War and Peace

The internal struggle

Have you ever done something and then immediately regretted it? Now I don’t mean something like made carrots for supper and then thought shoot I could have had candy. No I am talking something a little more serious, something when afterword you thought. I shouldn’t have done that. That is not how a Christian is supposed to act.

For me it is usually when I have to talk to a company on a phone. Usually because they have screwed something up. For some reason when I get on the phone trying to straighten something out I become a miserable wretch of a man. I say things I’d never say to someones face, I act as if I personally have never made a mistake, and like what has happened is inexcusable.

I am serious there have been times when after talking on the phone I thought, man I hope they didn’t know I was a pastor. In fact I have learned that this is a huge weakness of mine to the point I usually have my wife call because she is way more patient and kind and understanding on the phone than I am. And I hate that about myself. I know the proper way to treat people, and how I would want to be treated. I also know the person on the Phone isn’t who I am upset with. They are just the poor unfortunate soul the company has hired to deal with lunatics like me.

Now Let me ask you have you ever done or said something you immediately felt bad about because you knew that is not how Jesus wants us to act?

For me and this phone issue really helps me to understand Paul when he wrote...

Romans 7:14–25 NLT

So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Romans 7:14–20 NLT

So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

Romans 7:14-

This has got to be one of the most confusing passages in the bible but yet one that almost every person has no trouble understanding because at multiple times in our life we like Paul have said...

Why did I just do that?

There is a war that rages inside of everyone of us isn’t there. Jesus explains the cause of this war in the Garden of Gethsemane when He went out to find His disciples sleeping.

Matthew 26:41 NLT

Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

Jesus in that quick statement reveals the cause of this war. When we come to know Jesus our eyes are opened to the truth and so our Spirit longs to live Gods way but our flesh, this fallen human nature we inherited from Adam and Eve wants to do the opposite and so we have this internal struggle we wrestle with.

This is why we all understand what Paul is talking about in . Because we have all experienced this war. We have all won some battles in the Spirit and we have all lost some battles to the flesh.

Which is why I have said before and will say again in the future I am sure, The true test for any Christian isn’t how you act, but how you react. Because when we are strong and in control we can often control ourselves. Not always even then but usually , but when everything is falling apart or us hit your thumb with a hammer, that is when you find out just how much of that fallen human nature remains hidden underneath.

We have all heard stories or known of people who came to church. They dressed the part, sang the songs, knew all the scriptures and knew what to say, only to find out at home they were beating their spouse and children, or that they had a drinking problem, or that in private they spent all their time in the shadowy places of the internet.

This evening I want to talk to you about war, because whether you know it or not everyone of us faces a war between good and evil. Sometimes we see that war in the external but often it is internal that this war exists.

So I want to answer the question this evening

How can we “React” like Christians?

To answer that we will look at

Galatians 5:16–26 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. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

The question is

How can we “React” like Christians?

The answer is

New Living Translation Chapter 5

let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

Me: Sitting Bull Unknown and the internal dogs

We: likewise we have a war between the Holy Spirit and our old fallen Nature going inside of us. Which one will win? Well That depends on which one we feed.

God: In this Passage Paul compares the acts of the sinful flesh and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The two could not be more opposite. Paul’s conclusions, the same Paul by the way who wrote in about His struggle with sin is too Nail the old nature to the Cross with Jesus. In other words put it to death. How can we do this. In short, we can’t not without the Holy Spirit. But if like He first suggested choose now to let the Holy Spirit be your Guide, choose now before temptation rises and that black dog starts to bark, that you will with the Help of the Spirit choose the Holy Spirits way. And the More we give control to the Spirit, well we will starve that human nature to death.

You: Ok so Am I suggesting that you will never sin or screw up again? No that’s not it, but what I am suggesting is if every morning you wake up and ask God to fill you with His Spirit so that the fruit of the Spirit are evident in your life, you will find your self loosing the fight less and less, so much so you will see complete victory in certain areas of your life and then move on to another area the Holy Spirit will show you when the time is right. So let me state this as clearly as possible. Do you struggle with

sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

You can have victory in these areas by seeking the Help of the Holy Spirit.

We: Because when we are filled with the spirit these are the fruit of the Spirit,

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.

Next Step

Every Morning before you start your day I want you to ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit so full that the Fruit of His Spirit is flowing out of you and see if it doesn’t make a difference.

A Man who is exuding Patience and Kindness will not yell at a poor employee of a company over the phone because they failed to post the last payment to their bill.

So If you are willing to accept this Challenge please stand up. Every morning you will ask for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit so that His fruit would be evident in your life.