Victory Through the Spirit

And I am here to teach with the help of God on something that every person in the room can benefit from. Because there is a battle raging on right now. And I’m certainly not talking about Ukraine. God love ‘em. But I’m talking about something far darker of a battle than in any earthly war we’ve seen.

Lesson Connection

How a grain of sand can become a pearl.

TITLE: “Victory Through the Spirit”

Submitting to the Spirit is the Only Way to Overcome the Flesh

I’m going to make a pointed, yet vital statement today that we all have to reckon with: we are held hostage by our flesh. That is, we are held hostage by our carnal selfish instinct).

Don’t take my word for it - examine your life.

Now, when we receive the Holy Ghost (the Spirit), we are brought into New Life (we proudly hold that name in this church). And it’s a wonderful thing! But this vessel (this body) that the Spirit fills - it’s inadequate. It’s flesh. And even filled with His Spirit, this flesh is consistently gravitating away from obedience to God.

It’s not just that our flesh struggles in pleasing God; it cannot please Him.

Romans 8:8 KJV 1900

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Even after we’re filled with the Sprit, our flesh is just not able to be in harmony with our spirit. The Word of God tells us that:

Galatians 5:17 KJV 1900

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Now, at this point, after reading that scripture, our condition seems pretty hopeless. And so the question we have is: How are we supposed to succeed in living for God?

The answer is here:

Romans 8:9 KJV 1900

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

If we’re born again, we are living a new life! And we have started that life in the Spirit, now, we must WALK in the Spirit.

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If it’s really a war between the flesh and the Spirit, then we have to decide which one we are going to contribute to and help win that war.

Let me put it in the most simple terms: “Am I going to live in the flesh or live in the Spirit?”

Somebody is thinking right now: I struggle with “living in the Spirit.” That’s why this has to become a lifestyle. It’s discipline.

If Anna is a child of Ryan and Kierstin, what does that mean? It means she’s around Ryan and Kierstin throughout her day. And days. …so… if we’re a child of God… that means that we’re around God throughout our day. It’s just what we do!

Do you want to know what the enemy of walking in the Spirit is? Tradition. Because tradition is trying to operate in a dimension of faith once a week. That’s not a walk with God.

We have to develop disciplines. And that takes time getting our flesh to submit.

We’ve got to live in the Spirit. Nothing else will give you the power to overcome the flesh. We can’t rely on willpower, resolutions, good ideas, or self-help books.

The only way it’s happening is if we crucify our flesh and live in the Spirit, getting in the influence of God DAILY. It’s not going to come ANY OTHER WAY.

I’m telling you: absent of what I’m talking about (a daily walk; daily disciplines)… without that - I’m telling you what will happen - you will continually watch your flesh overcome the very best of intentions and it’ll keep ruling over us.

That’s not me prophesying, that’s just me telling the truth of the Word of God.

Jesus’ Humanity Submitted to God’s Plan in Gethsemane

Jesus is the perfect example in all of this. He had already warned His disciples that He was about to be executed. He told ‘em.

And because He knew that this was about to happen, it’s reasonable that His flesh would recoil from what was coming. He experienced the pain just like you or I would. His flesh had fear about it coming just like you or I would. And His flesh desired to be delivered from that.

And if Jesus had chosen to yield to His flesh and get in the way of the will of God, our salvation wouldn’t have been possible. Think of that: in the greatest life ever lived, and the greatest act of love ever committed, the Spirit had to overcome the flesh.

We are allowed to see the moment it happened, too, in the Word. We call it “the Garden of Gethsemane.” It was an olive grove… so Jesus went to the Olive Garden…

No, no. It wasn’t nice like the Olive Garden you and I know. It was a place of pain and struggle. It was a quiet place (I find that interesting. Some of the greatest battles happen, and some of the greatest growth takes place, in quiet, secret places).

