 “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” Romans 6:13 (NLT).
The believer’s life is about doing God’s will, rather than avoiding sin. We were created to love God, love His commands and desire His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Many believers focus on not sinning and not being worldly, which are good objectives but should not be their focus. Instead, every believer has been created as God’s masterpiece for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Honestly, the old has been crucified on the cross and buried and the new has come. You are a saint who resurrected with Jesus Christ and has been created in His image (Romans 6:6-9, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Have the perspective of Jesus about your identity and purpose. You are a saint who was created and equipped to be a reflection of God’s holiness. The blood of Jesus Christ has redeemed you from futility (1 Peter 1:18) and given you a new lifestyle. This lifestyle affects every part of you, from your emotions to your worship to your relationships and it even affects your work week. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT). As a steward in God’s Kingdom, you get to use your talents, gifts, physical and spiritual energy to do His work on Planet Earth. Most people think that work is something that they have to do. God’s people live in grace and know that work is something that they get to do. Our Master is with us and is approving of us, so let’s go out and do a great job for him! How do you view work? Do you see it as a necessary burden? How do you view your boss? Do you chafe under the stress of schedules and tasks? As a child birthed through God’s grace, you are made for the work that He’s given you to do. The perspective of grace is that you are right where you need to be to shine forth for Him through your work. If your work is at home, then manage and care for your home for Jesus. If your work is outdoors, then bring a sunny outlook to your day. If you job is managing others, manage them like Christ manages you. Equip and lead others, as the Holy Spirit equips and leads you. How does God use time management? Is He ever late? God is intentional in His use of time. In the first six days of Creation, God scheduled and prioritized his work by categories and for a purpose. Knowing that rest is an important part of having a balanced lifestyle, God scheduled an entire day of rest to finish off His work week. How is your time management? Do you reflect God by prioritizing and working through a task list each day? Do you have life-work balance and steward your rest time? God is always available for His family, despite the fact that He is governing the Universe and saving His people from Satan and Hell. You may work for a human boss, but you do have choices. You can choose to invest time with your family. It might be that you have to sacrifice time with your friends in order to be friends with your spouse and children. But, God says to prioritize His right ways of living and He will provide for you the work that you need to provide for your family (Matthew 6:33). Today, be encouraged in the work that God has created you to do. Whether you are in a season of feeling amazing, efficient and effective or in a time of testing, shift your mindset to view your work as something you’ve been specially formed to do for God. With this perspective, it is easier to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for making me a special creation to do work that You’ve already planned and prioritized for me to do. Guide me to serve my earthly bosses willingly and with the same heart that I serve You. Please equip me and grow me into the next season of my employment, whether that is doing what I do now or something different. In Jesus’s name amen.”
0 Comments
 “With His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12b (NKJV).
Jesus’s blood is the currency of God’s grace. His blood is the payment that redeemed you from Satan’s authority, from sin’s bondage, and from God’s eternal justice. As a believer, all legal consequences of Adam’s sin and your sins have been paid for, resulting in your redemption back from the dark world. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV). Not only were you redeemed from the consequences of your sins, which included being owned by Satan, you were also forgiven by God for all of your sins. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:8-10 (NKJV). The blood of Jesus Christ has purchased your justification, which means that you are legally righteous and acquitted in God’s courtroom. This is important because Jesus’s blood bought your forgiveness and your legal standing as innocent. You were God’s enemy and, because of Jesus’s blood, you are now His friend. The blood of Jesus sets you apart for God’s purposes and makes you holy. “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.” Hebrews 13:12 (NKJV). His blood also has broken down all barriers and brough you into His family and worldwide church. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV). Through the blood of Jesus, God has purified you and made you worthy to be His child. (Hebrews 9:22-28). As you live in holiness and in closeness with Jesus and His church, the blood of Jesus cleans out the sins that are currently in your life. Not only did Jesus’s blood justify you (forgive and acquit), His blood also sanctifies you by cleansing your lifestyle. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7 (NKJV). Isn’t it amazing how much the blood of Jesus avails for you? Forgiveness, holiness, sanctification, and redemption. His blood also frees you from the authority of evil spiritual rulers. Your sins held you in bondage to serve these rulers, but Jesus’s bloody death removed their rights to rule over you. “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:13-15 (NKJV). Do you realize that every time you submit to the temptations of evil spirits that you are submitting to their authority? Even in the middle of obeying them, their authority is a false authority because of Jesus’s bloody death. Stop serving the fraudulent masters and consistently live under the authority of Jesus Christ. Don’t you know that you are sitting on a throne now (Ephesians 2:6), and that you will also judge evil spirits (1 Corinthians 6:3) on Judgement Day? Respect the power of the blood of Jesus to redeem you and set you free from obeying demons. Don’t disrespect the blood of Jesus by willingly obeying the demons that His blood shamed. Soak in the effects of Jesus’s shed blood for you. By shedding His blood, Jesus paid an infinitely costly price for your spirit, soul and body. All of the blessings of the Kingdom of God flow from the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood gives life to you (John 6:54), cleanses your conscience (Hebrews 9:14), killed your sin nature, defeats Satan (Revelation 12:11) and heals your physical body, your emotions, traumas and renews your spirit. “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV). Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the blood of Jesus which was shed for me. Please teach me how much you love me and accept me. Please give me the wholeness and healing that Jesus’s blood paid for. In Jesus’s name amen.”  “So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:10 (NLT).
