Lesson 7: Warring Against the Flesh: Putting to Death the Misdeeds of the Body
Question 3
Romans 8:13 teaches us that we are in a life and death struggle. The “little toddler” (your flesh) mentioned above is actually trying to murder you by making you give in! “If we live according to the flesh, giving in to its cravings, we will die, but if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body we will live.”
In an updated and revised version of William Gurnall'sThe Christian in Complete Armor, James Bell, Jr. offers these thoughts:
God told Abraham to “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you” (Genesis 22:2). Oh, what a hard word that was to the heart of God’s friend, Abraham.
But the truth is, God tells all believers, “son take your lust, your only lust, which has brought you much pleasure and laughter, which has promised you many enjoyable times when lonely; and lay your hands on it and run it through the heart with the Sword of the Spirit, and crucify it on the altar of sacrifice.
And friend, your lust will not lay there willingly, as did Isaac. It will scream at you and lie to you and attempt to enter into a discussion with you. It will try to bargain with you and ask you for a stay of execution, knowing that if you let it live it will soon be back in your good graces and will be cherished by your heart once again.
https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Complete-Armour-Readings-Spiritual/dp/0802411770
We are to kill our cravings. Put them to death.
This is the attitude that we are to take against all sin. Look at these words again, “if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13 ESV). Washing at the cross daily and walking by the Spirit moment by moment gives us all the power we need to attack and destroy the sinful cravings and the misdeeds of the body. We are not only to war against our flesh; we are to kill it! The reason we are able to do this is because our old self died, we rose again a new creation and now Christ lives in us.
There is a wonderful Old Testament story that illustrates this point: King David had many enemies throughout His life, yet God taught him how to deal with them. Notice what David says here:
“I chased my enemies and destroyed them. I did not quit till they were destroyed. 39 I destroyed and crushed them so they couldn't rise up again. They fell beneath my feet. 40 You gave me strength in battle. You made my enemies bow before me” (2 Samuel 22:38-40).
Question 3. Please think about ways in which you have previously lived in gluttony. Now write out 2 Samuel 22:38-40 NCV:
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