Spiritual Warfare in 2024 Battle Against the Flesh Part I

Spiritual Warfare in 2024

Battle Against the Flesh Part I

I advise you to obey only the Holy Spirit's instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won't always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to.

For we naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do; and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has his way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires. These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures.

When you are guided by the Holy Spirit, you need no longer force yourself to obey Jewish laws.

But when you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group-and there will be wrong doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws.

Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to his cross

and crucified them there.

If we are living now by the Holy Spirit's power,

let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.

Then we won't need to look for honors and popularity,

which lead to jealousy and hard feelings.

Galatians 5:16-26 TLB

 

 

Battle Against the Flesh Part I

 

What does Spiritual Warfare look like?

 

It is a battle against our Flesh.

 

One of the greatest spiritual battles

took place on the Mount of Olives.

 

Jesus was about to be arrested.

 

Jesus told His disciples to…

 

 Watch and pray while He prayed

that the Father would take away the cup of suffering

 He was about to drink as He went to the cross

and died for the sins of the world.

 

Jesus was in a spiritual battle

and He said to His disciples…

 

"Watch and pray so that

you will not fall into temptation.

 

The spirit is willing,

 but the body is weak."

Matthew 26:41

 

I have been buying storage units for years.

 

The show Storage Wars shows the treasures

that lay within those lockers.

 

But in those units are more

than treasures and junk.

 

When the lock is cut

and the door is opened…

 

 A story is revealed.

 

I cannot go through a locker without thinking

about what type of person paid monthly

until they could pay no more

to put their earthly things in storage.

 

I see the stories.

 

I see the type of life they lived.

 

The important things in their lives.

 

In the majority of lockers,

you will find a Bible.

 

The estates I sort through I find religious

or Christian items, books, plaques, church bulletins

and other items that let you know this person

was searching the things of God.

 

Yet, as I go through these lockers,

 I literally am going through their secret things,

even their underwear.

 

Units that had spiritual things,

but also have items of carnal living.

 

In many of these lockers is a story

of a war or battle between the flesh

and the spirit.

 

A spiritual desire for peace, provision,

and love from God with a desire

for the things of this world, sexual

immorality, witchcraft, and substance abuse.

 

Paul says…

 

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Galatians 5:16-18

 

Paul talks about this conflict between

the sinful nature and the Spirit.

 

Paul gives a list of some of the acts

of the sinful nature.

 

Galatians 5:19-21 TBL…

 

19 But when you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group-and there will be wrong doctrine, 21 envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

 

Flesh and blood will not enter the Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 15:50

 

This is the problem

This is the Battle

 

 

Scripture Reading

 Matthew 26:41 NIV

41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

 

 

Galatians 5:16-26 TLB

 

16 I advise you to obey only the Holy Spirit's instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won't always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to. 17 For we naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do; and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has his way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires. These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures. 18 When you are guided by the Holy Spirit, you need no longer force yourself to obey Jewish laws.

 

19 But when you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group-and there will be wrong doctrine, 21 envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

 

22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws.

 

24 Those who belong to Christ have nailed their natural evil desires to his cross and crucified them there.

 

25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit's power, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. 26 Then we won't need to look for honors and popularity, which lead to jealousy and hard feelings.