Walk in the Spirit

Clear the mechanism, in other words put on the mind of Christ! Today is a new day, yesterday has passed never to return; if we walk in the Spirit we will put to death the deeds of our flesh. The Word is clear on the subject, it does not say; walk in the Spirit and you will get better at Christianity, IT SAYS; “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) – Its only once we begin to water down the Word that we miss the author’s intention behind its meaning. This is a statement without any wiggle room attached to it. It’s as good as if it was set in stone, locked into position for saints to feed and draw strength off. A beautiful statement of fact! The question we need to ask ourselves is do we unequivocally believe it to be true? It’s not enough to believe the idea behind the statement; what I mean by that is if we settle on this verse as a partial aid to get me through the day, a sort of a quick fix to magically get me through the trial of life, which will never cut it. Abraham is the father of faith, why? HE BELIEVE GOD, period! We too must look to start applying the Word of God with that same mind-set, anything less will leave us wanting. We must be on the lookout and avoid gleaning only what appeals to our carnality.

Ok, so with that established, what must I do to help me walk in the Spirit? This is now the process of Christianity at its core. I must not now begin to mimic walking in the Spirit under the drive of the flesh, when put to the test this application will be found wanting and proved to be counterfeit. I must be driven by faith, I must believe God, and I must learn to put all my trust in Christ’s finished work. I must be stripped of my independence, which is probably the hardest lesson of all.

Leaving that which is behind me, I must run this race with my total dependency upon what God has done for me, opened my eyes to the spirit world and with the Holy Spirit ushering me towards the finish line. We will stumble at times and many of us have scars to prove it, be that as it may, we know in whom we have believe, all hail King Jesus, bless and praise his name now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

Today is a new day filled with a multitude of potential blessing, so let us be mindful of those who have gone before us as we consider their struggles and feed off the hope that is ours in Christ; one day we shall be like HIM and what a day that shall be. I long for that day when my flesh shall be swallowed up and where the eyes of faith are no longer needed. The day when I see my God in person and as He is, Wow! even now that is an exciting thought which motivates,

Signing off

Tyrone

"Position"

“Position, position and position” is what I am after; think about it aren’t we all? My mind has been stretched and my imagination is running riot all because of the vivid dream I had last night. It is fresh in my mind, cats looking to take me out, lions leopards and even jaguars’ all looking for a piece of me. Up a tree I went with only a small blade in my hand and then it got chaotic. First a lioness intrepidly gliding up the tree trunk with her piercing eyes locked on her prize, me! She clawed eagerly into position and then she made her move with a lung she went in for the kill but met my blade instead, it was just enough of a distraction to throw her off guard and she tumbled to her death. Others had now elevated themselves above and to the side of me, I remain locked in position ready to parry off the next bout. Before I knew, somehow I had fended off all my pursuers and they had all plummeted to their deaths. It’s not the first time I have dreamed about lions trying to take me out, normally I am always running or hiding from them, but not last night, I took up a position and faced them head on.

Why would I even bother to mention all of this? There is a great lesson in it for me and maybe you too could learn from it as you project the principle gleaned from my experience and appropriate it into your lives. It may help some.

The very first thing I think about when I have these episodes is this; “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1Peter 5:8) – And then men that come to mind Peter, James and John the generals being targeted by the devil. But it’s Peter that gives me the encouragement, even the struggling saints have their bridges to cross. The ones whom are dismissed by the wicked world as a joke, those who never seem to learn and make the same mistakes over and over. I tell you this, that while we have breath we have hope, victory is just a prayer away and then once acknowledged the wherewithal to commit to our great God. There are those that seem to always be learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. Understanding our weakness, owning up to them and then vehemently seeking God’s face to have them addresses in righteousness.

In the throes of my dream I am filled with fear and it is as real as me sipping away at my coffee. I must confess it was not a very pleasant experience. However, through process it has taught me a very valuable lesson, “position, position and position” was the key to my success, and it gave me the victory. Whilst running and hiding over the years in my dreams I was always filled with anxiety, it was a terrible experience and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Not to say that my dream last night didn’t carry with it an element of fear, it did! However once force into a corner and with only one feasible out, I instinctively sprang into action and positioned myself as best I could. Against all odds I survived. Whatever attack formation these gnarly beast conjured up, their attacks all failed, plummeting them to their deaths. In hindsight and on reflection strategic brilliance surrounded me as these cats moved in for their kill. Now process this thought, how will the created ever be a match for the creator?

