The War Within

There was once a healthy, growing, playful young child. He always ate and his parents made sure he stayed healthy. Suddenly the boy’s parents noticed that the boy was always hungry. He would eat up to 5 meals a day and still was not full. At first the boy’s parent thought he was being selfish, but they noticed that in spite of all the extra food, the child was loosing weight and growing weaker.

The doctor finished his examination and testing and addressed the anxious parents. “He has a parasite that is eating the food meant for him therefore he is not getting any nourishment from his meals.”

Do you remember when you first became born-again? You saw your sin, your hopelessness, and you trusted Christ alone. You read the word, heard preaching, went to soul-winning, and fellowshipped with other believers. You were a healthy Christian. Now it seems that you don’t like the Bible much. You don’t enjoy coming to church or sharing your faith like you used to. Something is warring against your very being. Tonight we are going to expose the hidden war being waged against your soul.

Identify The Enemy

1 Peter 2:11 KJV

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

A. Lust is the unchecked fulfillment if bodily desires with out the restraint of God’s moral laws

B. Sensual desires

1. Stimulated by thought

è Garbage in, garbage out

2. Stimulated by sight

- T.V.

- Movies

- Magazines

- Internet

- Immodesty

3. Stimulated by deed

C. Sleep

D. Eating

E. Chemical dependency

1. Smoking

2. Drinking

3. Drugs

Destroy The Enemy

A. Make no provision for it

Romans 13:14 KJV

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

B. Flee and follow

2 Timothy 2:22 KJV

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1. Flee like Joseph

2. Follow righteousness

C. Walk in the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 KJV

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

1. Prayer

2. Bible reading

3. Soul-winning

You Are In A War

A. Because of who’s you are

1. Pilgrims

1 Peter 2:11 KJV

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

2. Ambassadors

2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

B. Because of what Jesus gives

John 10:10 KJV

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Conclusion:

Are you a born-again Christian that is growing weaker, not stronger in the Lord? Perhaps you have an enemy of lust. Kill it!