God wants you to be complete in your soul, which is the way you already are in Christ. Part of becoming complete is learning how to think Biblically about yourself and the present, which results in your making righteous choices in the present. Looking at yourself and your life through the lens of Biblical truth is the key to sanctification and becoming more like Jesus Christ. You want to have the perspective of Christ about yourself. Do you identify as a wicked sinner or as a righteous saint? Do you identify as a self-controlled, faithful child of God or as an anxious or angry person? How you identify will impact how you think and behave. You need to have Christ’s perspective about your relationships. Do you see others as a bother or do you see them as people who you can serve? Is your speech kind and forgiving, like God is kind and forgiving towards you? Also, you must have the perspective of Jesus Christ for your work, worship and daily routines. What type of attitude does Jesus have towards your job and your coworkers? Which priorities for time management and routines does Jesus have for your day? As you align your thinking with the Bible and merge your perspective to match Jesus’s, your wholeness will increase. If Jesus were to walk in your shoes, how would He steward the major parts of your life? Would it look like what you’re doing now? You probably have categories of life, including a job, a family, your relationship with God, hobbies, church, and friends. In what order would Jesus list those categories, if He listed them from most important to least important? Using Jesus’s perspective, is there a part of your life that needs to be adjusted? Do you need more family time? Do you need more church fellowship? Is your quiet time with God frequent enough? Simply, is your life a healthy balance of spiritual time, productivity, and relationships? How you live your life reflects who is the ruler in your life. The key to being complete in Christ is to reflect His authority in your daily life. “So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:10 (NLT). Paul says that you are complete because of your connection with Christ and he adds that Jesus Christ is the highest authority. This is an important point because a believer has been set free to obey King Jesus. The more consistent you are in thinking and acting Biblically, the more like free you are from sin and Satanic spirits. “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world?” Colossians 2:20 (NLT). Through your union with Jesus Christ, you have been set free from the authority of the evil spiritual powers. This is good motivation to eliminate your service to the evil powers. When you have the mind of Christ, you don’t have the mind of the worldly princes. When you agree with them, you are not agreeing with Jesus Christ. You have died with Christ and He has set you free. Why do you keep obeying the rulers of the world? Evaluate your current lifestyle. Are you reflecting the priorities and perspective of Jesus Christ? Are you walking in freedom from serving the spiritual rulers? Your spirit has been made complete by Jesus Christ. Let Him make your soul and lifestyle complete by listening to Him and obeying His rule. Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, I want to be whole and complete in every area of my soul and life. Please show me where I’m obeying spiritual rulers. Help me to live my life as your child and in the image of Jesus. In Jesus’s name amen.”  “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1 (NKJV).
