The Struggle is Real Pt 1: Spirit vs Flesh
Have you ever gone through a period of intense internal struggle where you sensed your spirit and your flesh battling it out for you? Your flesh begins to rear its ugly head again and all of a sudden temptations you had overcome in the past start creeping back up again. Old sinful habits that you had lost total interest in slowly start looking a bit more appealing…
One thing I’ve come to notice on this journey is that every so often, the enemy will try me.
It’s like he gets a memo that I’ve been going strong and he’ll try to send things my way in an attempt to entice me …to try and draw me away from God and back into sin. He knows our past weaknesses and vulnerable areas so well. And because he knows what we’ve struggled with before, he knows what stands a chance of working. So he sends one tempting situation after another hoping that we’ll eventually take the bait and go off course.
You’ll also notice that your temptation goes into overdrive right after you’ve had a major breakthrough, or when you’re right on the cusp of something great that God is bringing you towards. When you’re on the right path is when the devil tries the hardest to derail you. He’d prefer that you remain stagnant. At the end of the day, his goal is to do whatever he can to make sure we’re as far away from the purpose that God has for us as possible.
So, what are your triggers?
The more you pay attention to what has triggered you whenever you sin, the more you’ll be able to identify the things that “put you in the mood” for sin. It could be as simple as being around certain friends, being in certain environments (like clubs), listening to certain kinds of music, or it could simply be that you are more vulnerable at certain times of the day (like at night if that’s when you’re feeling lonely).
For me, I’ve realized that one of my biggest triggers is drinking. Once I’m a couple of glasses in, I start wanting to do things I know I shouldn’t, or talk to people I know I should be staying away from. And of course after a few glasses, I start to care a lot less about the consequences – I mean… I could just deal with them tomorrow, right? Wrong. Alcohol affects the soundness of our judgment, and in hindsight, many of the decisions I’ve made in life that I ended up regretting began with a glass.
If you find yourself wanting to do something you shouldn’t every time you drink, keeping it to a glass (literally) will definitely make a big difference. If you find yourself unable to resist the 2nd glass after having had the first, then maybe giving it up all together is the better way to go in the long run.
Ephesians 5:15–18 is a good reminder “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise people, but as wise people – making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit.”
Drinking usually leads to reckless actions that we probably wouldn’t have done when sober. I don’t drink much anymore, but I’m praying that sometime in the near future I’ll be able to give it up altogether, because if I’m being honest, drinking feeds my flesh – hence the attraction to sin (the reckless actions) when I’m feeling ‘nice’.
So at the end of the day, whatever causes us to stumble in our walk with God must go – plain and simple. If drinking (or whatever your vice is) takes you a few steps back each time, can you whole-heartedly say it was worth it?
Matthew 5:29 – 30 “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away… And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
Some things are not worth doing if they cause you to regress. Some people are not worth keeping in your life if they’re tripping you up or holding you back from getting to where you know God wants to take you. You can’t get far with an anchor tied to your leg.
So I ask you… what are you holding on to that’s holding you back?
Romans 12:2 tells us “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
The change in your behavior and in your life as a whole truly begins in your mind. Once you’ve made that mental decision on what you DON’T WANT to be doing or who you don’t want in your life, making your flesh conform is that much easier.
This message by TD Jakes titled “Nothing as Powerful as a Changed Mind” really wrecked me. It’s so true and extremely powerful. Give it a listen when you have some time; his sermons have encouraged me tremendously on my walk.
James 4:7 also reminds us “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Man isn’t this the truth!! I never thought it was possible until I tried it and it worked for me. Now when I’m feeling tempted to go back into some old habits, I tell the Holy Spirit right then and there what I’m feeling tempted to do and that I need Him to take the ungodly desire away. Humbly surrender to God that you cannot fight the temptation on your own and you need His help. Test Him on it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Indulge in Him.
Lots of love,
Valerie
This song really says it best #Mood