Luke 22:41–42 KJV 1900

41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

I Will Submit to the Spirit through Prayer

And there, in the last words of Luke 22:42, we find the answer for our daily struggle with our flesh: “Not my will, but thine, be done.”

If you’ve not ever prayed that, it’s time to pray it!

That prayer is the key. We can live in victory over our flesh, if, by the power of the Spirit, we consciously choose to follow God’s will, and not ours.

Let me say this: the will of God is not just concerned with major life choices that might come along every couple of years; God’s will is invested in the hundreds of small choices we make each day that affect our spiritual direction.

Think about that! Living for God involves even the smallest decisions!

There was a massive trend that hit several years ago. I’m sure you remember it: “WWJD: What Would Jesus Do?” It was huge!

And that focus was good. It turned people the right direction. But, I think maybe it might not be the best question. Maybe, the better question would be: What Would Jesus Have Me Do?

The answer to that is what should guide our decisions.

I Have Victory Through the Spirit

This battle I’m talking about today (between flesh and Spirit) - it’s fierce. And we’re in the middle of it.

There is no Geneva Convention the says what the conduct of the soldiers has to be in this war. There are no rules. The flesh fights hard. And the enemy tries to play on that, too.

And because of that, we have to take this matter seriously. We shouldn’t cross over into new life in salvation with a false expectation that there is only going to be peace and care bears on the other side. Yes, it’s a good life. I’ve found it to be a good life living for the Lord.

But… when we cross over, we enter into a war.

Let me challenge you with something… if you haven’t felt any struggle or like you’re battling spiritually against the flesh and the enemy… if we haven’t felt that in a long time… I have to wonder… if that’s because we waved the white flag a long time ago. There is no war, because the flesh is in control.

I hope you’re feeling how important what I’m teaching is right now…

Sir, ma’am… it’s a war we’re in.

Romans 7:23 KJV 1900

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

From the first moment of our new life as a born-again Christian, there will be a conflict raging in us and around us.

But there are keys to victory:

Continually living full of the Holy Ghost.

Keeping under God’s direction and lordship.

Being honest (with ourselves and our spiritual leadership).

Every foe, whether demonic or fleshly HAS GOT TO BOW to the power of the Spirit.

And if I just live in myself, I’m destined to be overtaken. But… in the power of the Spirit, I am assured victory.

Romans 8:13 KJV 1900

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Free from Condemnation and the Law of Sin and Death

And here’s some encouragement today: Paul can sympathize with us today. He dealt with the same stuff!

Romans 7:18–19 NLT

18 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. 19 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.

He’s talking about how many times, the things we know we should do are hard to make happen. And things we know we shouldn’t do are so easy to do.

I wonder if I have a witness today?!

Is there anybody who will be honest and say, I’ve got a problem with my flesh because I want and I know I need to open my Bible and study the Word, but my flesh would rather get on Facebook in place of it or watch something or do something else.

GOD’S GOING TO HELP YOU READ YOUR BIBLE!

But we’ve got to develop some discipline for Him! It’s going to have to be personal. I’ve got to set up some boundaries to help make this happen!

Consider the enemy’s playbook for a second:

He tempts us to sin.

We give in to the temptation.

And Satan then points his finger in the believer’s face.

That enemy of our soul declares us guilty, dirty, and worthless! And he’s hoping for a punishment on us for the very thing he suggested in the first place!

And here’s what happens: as children of God, we start embracing those lies and living in condemnation. And all of a sudden, we’re isolated from the Savior. We feel like all we can do is fail and we’re not able to be forgiven… and ALL THE WHILE… all He’s desiring is that we’ll just repent!

Look… if you weren’t here the Wednesday night before Christmas to hear the Word I preached about the love of God, I’m pleading with you to go watch that service on YouTube.

But I am going to tack this onto it:

Acts 10:15 KJV 1900

15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

Read this translation:

Acts 10:15 NLT

15 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”

I had to learn to let this scripture to be absorbed in my spirit.

