The Good Fight

We have been looking at desiring the will of God. When we desire His will we will be taken different directions than we planned on. Last week we looked at the coming war. When we follow God’s will we will be under attack from the devil. This week we are looking at resisting.

Recognizing temptation

Recognizing sin and hating it. The hatred for sin that we need to have only comes when we are spending time with God. When all we have is people to model after, we convince ourselves that we are better than one person or another. When we spend time with God, we see the things that He calls sin and we begin to be repulsed by these things.

Went fishing with my father-in-law, secret sauce. Didn’t catch salmon but we caught allot of dog fish.

Some bait doesn’t work for every fish, but every fish will fall for some bait.

Everyone struggles with some sort of sin. One person cannot say “I can’t believe you struggle with that.”

James 1:14 ESV

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.

No type of bait works for everyone, but everyone is tempted by bait.

1 Corinthians 10:12 ESV

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

If you don’t struggle, your bait is pride.

Prayer

When we see our temptation, realize it is a spiritual battle that is happening. A spiritual battle you cannot see, your physical weapons are of no avail. You must rely on God.

Do you have burdens, struggles?

Phil 4:6- Unburden yourself to God. Specific prayer, what are you going through, bring it to God!!

Prayer is the first step we take.

Fill your mind

It isn’t enough to empty yourself, casting all onto Christ.

v.8- Think about these things, are you filling your mind with scripture.

Pursue Righteousness

v.9- Our prayer must be filled with action

Paul speaks of learning from those who have gone through it. Find a godly person who you can talk to when you struggle. Maybe even someone who has gone through it and can say, “this is how I dealt with that struggle.”

Our personalities are not something that are stuck, they are changing molding. You are not the same person this year that you were last year. Next year you will not be the same person as you are this year.

Are you changing for good, or bad?

2 Timothy 2:22 ESV

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

The Greek word used for pursue means to hound, track down. It is used to describe a lion that is hunting down it’s prey.

Change for righteousness isn’t something that comes from casual flippant living where we just go through our day not caring what happens. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just zap us and boom! It’s all better. It comes from carefully living withing a biblical framework.

There is no shortcut or gimmick to godliness. It takes time and is a lifelong pursuit. That’s why Paul says

2 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

There is a reason Paul uses words like “fight” and “race.” It’s taken time, it has been a struggle. Now he has completed it and is ready for heaven.

Pursue the Fruit

The fruit of the Spirit, are just that, evidence of the Holy Spirit working in your life. Not by means of sure will piety will you get the fruit. It is by spending time with God and thus the evidence of Him working is in your life.

These can be found in Gal 5:22-26

Love

Agape love, produced by God:

Not a feeling, it doesn’t depend on any action of the one whom we are called to love.

A Theology of Christian Counseling: Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling Love

In essence, it is desire to obey God in order to please Him and to do whatever He says is best for others.

This is what we need more of in the church. Where their is jealousy, love drives it away. Hostility, Love will cause you to seek the best of the other person. Gossip, love will stop your slander.

For the type of love God calls us to have is giving up your desires for others and expecting nothing in return.

Love is what the rest of the fruit is built off of, but it all starts with love.

Read over:

Galatians 5:22-26 1 Timothy 6:11 2 Timothy 2:22

Spend time with God and ask that he will fill your life with this fruit.