How to Win Over Self

Luke 9:23

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

There are many challenges and obstacles that we face in life. But perhaps one of the most challenging obstacles of all, is the obstacle of self. Many goals and dreams never get off the ground because of self-doubt!

Many marriages and relationships are broken because of self-centerdness. They can’t get out of their ownselves.

And many people don’t grow in Christ simply because they can’t let go of self. Jesus said, “If any man come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” The victory over our inner self is a daily struggle. Every day that you wake up you will find yourself in a predicament where the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these things are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Paul also said it like this, the desire to good is inside of me, but I can’t do it. I don’t do the good that I want to do, but I do the evil that I don’t want to do. But if I do the very thing that I don’t want to do, then I’m not the one doing it anymore. Instead, it is sin that lives in me that is doing it. So I find that, as a rule, when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me. I gladly agree with the Law on the inside, but I see a different law at work in my body. It wages a war against the law of my mind and takes me prisoner with the law of sin that is in my body. I’m a miserable human being. Who will deliver me from this dead corpse? Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then I’m a slave to God’s Law in my mind, but I’m a slave to sin’s law in my body. That’s why he tells us to walk after the Spirit so that you won’t fulfull the lust of the flesh. Yourself is your biggest enemy left to defeat! Death is already deafeated! Sin is already defeated! Jesus did that on the cross! You are your biggest obstacle to overcome!

Background

1. Definite Decision

“If any man will come after me”

You got to have a made up mind to follow Jesus if you’re going to successfully have victory over self.

Many people have difficulty deciding which way to go. We’re trying to hold on to God with one hand and Satan with the other.

You’ve got to make up in your mind whether you are going to follow God, or follow the things of this world. You can’t be who God wants you to be, still trying to hold on who you use to be. The Bible says if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”

Sadly enough, we got too many people trying to live double lives! We’re one way on Sunday morning, but come Monday we’re a whole different person. If we’re going to defeat self, we can’t just live for Christ on Sunday, but we got to live for Him on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

Joshua said choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. YOU GOT TO MAKE A DECISION!!!

You see, we follow the Lord through choice!

God will never force Himself on you. He gives you free will to choose which ever way to go. Certainly He will tell you and advise you which way to go. He says “I place before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life!” But at the end of the day the choice is yours. You got to make up your mind and make a decision. You can’t walk with God and run with the devil at the same time. You can’t straddle the fence. The word of the Lord in the book of revelations to the church of Laodicea said I would that you either be hot or cold! The problem today is that we have too many lukewarm Christians. They want the benefits of Jesus, with the pleasures of the world! The want the blessings of obedience in Deuteronomy, yet they want to live how they wanna live.

When I was in the world, I was in the world. But when I gave my life to Christ, I made up my mind to follow Him and leave the world behind!

You got to make a definite decision! And we must be firm in our decision! Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no! Leave no bridge unburned which would facilitate turning back. There’s a saying that says don’t burn your bridges because you never know when you need to go back, but there are also some bridges that you don’t need to go back across!

2. Daring Discipline

“Let him deny himself”

Many people are self-indulgent. They do whatever pleases them. They fail to practice self-denial and restraint.

If we are going to win over self, then we have to set rules and limits for ourselves. We win by staying as far from Satan’s territory as possible. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation.

It is not a sin when you are being tempted. The sin is when you give in to the temptaion.

That’s where you got to learn how to practice self-control and restraint.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.”

Literally meaning, I discipline my body, I beat my body. You got to learn how to beat the flesh into subjection of the Holy Spirit. To not be controlled by fleshly desires, but to allow the Spirit of God to reign in your life.

We will never be victorious over the flesh and win over self, if we don’t practice self discipline!

Paul said now, in this earthly race, don’t you know that everybody runs, but only one receives a prize?

Everyone who competes practice self-discipline in everything!

The runners do this to receive a crown that will fade away, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies!

3. Dailiy Devotion

"And take up his cross daily”

Many people fail to win over self, simply because they neglect God!

Brothers and sisters, if you’re going to get the victory over yourself, you’ve got to have daily dose of Jesus. Because just being honost and real with you, there are going to be some days where you are stronger than others, which goes without saying, that there will be some days where you are weaker, and you’re going to need somebody greater than you, to keep you, when you can’t keep yourself. Jude 24, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” When you are weak God proves himself strong.

But we got to be diligent in our devotion to God. We gotta be faithful in our coming to church! We gotta be faithful in daily prayer! We gotta be faithful in daily Bible reading! We gotta be faithful in sharing Christ with others! Why? Because these things bring victory over self!

When you wake up in the morning, take you a dose of Jesus! Start your day off with the Lord and see how much better your day goes! When you get to the job and them folks start to getting on your nerves? Don’t tell em what’s on your mind, but yet take you a dose of Jesus! “ Lord, I need you to hold my tongue.” When life gets overwhelming, don’t quit, take you a dose of Jesus! “He’ll never put more on you than you’re able to bear!” Weepin may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

All I’m trying to tell you is the more God you begin to put in you, the less your flesh begins to act up. The more control you’ll have over fleshly desires. The Jackson Southerneires sang song long ago that said it’s hard to stumble when you’re on your knees. In other words, If I’m always before God, it’s harder for me to fall because God keeps me! He’ll keep you in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Him.

4. Dauntless Determination

"And follow me”

You’d be surprised, that many people lack the courage to reject the wrong and take a stand for the right! Too afraid of what people might say. But in case no one has told you, let me fill you in on a little secret. They gone talk about you anyway!

You got to be determined, that through hell or highwater, I’m gone follow the Lord. I don’t care who decideds to go with me. You may even have to leave some folks behind. But I wish I had about 4 witnesses, I’ll make 5, that can testify, “I’ll go, If I have to go, by myself!

Conclusion and Challenge