  

We must not now make the mistake of locking this experience into the natural domain but rather use it to explore the spiritual. We must face our fears, whatever bothers us the most in our lives must eventually be tackled head on. But for us to find victory we need to stop running and POSITION ourselves correctly; “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2) – We must be convinced about the hope which one day shall be ours. We must learn to lock onto the Lord Jesus’ victory, He has overcome and we must believe with all our hearts that we stand in HIS finished work. Carnality is our worst enemy, it always drives us from God. But it’s within our minds that we need to command our bodies into action, we need to position ourselves, and we must do it! It is not as if we will be arrested from an external source and have no say in the matter, we must do it! We must POSITION ourselves correctly and then all we need to do is STAND! In other words believe God, finished! We often want the easy way out, walking in the Spirit is not the easy way out but the only way we will please our heavenly Father and the only way we will ever conquer those doubts in our lives.

Here is the instruction, remember to dress for battle, we must put on the whole armour of God. And once we are satisfied with the fit we must remember to STAND, regardless of the onslaught. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you”, it certainly doesn’t say fight him. We are no match for him, but one day that will all change when we receive our glorified bodies, but until then let us remember to stand in Christ’s victory.

Signing off

Tyrone

Thank you!

Blessed be the name of the man who was put to shame for me, all hail King Jesus! The only king, who was every shamed for the sins of so many. How many kings have paid the penalty for the perpetrated? Can you name any? Let me tell you that the Lord Jesus Christ, the king of the Jews, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob paid a penalty that he never had to pay as he chose through an abundance of love to rescue so many trapped by iniquity and paid the price for their sins, my sins! A man who lived a life of sinless perfection, took the punishment of the very thing he had conquered and was tried as a sinner, where he bled and died on Calvary.

We have had people tried and sentenced for crimes they didn’t commit, a flaw of our judicial system. But never with the magnitude of the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice. Accused of breaching the law of God by those who instituted the law of God, the religious rulers of the Jews, what a joke! Hear we have an example which would be good for us to slow down and consider; one of the greatest traps that have mankind fooled into believing their lie, we need an epiphany to see the wood from the trees; “Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:3) – It is absolutely phenomenal how blind we can be at times, we believe we deserve so much more, we really believe it, but do we deserve it? Ok, I own the truth that I have blundered more than most, and so maybe this makes it somewhat easier to own, all I ask is that you gawk out into the crowd and scan the faces of all those who accuse others but excuse themselves, are you amongst the number? The judges of the Lord Jesus certainly where. Be that as it may, the brilliance of God the Father’s plan unfolding in accordance with His will. Yes his son to pay the penalty for a breach he never committed. Genius personified! God’s mastermind at play with so many clueless to the brilliance behind it all. The so called wisdom of the world and all its inhabitants running around like chickens without heads, and then we have the spiritual world who were also outsmarted by the only true God, Satan playing into the hands of God.

THANK YOU JESUS FOR DYING FOR ME…

Where is boasting? Have we learnt the lesson yet? It has been excluded, all honour praise and glory belongs to my king, King Jesus. There is nothing we can add to that equation to give it more power, it is a work complete in totality and it is finished. All that now matters is our sin covered by the blood of the Lamb? Are our sins forgiven? We must be absolutely persuaded. If so, we now must learn to walk in the light and it’s when we keep step with the light that teaches us this lesson well. It’s only when we walk in the Spirit that we will have the capacity to put to death the draw and influence of the sin that so easily besets. When I slip and fall what does this prove? The answer is an obvious one, I am not keeping in step with the light. Thank God that through His glorious Word, the Bible’s teachings and the experiences of life when mirrored through the eyes of the Spirit it teaches us about the Way, the Truth and the Life! The brilliance of God! Who can fathom it? But we have the mind of Christ, let’s put it to use.

Signing off

Tyrone

And the war rages on...

And the war rages on… what is your weapon of war?

