There are only two types of people in the world; (1) “Sinners,” Romans 5:19 & (2) “Saints,” Philippians 1:1. Though there are two types of saints; “Worldly Christians,” 1 Corinthians 3:3 & “Disciples,” John 8:31; everyone is expected to be a disciple, Matthew 28:19-20.
When you were born again you became a new person in both your soul & spirit, John 3:3 & 2 Corinthians 5:15. Though your body is still under the effects of sin you are to count it as dead/crucified with Christ and live a holy life pleasing to God by His Word, 1 Peter 1:22-23.
Temptation can come in two ways, (1) Inward Temptation: From your sinful body (the flesh), James 1:13-16 & (2) Outward Temptation: From the Devil regarding; (a) God’s Word, Genesis 3:1 & (b) Your Identity, Luke 4:3.
Therefore, let Jesus (the Good Shepherd; Psalm 23) lead you in His paths of righteousness by the Holy Spirit!
SERIES TEXT
John 10:10 (AMP), “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).”
THE SPIRIT VS. THE FLESH
Galatians 5:16-25, “16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
THE DEEDS OF THE FLESH
- SEXUAL IMMORTALITY: Lust and sex with a married person, v. 19.
- IMPURITY: Any kind of sex outside of marriage, v. 19.
- DEBAUCHERY: Perverse behavior (wild parties), v. 19.
- IDOLATRY: Putting anything before God (sports, job, relationships, etc.), v. 20.
- WITCHCRAFT: Literally drug use and satanic practices (fortune telling, horoscope, spells, etc.) v. 20.
- HATRED: Bitter and unforgiving, v. 20.
- DISCORD: Separating good relationships and being divisive, v. 20.
- JEALOUSY: Wanting what someone else has, v. 20.
- FITS OF RAGE: Fighting, swearing, and breaking things in anger, v. 20.
- SELFISH AMBITION: Doing things for your own personal benefit and gain, v. 20.
- DISSENSIONS: Separating good relationships and being divisive, v. 20.
- FACTIONS: Separating good relationships and being divisive, v. 20.
- ENVY: Wanting what someone else has, v. 21.
- DRUNKENNESS: Excessive drinking, v. 21.
- ORGIES: Sex with multiple people at one time, v. 21.
- THE LIKE: Any other kind of things that resembles this list, v. 21.
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
- LOVE: “God, I ask for your perfect love to be developed in my life today. Help me to love my enemies, to forgive those who hurt me, and to be a vessel of your love to the hurting. Empower me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love my neighbor as myself. No matter where I go today, help me to come and go in love.”
- JOY: “God, I receive your joy, today, and declare that since you are with me I have the fullness of joy. I choose to rejoice in you always. Help me, by your Spirit, to not let the devil, this world, my problems, or other people take your joy from my life. I choose to be happy and full of joy because you are with me and you are always worth celebrating!”
- PEACE: “Father, I receive your peace, today, in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ! I surrender control of my life into your hands. Because I trust in your plans for me, I can rest in your presence. I know you will keep my mind at peace when I keep my mind on you. Because of you, I am free from all worry, fear, and anxiety. I am at perfect peace in your loving arms.”
- FORBEARANCE (PATIENCE): “God, give me patience, today, to go through the hard times of life. Help me to be still and wait, knowing that you are in control. When I think I can do something faster, remind me that your ways are not my ways and that your calendar is not on my schedule. I will live in your strength knowing that whatever I face today is in your plan, and that you have made a way of escape that will come at the appointed time you have set.”
- KINDNESS: “Father, teach me, today, to be kind and considerate of other people’s feelings. Help me look past my own selfish desires and see the hurts and needs of others. May your Spirit give me compassion for the lost, understanding for the weak, patience for the insulting, and love for all. I choose to be kind instead of being rude or discourteous. Today, I want people to see you in me.”
- GOODNESS: “God, I want to be good because you are always good. I want to do good things, today, because you always operate out of goodness. May your Spirit use me to show others your goodness. Let my words, actions, and thoughts be for the good to those to whom they are directed. I stand in your goodness, and by your Spirit, today I choose to walk in goodness.”
- FAITHFULNESS: “Father, I want to be faithful. I don’t just want to proclaim my love for you. I want to demonstrate my love for you by living a life faithful to you and your commandments. Empower me to be faithful to my family, friends, church, job, community and, most importantly, to you. Let my word be taken seriously to those I give it. Help me to fulfill every promise and commitment I make today. I accept your faithfulness and choose to live by it in every area of my life.”
- GENTLENESS: “God, teach me to be humble and gentle like Jesus. Help me to lower myself so you can lift me up. Remind me of your saying in Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you will be the servant of all.” Let your Spirit give me the strength to be a servant to all and to prefer others above myself. Help me to carry my cross and crucify my ways, wants, and needs. Help me to live for your glory, according to your ways, and to look to other’s wants and needs. I declare, today, I will be gentle and meek by your Spirit. I will lower myself so Jesus can be lifted up.”
- SELF-CONTROL: “God, I give you control over my life so that you can free me from all bad habits, addictions, selfish attitudes, harmful thinking, and destructive behaviors. I choose, today, to allow your Spirit to guide all areas of my life. Have control over my time management, my work, my diet, my relationships, my hobbies, my money, my thought life, my entertainment, and my family. Jesus, take control. My life is yours. I will not make excuses for my lack of control. I give you control and declare by your Spirit, ‘I will live life honoring you in all my ways!’”
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST IN THE FLESH & ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT
THINGS TO REMEMBER
- You are not your flesh- you are a spiritual soul made a new creation that is holy, blameless, and perfectly righteous by the Holy Spirit; your body (under the judgment of sin) will die but your soul and spirit will live on! (Romans 8:10;23 & 2 Corinthians 5:8)
- Though you are not your flesh, you are responsible for what you do while in the body! (2 Corinthians 5:10)
- Jesus raised from the dead to insure that one day you will receive a new glorified body and live with Him forever upon the new earth! (Romans 8:11, 2 Corinthians 5:4, & Revelation 20:1-4)
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit!