STOP LIVING IN CONDEMNATION! The love of God WORKS!

That condemnation will keep a strong hold on people! And if we’ll get the power of the Holy Ghost, it’ll help us overcome that!

Romans 7:24–25 KJV 1900

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

It’s Jesus that delivers us from the death that’s waiting in our flesh for disobeying His Word. The Spirit gives us victory over it all.

Romans 8:1 KJV 1900

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

That’s the key: what are we going to walk in? It’s going to have to be one or the other. Can you be sure of which you’re walking in?

If it’s the Spirit we’re walking in, condemnation is no longer our lifestyle! We are convicted so we’ll repent, but we are not judged worthless or dirty when we repent. John wroote:

1 John 1:9 KJV 1900

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I Will Live in the Freedom Granted by the Spirit

How we’re going to live is a choice.

We can accept the devil’s lies and live in continued bondage to sin and the condemnation that comes from sin, or we can believe the Word of God and live in victory over sin with the freedom that comes with obedience.

The devil will lie to us - but God will call to us!

And when I say victory, that’s not something we can win ourselves. Victory is just a simple reality of our spiritual inheritance:

Romans 8:37 KJV 1900

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

I don’t conquer because I finally got it right on my own or I arranged the puzzle pieces just right - no, He causes me to triumph!

That victory is part of our kingdom identity when we’re in Him! It’s who we are, not something we merely do. If I’m a child of the King… this King never loses!!!

Therefore, we will overcome if we stay submitted to His Spirit. And there will be times we may feel weak, condemned, and defeated. But in Christ, we are strong, free, and victorious. What we feel doesn’t decide what is true.

“Follow your heart” is the worst advice anyone ever gave. There’s one political commentator that says something I really like: “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

I might feel weak and defeated. Satan might try to convince me of some of these things. But I’ve got to get out of those feelings and look at the facts: I’M A CHILD OF GOD! And I have to tell him that!

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Walking in the Spirit

And so there is this crucial part of an Apostolic life: to walk in the Spirit. It’s not a one-time thing that happened. It’s a moment-by-moment existence in Him. It’s a daily connection to Him.

As long as you don’t have some sort of impairment that prevents it, walking is second nature to us. We don’t think about it when we do it. It’s part of living life. There’s no one clapping or cheering for us when we walk. It’s normal.

And walking in the Spirit should be normal for a Christian. There’s no fanfare or an expectation that we’re going to be recognized for our efforts. A child of God simply walks! And on this journey from here to heaven, we yield to His Spirit’s leading.

Experiencing Life and Peace through the Spirit

If we’ll live this way, it’s not just going to guarantee eternal life, it’s going to help us get there with peace. There’s benefits and blessings to it.

There’s an ever-growing percentage of the population that depends on pills to find calm and stillness in their lives. And I know, I get that there are certainly some cases where it’s medically necessary. But I do not believe it’s the will of God that there are near that many dependent on it.

And a great many of them are unknowingly trying to fill a spiritual hole with a chemical.

God’s got a better way!

When the Holy Ghost is guiding our thinking, we are going to find peace. I’m talking about victory over depression, discouragement, and anxiety!

Romans 14:17 KJV 1900

17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

I Will Live in Victory through the Power of the Spirit

The choice is ours today. We can live in defeat, or we can decide to live in victory.

If we’ll walk in His Spirit, He has promised us life and peace! There is no child of God who has to continue living in darkness! We have victory over it!

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Conclusion

Internalizing the Message

God wants to help somebody to walk in Him like they’ve desired to for a long time.

Let me plead with you: don’t give up! Don’t give up on that desire! You can do it! God will help you if you’ll firmly commit to walking in the Spirit! It’s not a one-day-a-week-at-the-church thing; it’s a WALK!

And maybe you feel like Paul: “It’s so hard to do the things I know I need to do and it’s so easy to do the wrong things!”

Admit that to God and start something new at the outset of 2023! “I’M GOING TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT!”

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