Do don’t be fooled the battle is fierce and you are in the heat of that mêlée, slap bang in the middle of it, you are the centrepiece, the king which the enemy needs conquered, we may all be pawns in the global game of life, but certainly not in our own worlds, we are the king and everything revolves around us. But through the haze of it all we must focus on the prize, heaven and all it glory. Everyone plays here, no one is exempt, we didn’t chose to play, but that is irrelevant, we are here and the game has begun. Our birth made sure of that. Game on! The result can only ever have one of two outcomes, fail and eternal damnation will be your end, win and an eternity of bliss in the presence of God, but more than that you will be number amongst the sons of God forever and ever. That is what I want more than anything this world has to offer me. But like I said the battle is fierce…

We are our own worst enemies, and no one is exempt from the equation. Time to look to the Word of God for the eye salve needed to focus on the bigger picture…

Its all about the end game, but how the game is played will determine our outcome. We learn this principal from a very young age, but it’s where we place our attention that is critical. Sadly it’s all about the natural, be the best of the best in whatever we do and all will end well, WRONG! We must look to Jesus and not depend upon our ability. This is such an unnatural phenomena that we need the Spirit’s intervention in our lives or else it would be an impossible task. This must be done with a natural body, it’s what we have. Everything around us is designed to entice us to walk in the flesh, it’s only the unseen that will give us the direction that we need to overcome. We must look through the eyes of faith, which in itself is a gift from God. Plead for the gift of faith if your conviction wains, ask your heavenly Father to supply all your need and He will be quick to come to your aid, but ask you must.

Heaven and earth both dominated by two different underlying realities, the spirit (the unseen) and the natural (everything we are privy too). God has ordained that for us, first the natural and then the spiritual, for the angels a different set of rules. That doesn’t concern us for now, it’s about our game and not theirs, per say. It’s crucial that we get ours worked out and then we need to commit. However there is so much “static” about, our lives are filled with so much “noise” that we often loose our bearing, but only for a time, when we come to our senses and we look to Jesus and the Word of God our rudders are realigned and we can once again commit with zeal. So where are you, what are you doing with your life and is your time spent committed to the natural or are you walking in the spirit? These are the question that need answering.

Here are some facts that need serious consideration…

I want us to look a little deeper than the surface, and it will then become clear, ask The Holy Spirit to enlighten your understanding and touch the areas in your lives that need to be addressed.

We have been tricked into believing that we can get ourselves to heaven even if our mouths say something different. Sure there isn’t a Christian alive that will not acclaim salvation to the Lord Jesus Christ. But how many having begun in the Spirit now look to the flesh to earn their salvation? All they really start doing is depending upon their natural abilities once again. Whilst others look to excuse away the sin and use grace as a licence to get away with it. Both will have disastrous outcomes. Why? They are both driven by the natural. Anything driven by the natural will always look to oppose the will of God because the core of it has been tainted by sin, which is the enemy of God. You get it?

I realise I am only scraping the surface with this subject. I could write a book on the topic and there would still be much left unexplored. All I am looking to do is plant the seed, which God has planted in my understanding so that it may germinate in your mind and then play out into your game. Whether a managing director, widow, orphan, mother, father, school goer, breadwinner or wherever you fit, the rules are the same for all, walk in the Spirit and you will put to death the lust of the flesh; “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) 

If we do not learn to apply this truth to our lives, we will suffer a world of hurt and if we never end up where we should, this is to depressing to even consider, so I will leave it at that; “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:17-21) – Why will those not inherit the kingdom of God? They haven’t learnt the importance of looking to Jesus and walking in the Spirit. If and when we get this right, what bliss; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:22-26) 

If we call ourselves Christians we then claim to LIVE BY THE SPIRIT we must also WALK IN THE SPIRIT.

Signing off

Tyrone

Why, born again!

The will to survive, we all have it! For as long as I can remember our DNA is designed to instinctively keep us breathing. Why then do we not all have the same drive when it comes to eternity? The answer is rather a simple one; “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”” (John 3:3) – We have all been born blind, bar the Lord Jesus Christ and maybe John the Baptist. The infant Jesus had God the Holy Spirit's DNA and Elizabeth John’s mother had an encounter whilst pregnant with the Spirit of God.

