Graced to Win the War Within!

(Galatians 5:16,17 NLT)  So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.  Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  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.

This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to look at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus.  In our last message I highlighted the fact that “The Holy Spirit is the Key” to living a successful life in Christ.  Paul taught us that we won’t revert to our old ways if we are led of the Holy Spirit.  Paul then takes this opportunity to teach about the the internal war that is often waged between the old desires a new believer has, that took years to develop and ingrain, and the new desires they are receiving from the Holy Spirit who is now in them.  The old desires, that are coming from the way the new believer has been programmed to think, urge the believer to go back to their old sinful ways.  While the new desires, which are birthed from the Holy Spirit Himself, are clashing against the old desires.  This is why it is so important for the believer to be led of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will tell you to do right, even when the old desires are begging you to do wrong.

So what does this mean to you today?  I will attempt to explain:

1.  You are a spirit (your spirit is who you really are), you posses as soul and you live in a body.

2.  Your soul is comprised of your mind (the way you think), your emotions (the way you feel) and your will (the way you make decisions).

3.  When you were Born-Again your Spirit (who you really are) was made new.  But your soul (the way you think, feel and make decisions) was not and neither was your body.

4.  One day you will get a glorified body that will never decay (1 Cor 15:42-44).

5.  When you were Born-Again your spirit (the real you) WAS changed instantly, your body WILL BE changed eventually, and now your mind is BEING changed progressively.

6.  Your focus does not have to be your spirit, because your spirit has already been changed.  Your focus does not need to be your body, even though bodily exercise is good.  Your main focus now that you are Born-Again should be your soul, which has your mind (your thinker), emotions (your feeler) and your will (your chooser).  As your mind is renewed by the Word of God you will be able to change the way you think, feel and make decisions.

7.  As a new convert you have not yet changed the way you think, feel or make decisions.  Therefore, when the Holy Spirit leads you to do something that is pleasing in God’s sight, but your old programming tells you NOT to do it, or leads you to sin, you will probably make the wrong decision and sin.  This does not mean you are not saved, that God’s Spirit is not in you, or that you are a bad person.  It’s just that you spent years programming your soul to think, feel and make decisions a certain way and it will take some time to renew your soul to align with God’s Word in order to quickly submit to the prompting of God’s Spirit.

8.  Just like God has given you the Grace to do other things, you have the Grace to win the war within.  By God’s Grace you will change the way you think, feel and make decisions and you will become the man/woman God has destined, designed and desires for you to be!

Closing Confession:  Father, I thank You for loving me enough to make plans for me before the foundations of the world, for saving me from hell, and for now working with me to fulfill those plans.  You put Your Spirit down inside me so that I could receive instruction directly from You.  Your Spirit speaks to me and He leads me in the way I should go.  However, I will not listen to or obey Your Spirit if I do not renew my mind.  By Faith I declare that the my mind (the way I think), my emotions (the way I feel) and my will (the way I make decisions) all align with Your Word.  The more I get Your Word down in my heart, the more I am able to quickly submit to the leading of Your Spirit and the more I am able to live a life that is pleasing in Your sight.  You have given me the grace to do everything else and I believe You have also given me this grace.  When Your Spirit is telling me to do right, and my old ways are leading me to do wrong, by faith I declare that I have the grace to win the war within and I shall do the right thing.  I overcome sin and any old lusts to live in sin, by Your grace and not human effort alone.  On my own I can’t do it, but with Your grace I have already won!  I declare this by faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.