When you become a believer, you are given every legal right to be free. You can be free from a complicated set of rules, in order to be in an intimate relationship with God. You can be free from besetting sins that contradict your Christian testimony. You can be free from bondage to your past traumas. You can be free from the rule of evil spirits that hijack your personality or your health. All of these freedoms are available to you from the instant that you are made a new creation in Christ. The trouble is that many of these freedoms have to be realized, fought for, and maintained. This is why Paul says in Galatians 5:1 that you need to maintain your freedoms and not be trapped again in bondage. Bondage to what? In most cases, you’re trapped in bondage to an evil attacker that is targeting your freedoms. In the spirit world, there are two basic rules for bringing a believer into bondage. First, if a believer will agree with a lie about his identity, health or actions, he can be ruled in that area by the evil spirit that dealt the lie. Second, if a believer can be tricked into accepting the bondage as his own personality, he can be ruled. The result of this is that most believers willingly become entangled again with a yoke of bondage because they assume that the attack is authentic to their personality. As long as the believer assumes that the behaviors, attitudes, thoughts or sicknesses belong to him, he will remain under the control of the attacker in that specific area. “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers.” Proverbs 28:02a (NIV). This truth applies to the human soul. Imagine that your soul is a country. In the areas of your soul where you are rebellious, you will find spiritual rulers. Examine your heart, mind, emotions and will. Are you believing the truth about yourself? Are you feeling and acting in ways that match your identity in Christ? Are you living in the liberty that Christ has given you? In the spiritual realm, your rebellion against God is considered an agreement to be ruled by spiritual authorities who rule the rebels. This is an important reason why being justified by Christ sets you free from all spiritual rulers. Once a human being is declared sinless, the spiritual realm legally loses the right to rule the believer. They become shamed imposters. In Colossians 2:13-15, Paul makes the connection between justification and the rulers’ rights being broken. “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the [i]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Through His work of justification which culminated at the cross, Jesus Christ disarmed the evil rulers. If this is the case, why are we commanded not to be tangled up in their yoke of bondage? If you remember the two basic rules that evil spirits operate under, you’ll realize that they try to rule as imposters in areas where you agree with them and obey them. Simply, confess your sins, stop agreeing, stop obeying them. Kick them out of your life. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1 (NKJV). What is your struggle? How have you assimilated that into your personality? That is not you. You are a faithful saint who loves God and wants to submit to Him in every area of your personality. Say it out loud, “I am not a person who is a (say the symptom or sin) person. That is a false reality for me. I repent of (say the symptom or sin) and I refuse to serve the spiritual ruler of (say the symptom or sin). I will serve Christ my King and I am free from the rulership of the spirit of (say the symptom or sin). In Jesus’s mighty name, spirit of (say the symptom or sin) leave me now!” (blow out a big breath). Prayer: “Dear Father, It is for freedom that Christ has set me free. Your truth sets me free. Please illuminate the areas of darkness in my soul that do not match my identity as your holy child. I want to obey Jesus Christ because in that I find complete freedom to be the person you created me to be. Please fill my life with Your presence and make me completely free from all spiritual imposters. In Jesus’s name amen.”  “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NKJV).
All of us enter our relationship with Jesus as spiritual infants. We are spiritual babies inside of a soul and body that reflects our physical age. Through God’s grace, each believer is given a mature standing with God, and is considered a faithful, holy, godly, loving saint. However, each believer is also given many opportunities to grow in grace, resulting in increasing levels of maturity and character. This is a process called sanctification, which involves your spirit learning how to be mature in your use of your soul and body. Your spirit is immediately righteous and forgiven at when you initially trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That is your identity in Christ. The process is growing into that identity in your mind, emotions, and use of your will. Depending on how Biblical your upbringing was, you may have areas of your personality that are immediately mature. The knowledge and training activate when you are born again and those areas are immediately mature. In other areas of your personality, you may be ignorant (like a child) or lacking spiritual discipline (like a child). Don’t be discouraged by this. Instead, focus on learning how to be mature in those areas. For example, you might be mature in your speech, using kind words and having self-control, yet you may be immature in your routines of reading the Bible daily, praying and being in fellowship with a church family. Each believer has areas of childishness and areas of maturity that coexist in his soul. So, how can you become a mature believer in all areas of your life? To get started with consistent maturing, you must be a student of God’s Word and a doer of God’s words. There are a couple of factors in how quickly you become a mature believer. The first factor is how dedicated you are to availing of the Bible’s teaching, prayer, and submitting to consistent discipleship. Your amount of participation in the means of grace will either speed up or slow down your maturity. Second, your ability to apply God’s word and experientially learn God’s truths in daily life. As you change your thought patterns from childish to mature, you are faced with the challenge of changing your childish reactions. It takes time to apply the mature thinking to your attitudes and actions. Generally, most deep learnings that produce maturity are through trials or discipline. It is very difficult to develop consistently mature Christian character without times of difficulty. “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:4 (ESV). A metallurgist stands in the heat and refines the gold or silver, heating it up and skimming off the dross. God is purifying and refining you like a precious metal. As you remain in the purifying fire, your immaturities burn off. Your soul begins to align with your spirit, as your identity in Christ becomes embedded in your thoughts, feelings and will. The truth of God proves to be true on paper and in your experiences. You can see that your faith is genuine and your character becomes steadfast. This produces what the Greek word in James 1:4 calls “certifiable perfection.” As the trial passes away, you step forward in confidence, knowing from experience that God is good and that your faith is genuine. God’s grace has produced maturity. Through the trial, your wholeness has increased. Through the testing of your faith in God’s truth and character, your truth and character have been refined. “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” Hebrews 5:8 (NLT). Jesus Christ grew in wisdom when He was an adolescent. As an adult, Jesus learned experientially how difficult it is to apply God’s wisdom in every situation. These lessons were learned especially in times of stress and suffering. It was by learning how to obey God’s will through suffering that Jesus Christ became qualified to be your High Priest. He knows from experience how to guide, encourage and empathize with you in your struggles to learn obedience for the stubborn or immature parts of your soul. Prayer: “Dear Father, You know where in my personality that I’m still a child and where I’m an adult. Please show me the areas of my life where I react as a child and help me plan my actions like an adult. Please forgive me for being stubborn and mold me to be obedient. In Jesus’s name amen.”  “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 (ESV).