We (the human population) all carry the DNA of our parents. Most have eyes to see. From a very young age we begin to perceive colours and shapes. Eyes are a beautiful thing, it’s very hard to conceal something you have seen from our minds. Whether it be a fabulous sunset or a vicious calamity. What we see is instilled into our thoughts. Hence the power of the forbidden. John puts it like this; “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1John 2:16-17)

There are a couple of points we need to extrapolate, surely its God who has given us eyes to see? This is an undeniable truth, God created mankind. In fact; “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” We see a similarity between God and mankind, we both have eyes. We are carnal but God is spiritual. It’s the natural that is undeniable, even a mad man would not be able to denounce his existence in the flesh. We are all privy to the reality of our natural surroundings. However it is the imagining of heaven, that of the spiritual realm that we need help with. Hence the Lord Jesus’ teaching to the man Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” We need a spiritual set of eyes to see into the heavens, period! How does an individual receive spiritual eyes? It’s in the text, they need to be “born again”.

None of us can deny being born of water, if we exist we have all come into the world in the same fashion, developing inside our mother’s womb protected by water and nurtured by an umbilical cord. Now that we have grown and come to an age of understanding, distinguishing right from wrong, understanding sin, it’s at this stage in our lives that we will be afforded an opportunity to inquire after the spiritual realm. Where we end up differs on a personal level. By the grace of God I have been "born again", my spirit has been quickened, I have received eyes to see into heaven. Do not make Nicodemus’ mistake and start reasoning with a natural notion. However without spiritual eyes our minds will default to reckoning with a natural mind. It will be impossible to arrive at a different conclusion; how often have we heard that we need to visualise our goals before we will ever conquer them?

“Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”” (John 3:4-6) 

There are two obvious facts that need considering. In order to see the kingdom of God we need a spiritual birth and do not be fooled into believing that a babies christening will do the trick, that’s all that is, a trick. Test the waters for yourselves, where you christened? I was and yet as blind as a bat growing up when it came to looking into the kingdom of God. I always believed within the capacity I was able to believe, if that makes any sense at all. However  I now have the ability to see heaven, and it is a reality that I want more than anything else. I can see, I can see! Spiritual eyes work in the spiritual realm and faith is needed to active sight. The flesh and the spirit biospheres are worlds apart; “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Once we reason this through with a sound mind, it should be a rather simple exercise, but only for those with eyes from both worlds. The question many of us should now be asking ourselves is how do I receive sight to see into the spiritual jurisdiction?

I will simplify it for you, repentance is needed. Acknowledge your sin, take ownership of it, and repent by calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) - You will receive sight (eyes of faith) to gaze heavenward. It is a marvellous mystery that becomes our reality, we now receive a drive to make heaven our ultimate goal. We now have a new found hope that we were once blind too and just as the wind blows and we do not understand how it got there or when it is going, so too is everyone born of the Spirit.

I hope that gives some clarity on why we need to be born again…

Signing off

Tyrone

Finding release

It is easy to become despondent with our lot in life but that is often linked to self-infliction, not always, but more times than not. However it’s really more challenging on a spiritual level, but why wouldn’t it be? It is much easier to get our heads around what we can see than that which we can’t. The natural and spiritual worlds are galaxies apart and only the one is visible to the naked eye.

The majority of people know that the spirit world exists and that it plays its part in our lives, obviously! If this was not true, religion would be non-existent. Sadly deception plays its part in a way that has eternal consequences for all those who do not find the truth. What's the point finding an apparent truth that we latch onto as our truth if it has no eternal benefit? Decoys are deployed to deceive. Religion may serve its purpose in this life, but what about eternity. It is imperative that we find God’s truth and latch onto to Him (I AM) with all we have. Which will stand us in good stead for eternity. Lose your job, partner, and even children but do not get religion wrong as it will have dire consequences. Worship the wrong God and the “Lake of Fire” will be your final destination. Sometimes straight talk is needed to jolt an individual into action. The easy way out is often the one filled with calamitous penalties.

