The Weapon Isn’t What You Think
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GOD HAS A GREAT FUTURE FOR YOU…
Solomon writes
The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
God echoes
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God has a bright future for you
Some of you need to believe it…
This is the time where we are all thinking about the future
***Spend time here***
The bright future that God has for you is encapsulated within His will
The devil is not the #1 enemy of your purpose… He is the enemy of God’s purpose…
The enemy fights YOU… when YOU are doing GOD’s purpose… His will…
So what are you fighting when you are NOT doing GOD’s purpose?
YOURSELF… THE FLESH…
What is the flesh?
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
“Set their minds”
They think on…
Our thoughts root in our hearts… that is the NATURE THAT RULES US…
If we are RULED by the nature of the flesh… we will as a result think on the DESIRES of the FLESH…
BUT… if the Spirit… the things of the Spirit…
This is why Paul says this…
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
The natural life is fading… but those who live according to the will of God… are bring renewed inwardly, in their spirit… day by day…
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
That word minded means “mindset”. The mindset that RULES in you…
If you are under the mindset of the will of man… you will not only die naturally, but you will live in a state of spiritual death, while you live… and eternally… your end will be the same… eternal spiritual death…
BUT… if you are under the mindset of the Spirit… which is the will of God… while you will die naturally, just as those who are set on mindset and values of the flesh… all the way to the grave you will possess access to, and live in, the spiritual eternal life that is to come, while you are still here and living on earth!!!
This is what Paul is referring to…
…having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
THE SPIRIT OF LIFE…
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
“Enmity” means… to be hostile, to be in hatred, to be an enemy…
“Law of God” The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines this word like this… “of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ as a ‘new law’ or ‘system’ of conduct…
What Paul referenced earlier in verse 2 of this chapter…
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
THIS “LAW”… OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS… IS THE WILL OF GOD… ACCORDING TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST…
IF I LIVE IN THE MINDSET THAT IS DRIVEN FROM THE SEAT OF MY NATURAL DESIRES… I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SUBMIT TO AND LIVE IN THE “LAW” OF GOD… HIS WILL… AND IF I DO NOT LIVE ACCORDING TO HIS WILL… I WILL NEVER TRULY BE ABLE TO LIVE…
TO BE A SPIRITUALLY TERMINAL PERSON… WALKING THE HALLS OF A HOSPITAL… BUT REFUSING ITS CARE…
I have said this so many times… but it is worth echoing…
Those most miserable… are those living outwardly as if they are in the Law of the Spirit of Life… but are inwardly rules by the Law of sin & death…
So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
So how do I win against this enemy???
There’s a fruit for that…
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
SELF-CONTROL
Mentioned 7 times in the New Testament
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (SELF CONTROL)
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Proverbs mentions the power of self-rule…
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
The enemy of your future in not just the devil… it is your flesh… which must be brought under subjection, through discipline and self control… in order to win the war…
YOUR WEAPON?
IT IS ONE THAT IS GREATER THAN ANY SWORD, OR WEAPON OF WAR…
Your WEAPON against the FLESH… is a FRUIT of the SPIRIT…
SELF-CONTROL
You can only get that one way
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
JESUS IS WHO FIGHTS FOR US…
ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET IN THE VINE… AND ABIDE…
An abiding branch is STILL… FIXED… UNMOVED…
Sounds like what Paul said when he taught the Church of Ephesus how to war…
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
STAND…
STILL…
FIXED…
UNMOVED…
COVERED…
Want to win the war over your future?
ABIDE…
WANT TO POSSESS THE FUTURE THAT JESUS HAS FOR YOU???
ABIDE…
WE WILL LIVE IN THE FUTURE THAT GOD HAS FOR US… BY LIVING OUR LIVES IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD WHO IS ALREADY IN THE FUTURE…
My childhood pastor would say it like this… IN ORDER TO SUCCEED YOU MUST HAVE A…
Decision Made
Plan Laid
Price Paid
Make the decision…
I am going to live in the Spirit of the Law of Christ Jesus…
Lay the plan…
I am going to daily discipline myself to keep this flesh under subjection by abiding in Jesus… it is my highest priority…
Pay the price…
DO IT…