All of us desire authenticity. The choice between fake and authentic is easy. Trials answer the question of whether what your faith is authentic and whether it is based in reality. Difficult circumstances test the authenticity of your faith. The Greek word for “testing” means to find out if something is genuine. In this case, you are a new creation in Christ who is experiencing the truth of God’s Word in real time. Is what you believe in real and reliable? Am I really on the right path? A trial will show you if your spirit is born of Christ or born of the world. Soak up the truths and apply them to this new time of testing. Level up your perspective and respond in trust. When your faith is proven genuine, your soul and spirit share in this experience and you know deep inside of you that God’s Word is true and you are trusting in Him. Your faith has been proven to be true and this produces maturity and confidence in your inner being. There are positive effects of experiencing the genuineness of your faith and the reliability of God, where your faith is placed. As you realize how dependable God is, you will gain stability. As you experience God’s sustaining grace, you will become better able to traverse times of trials. When your faith is tested, your ability to persevere through trials increases. You become more stable and increase in stamina. “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:3-4 (ESV). The word for “steadfastness” in Greek means “to remain under” the trial that God has ordained for your growth. As an act of continued faith, you trust God’s provision, protection, and purpose for you in this trial. Notice that as you see your faith being proven to be genuine, you simultaneously are able to remain under the difficult challenge. Sometimes, God delivers you from the difficulty and many times He delivers you through the time of testing. His deliverance is experienced as your faith is proven to be genuine and your spirit has the power to remain under the difficult situation. In every trial, God is with you in the fire. Will you recognize Him and hold His hand? There is always the other Person in the fire with you. “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT). Faith that is tested and proven to be genuine is more valuable than gold. Have this perspective as you traverse trials. You must endure many trials for a little while, but you can emerge rich in something very valuable: proven, authentic faith. Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Please give me Your perspective on the trials that I am going through. Show me that my faith is genuine. Help me to experience the validity of Your truth for every situation. Give me the grace to hold up under the pressure of difficult circumstances. Let me see Your goodness and experience Your faithfulness. Please sustain me and mature me. In Jesus’s name, amen.”  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” Matthew 6:24 (NLT).