The truth has been designed to set us free. If you serious seek it out, you will have an extremely high percentage of finding a lasting truth that will bring amazing relief. But until then life will be filled with guess work, especially in the spiritual arena of your life. I could go on trying to convince you about the Way, the Truth and the Life which we all must find, the buried treasure that when cracked is filled with peace and many other wondrous spiritual treats. Fruits of the Spirit to be enjoyed by believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Find Him, call out His name with an urgency and then buckle up as that radical transformation encapsulates your comprehension. Here is the encouragement; “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13)

   

Therefore comments like the “higher power” whoever they may be in your mind’s eye is simply not good enough. It the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ that paid the price for mankind sin, He must be acknowledged in your lives and then called upon; “For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.”" (Romans 10:11-12) – There is only one true God that we must find pivotal in our lives, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, period! Every other so called God with bow the knee to Jesus and so too will the entire human race, from start to finish, there will be no exceptions. We all need to face the reality of it all, kneel as an ally or an enemy, but bend you will. The Lord Jesus will be paid the homage he so richly deserves, praise God, Amen and Amen! How I long for the day when I will see him face to face and I will personally be able to thank him for his rescue. Or when I pay homage to my Father with a bursting heart of thanks for his amazing patience with me. What a day that will be…

I have received this knowledge, the truth of our existence and the purpose behind it all, I do not profess to have all the answers, but the answers I have, I have freely received, it was a gift from God. Having freely received I have been instructed to freely give, to pass on this knowledge to those now reading this post. Test the waters, see if what I say has any hidden agenda, all I ask is that you seriously seek out the truth. Do whatever is needed to find yourself calling upon the name of Jesus, denouncing any other foreign God in your life and the eyes of faith will give you sight and peace will flood your soul.

To the true Christian I leave you with this encouragement and it’s important we wrap our heads around Paul's teaching; “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13) – Carnality must be rooted from our lives, it will be painful but worth it all, praise God now and forever more. Amen and Amen!

Signing off

Tyrone

Walk in the Spirit

Once again I sit at my desk in the early hours of the morning traveling my thoughts under the direction of my morning prayer, which went something like this; hallowed be thy name Father, there is no One like you, praise your glorious name. As I draw close to you, please draw nigh unto me and help me be sensitive to the doors which you may open throughout the day, may I bring you honour within those given situations… I prayed for my son, mother and family and the Christians across the globe that you would help all of them walk in the spirit. What is the point of feeding the flesh with so much time an effort as it will end sooner than we can image? And as James says, we “are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Making reference to our lives in the flesh. 

All I long for is to be trained up in righteousness and yet there are obstacles in my path that do not want to move. However, there is most certainly a truth that is becoming very clear to me, “walk in the spirit and we will not fulfil the lusts of our flesh.” Did you know it is impossible for the Spirit of God to sin? The Christian has the Spirit of God living within them. And so the war rages on; a perfect influence that always pleases God and another which continuously looks to serve sin, in fact a slave to it. Both housed in the same vessel. However, Paul's encouragement is to look belong; “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9) - This then is the battle, are we aware of this truth and the way we ort to be. Knowledge is very useful if used correctly. We have the mind of Christ but we still have our carnalities looking to pull us in the opposite direction. 

Let me leave us with this thought, be brave and take courage, for the One we serve, the Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world. If we call upon Him looking for help, comfort, or just sweet intimate fellowship what happens? - “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…” (James 4:8) – Double mindedness will always be like water, unstable in all its ways. Which wears an individual down, it may just be the time to dust down, forgetting the past, time to truly pick up your cross and serve God with your whole heart. To make a conscious effort, making it a priority to please God in our lives above all else.  

Paul gives us this gem to find release and to examine our hearts; “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8; 14)

Now the only obvious question we need ask ourselves, can we truly confess that our lives are a manifestation of being led by the Spirit of God?

Priority number 1 is to do whatever it takes in our lives to ensure that we are numbered amongst the sons of God.

