things. Who would set the standard? The old days make that clear when
modesty was normal. Now that there is a lot of media to sway the crowd, the
crowd follows what they see and it’s to the masses.
Matthew
26:41 (NIV)
“Watch
and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but
the flesh is weak.”
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