Living in grace means living in freedom to serve God instead of the world. As you think about your personal life, how much time do you invest into being successful? Are you looking for the praise of people and respect for your position? Or, are you seeking God’s approval and provision instead? By His work of salvation in your spirit, the Holy Spirit has given you an inborn desire to love God and be devoted to Him. It is because of His grace that you can read Matthew 6:33 and desire that lifestyle: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (physical needs) shall be added to you.” (NKJV). To live in grace means to desire God’s righteousness and His kingship in your life. As you submit to His Kingdom priorities, you will live under His provision. God’s grace puts you on this quest, guides you step-by-step, and His grace provides for your needs. This is the reason why you can’t live both in grace and in slavery to money. If you are serving money and worldliness, you must be strong to get the provisions. If you are serving God, you can trust Him to provide. “Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:10 (NLT). There are two obstacles to seeking God for your happiness and provisions. First, you must decide that God is worth more to you than what the world is offering. As long as you value the world’s possessions or praise more than you value God, you will default to serving money. The other obstacle to trust in God’s control and power rather than in your own control and power. As long as you trust in your own ability to be secure, you will not release control to God. This is the reason why you have to decide that He is good and has the ability to handle every one of your needs. Do either of these obstacles exist in your thinking? Jesus met a man who was rich and wanted to also have eternal life. The man was a moral person who lived a religious lifestyle. But, he was unable to give up the security and pleasure that he found in his possessions. When Jesus recognized that the rich man was a moral person, He asked him to crucify his love for the world by giving away all of his many possessions. The man could not love God more than he loved his riches. He wanted to serve money and serve God, but couldn’t do both, so he chose his own wealth and security. How about you? Are you living a spiritual life of submission to God and pursuit of His righteousness? Or, are you trying to be religious and worldly at the same time, like the rich man? The choice is always yours: Will you let God control you and your future or will you control you and your future? Most people know the famous verse that says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This verse is speaking about Paul’s ability to depend on Christ in times of riches and in times of poverty. “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty… And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:11-13, 19 (NLT). If you choose to obey Jesus Christ’s command to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” then you will be strengthened in every situation to trust God’s provisions. When you live in grace, you learn how to be content and at peace with His provisions. Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Teach my heart to trust You, my mind to value You and my will to obey You. Please give me the faith to give my future into Your hands. Take away my fears and my love for the world. Please give me love for you and help me to prioritize Your Kingdom. I release control to You and will be content with Your provisions. In Jesus’s name, amen.”  “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV)
Paul is writing about a common emotion in the human experience. Anger is called a secondary emotion because it usually sparks into a blazing fire from the kindling of unmet expectations, injustice, disrespect, or frustration. Anger, in itself, is not always a sin. There are two factors in anger that can qualify it as a sin. First, the cause of the anger may already be a sin or not. Second, the way that you react to that cause may be a sin or not. There are legitimate reasons to be angry and these are demonstrated in the Bible. However, most of the reasons why you are angry are probably not Biblical reasons for anger. James says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20 (ESV). Often people justify their anger by looking for positive results. However, using anger to control people or an outcome is manipulation and is not godly. If you’re prone to anger, think carefully about why you’re angry and how you’re acting out in anger. If either of those are sinful, you must stop yourself and use self-control. In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul says to deal with your anger immediately because anger is an emotion that creates space inside of you for the devil. The Greek word for “place” in verse 27 means a physical space like a room or a home. When you are angry for the wrong reason or in the wrong way, you create a space inside of your soul where demonic spirits can attack you. This is why Paul says that you should consider your anger and make sure that you are not sinning, especially by being angry for a long period of time. What is the root cause of your anger? Is it bitterness because of unforgiveness of a trauma in your past? Is it unmet expectations that require you to either give grace or change your expectations? Is it a feeling of inadequacy or rejection? When you feel angry, look inside of your soul to see why you’re angry. Anger creates a space and inside of that space you will find a soil full of roots. Where did those roots come from? Why are they there? To have a soul that is not infected by sinful emotions, you must work at identifying why you’re angry. Are you trying to control others? Do you have a spirit of control living inside of that space in your soul? Are you angry because you’re being disrespected? Do you have a spirit of rejection hiding inside of that small space in your soul? Are you bitter because of injustice? Are you agreeing with a spirit of bitterness or injustice? In spiritual warfare, there can be two attackers that try to gain access to you through your anger: a spirit of anger and a spirit of the root cause. This is why the writer to the Hebrews says, “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:14-15 (NKJV). Anger and bitterness spread quickly because they are spiritual in nature, providing a spiritual space for demonic oppression inside of those who agree with them. Instead of being angry and bitter, fill your soul with holiness. Work at living a holy life. Garden your emotions and dig out the sinful roots. God’s grace has already given you the good soil in your soul and your Gardener is waiting to partner with you in producing fruits of righteousness. Fill your soul with godly emotions and holiness. Work to make your soul a reflection of Christ’s thoughts, will and emotions. As you fill up your soul with worship, joy, forgiveness, trust, hope and love, you will find that living in grace leaves very little room for the devil. Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Search inside of my soul to find if I have any hidden places where sin is hiding. Show me is there are any evil spirits that need to be cleaned out. I want my soul to be filled with Your presence, Your emotions, and Your holiness. In Jesus’s name, amen.”  “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” John 14:30 (NKJV).
