Living A Holy Lifestyle

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

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1. Keep Your Heart

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11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

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3. Rule Your Spirit

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4. Captivate Your Mind

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4. Captivate Your Mind

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5. Bring Your Body Into Subjection

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6. Tame the Tongue

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7. Communion With the Holy Spirit

Seven Disciplines to Victorious Living

Keep Your Heart

(NKJV)

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

The word "keep" means "to walk guard" around. (NKJV)

23 Keep your heart with all diligence,

For out of it spring the issues of life.

Do not let any type of sin conquer your heart.

Keep them out. Some examples are found in . (NKJV)

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

2. Watch For Your Soul

The soul of a righteous man can be vexed (worn down) by worldliness.

(NKJV)

17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

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8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—

We need to watch out for the world, or it will get to us and wear it down. Other scriptures to study:

, .

(NKJ

11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

(NKJV)

23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Rule Your Spirit

,

(NKJV)

28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit

Is like a city broken down, without walls.

(NKJV)

32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

The spirit of man is their emotions and will. Emotions like rage, temper, anger, depression, etc. can ruin you if they control you. With God's help, control your emotions, don't let them control you.

4. Captivate Your Mind

"Bring into captivity every thought."

(NKJV)

4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The human mind can only think about one thing at a time. Thus it is not impossible for God to control your mind. Yield your mind to the Holy Spirit each moment. Ask Him to take control.

5. Bring Your Body Into Subjection

The appetites of the body are called "the flesh" in the scriptures.

(NKJV)

27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

You can control your appetites, or they can control you. Appetites include: eating, drinking, sleeping, sexuality, nervous system (often triggers urges to smoke, drink, use drugs, etc.) The Lord can help you with this if you'll surrender your all to Christ - , .

(NKJV)

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

(NKJV)

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

6. Tame the Tongue

It is a sign of perfection if we can tame the tongue.

(NKJV)

8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

() The tongue needs to be bridled.

(NKJV)

2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

Its power for good or evil is awesome: ,

(NKJV)

5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

(NKJV)

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

7. Communion With the Holy Spirit

(NKJV)

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

The Holy Spirit is a real person.

He is God.

He lives inside of us as believers.

Talk to Him.

Have fellowship with Him.

Get to know Him as real as you know God the Father and God the son.