That is all

Signing off

Tyrone

Objectives

Objectives! We all have them, but the key is to attain, to conquer, to win. To overcome is the ultimate goal, wouldn’t you agree? Take the simplest of examples in our everyday lives, pick an experience that belongs to you, a memory we call upon to find motivation, hope, joy and the will to push on. There could be numerous recollections to draw from…

On occasion I am taken to my military training and the lessons I learnt there, not about becoming a soldier per say but the heights I reach on a mental and physical level that I once believed to be impossible, I was wrong. Although we are fallen creatures and tainted by sin God has designed the human body with phenomenal ability. We are capable of so much more than we could ever imagine, it's only when we are put to the test that we really understand this valuable lesson. When the pressure is on we always look for the easy way out. Our default is to tap out far too soon. The Lord Jesus stayed the course, he drank a full cup of every permutation possible to man and even though the anguish at times was so severe that his sweat glands bled blood, he never tapped out. His objective to overcome sin in a human body, he was victorious. His aim, to please his heavenly Father, which he achieved in spades. As Christians surely this then needs to become our overarching objective in life, to please our heavenly Father and the only way to actually achieve this is too, as Paul puts it; “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.” But why the emphasis on “my spirit”? This is the nitty-gritty of it all, we have to learn the difference between walking in the flesh (our natural ability) as opposed to the spirit. Faith is needed to accomplish this. This is my observation, if we serve in the spirit, if we truly have consciously “put on the mind of Christ” we are in a different zone and we begin to process information differently. The cares of this world are not so monstrous and we find a strength (grace) to endure, come what may. We believe that we are exactly where God wants us to be. We must fly this flag with confidence; our God is in control of all things. However when the flesh dominates our mind-set is one of panic when the pressure us on.

I do not professed to have mastered it, far from it, but I am able to call on memories when I was happiest and a peace surpassed all rational understanding. Why?  My conclusion, I was walking in the spirit. The man Jesus always walked in the spirit although he was a man with a blood and bone body who accomplished so much. Why? He saw way beyond the grave. It would be almost impossible for a man to forgive someone killing them when it is actually happening. Stephen did it! A man filled with the Spirit of God and dressed with the whole armour of God. I am convinced this is the lesson. Our flesh will suffer when we are walking in the spirit, it has to give way for a better approach and it’s the only way we will ever truly please our heavenly Father. 

If you are still not convince, the Lord is our ultimate example. Peter understood this well and this is his instruction;  “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1Peter 4:1-2) – All three points tied up in the same verse, arming our mind with Christ’s mind, the flesh suffering to stop its wicked behaviour and finally to be about the will of God.

The clear water behind this instruction can become muddy if stirred incorrectly. There are two sets of rules, or at least that is what I wish to explore when it comes to application from the instinct of an individual prior to salvation and after the switch is flip. I do not wish to spend time debating the actualities of this truth, salvation, when does it happen? But the realisation of our own understanding when our lives are turned on their heads for the first time, when people look at you as if you are mad, etc. That beautiful day when tears of joy flooded your soul and you cried out I can see, I can see. And then we begin to grow, as time ticks by we begin to become weary, there are many questions that need answering, not that salvation and the truth behind it is every question, NEVER! But in hindsight, muddling the flesh and the spirit into one pot becomes a world of pain. I know and yet I really knew very little, if I was wiser, folly would not have encapsulated so much of my life. However He who is in us is greater that he who runs the world and thankfully we are transported to our senses. God continue to have mercy on the struggling pilgrim’s souls, not because we deserve it but because you have it in your power to be merciful.

What is the conclusion? Our objective; we must learn to walk in the spirit, put on the mind of Christ, dress for battle, putting on the whole armour of God (see Ephesians 6). When these application are in place, we will be walking in the spirit and therefore never be tripped up by the lusts of our flesh. So it’s easy to gauge; lustful behaviour of any sort and acting upon it proves but one thing that we have the flesh dominating, we are walking in the natural, our behaviour is that of the individual prior to salvation. The old man/woman dictating. When we walk in the spirit, with God’s Spirit directing our paths we radiate a Shekinah glory and through the trial of life the light of Christ shines in us, which will obviously affect the onlookers for the sake of the gospel. Either way people will be affected. I suppose the actual proof for me would be a tranquillity, the peace of God. It’s when baffled onlookers see the apparent hardships that accompany that peace. This is where God is glorified, the peace of God in a believer’s life is impossible to fabricate, because it comes from the Spirit and not the natural.

Understanding the theory is one thing, but application to it is the actual test. God give us the strength to put off childish things and to dress for battle. How can we be of any use to others if we cannot master our own lives?

Signing off

Tyrone