Jesus had resisted every temptation known to mankind and recognized every deceiving spirit that attacked Him. “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15 (NLT). After His baptism, Jesus was tested for forty days by Satan and throughout His ministry, He was attacked, even through Peter’s mouth. As Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, He gave them many words of teaching. Then, as Jesus was ready to go to the Mount of Olives, He told His disciples that Satan was coming against Him but Satan had no place in Him. Satan had no anchor in Jesus’s soul that he could use against Jesus. Jesus had filled His soul with righteousness, purpose, and trust. There were no empty spaces where bitterness, injustice, lust or temptation could pollute Him. “David said about him (Jesus): ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’” Acts 2:25-28 (NIV). When Jesus said that Satan had no control over Him or place in Him, He was already filled with unshakable trust, hope for a victorious outcome, and joy from the presence of God. Not only was Jesus filled up inside of His soul, but Jesus was also wearing His armor. “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.” Isaiah 59:17 (ESV). His righteousness was complete, leaving no chinks in the armor. He was ready to become your salvation and wear the vengeance that was due to you. His zeal and purpose were like a cloak, as His face was set like stone. Nothing could stop Him because His will was set on obedience, His soul was filled with godliness, and His mind and emotions were focused on His Passion and the cross. Think about Jesus’s motivations. He loved you so much that He willingly endured incredible spiritual attacks and a horrific, Hellish death. He did it for love and to save your life. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT). Jesus also hated the ungodliness that you were born into and He hated the slavery that you were locked into. Jesus “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:14 (NKJV). Jesus wanted to redeem you from every lawless deed and He wanted to purify you, making you zealous for good works. He was motivated by a heart to serve you by ransoming you from Satan’s kingdom. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 (NLT). Jesus was motivated by the joy of you being in His family. He looked ahead at the joy that He would feel when you were at the family table in Heaven with Him. He looked ahead and saw you redeemed, justified, holy and a citizen of the Heavenly family. Jesus was also motivated to become friends with you. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” Romans 5:8-11 (NLT). Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for sending Your Son Jesus to be my Savior, my Hero, and My Rescuer. Please fill me with a sense of Your presence and fill my soul with love, hope, and obedience. In Jesus’s name, amen.”  “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:20-23 (NKJV).
You were made to produce life! But, you also have the potential to produce death by sinning. In fact, sin produces death. You were born into sin and were a slave to sin, producing shame and death. Sin creates toxicity in relationships, bitterness and lust in your heart, anger and stress in your body, and has a damaging effect on your spirit, soul and body. Your own sin breeds death and the sins of others create death, as well. God hates sin, disease and death. He hates the toxic relationships that sin produces. This is why Jesus Christ entered history as a human and conquered sin and death. Jesus came to free you from the activities that create death, as well as purchase your forgiveness. The results of sin is death but the gift of God is life through Jesus. “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.” John 1:17-18 (NLT). Before you were saved, the law of God set boundaries for you but couldn’t keep you from sinning. In fact, the more you broke the laws of God, the more sin and death you created. But, God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came to you through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ fulfilled the laws of God perfectly and then paid for your sin and death with His own body and soul. In this way, you are released from being a slave to sin and you are created anew to be a servant of righteousness. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 (NKJV). The first Adam bequeathed you sin and death. The second Adam paid the penalty for your sin and death and, from Him, you’ve inherited righteousness and life. “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” 1 John 5:12 (NLT). Here is the application: When you receive life from Jesus Christ, it is the very essence of your spiritual DNA. You are truly alive inside. The life of Jesus is the ingredients that your spirit has been made from and you are designed produce righteousness. God through grace has given you life. Live out that life and be righteous. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV). For a believer, there are three options. First, you can sin and produce death and condemnation. Second, you can become legalistic and try to obey the law perfectly. Third, you can live in grace by walking in the Spirit and responding to His guidance. To walk according to the Spirit means to be molded by Him into the image of Jesus Christ. The law of the Spirit of life is the law of grace: You have been set free from sin and perfection. You now have the liberty and privilege to be authentic to who you are: a saint. The law of the Spirit of Life says, “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 2:22-24 (ESV). Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, I want to be holy and righteous! I hate my sin and I hate the toxicity that it produces. Please forgive me for trying to be perfect in my own strength and ability. You have already made me perfect in Christ. Please help me be that person. Please help me live according to the law of the Spirit and put on the clothes of thinking and godly actions. In Jesus’s name, amen.” |
