BIBLE PASSAGE:
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will
not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
(Galatians 5:16)
MEDITATION:
Do you have a struggle with some sin (or sins) that had a grip on you
before you received salvation from the Lord? Do you sometimes have
a feeling that you have distanced yourself from some sin and suddenly,
often without warning, the attraction to it has returned? Does it make
you disappointed in yourself for having a strong attraction to it once
again?
It can be very discouraging, can’t it? You ‘bow our neck’ and ‘set
your jaw’ with a determined attitude that the sins of your past
will never be a part of your life again. But, before you know it,
you are blindsided, and once again you yield to the temptation.
Even though you know what happens each time you give in
(because it has happened to you way too often), you can’t seem
to break this cycle of temptation and sin.
It creates in you an uneasy feeling to come before the Lord in prayer,
because you know you have disappointed Him (again). The fellowship
you had with the Lord prior to your failure is not as close now. The
guilt you feel is overwhelming once again, and you may find yourself
feeling uncomfortable with anything related to the Lord. Even while
sitting in church, your joy of worship is not what it was in the past.
You sing songs and listen to sermons, but you feel something is
missing. There are times when you can almost feel as if you are
in the wrong place and would have been better off if you had
stayed home instead of going to church. Your enthusiasm and
zest for serving the Lord has diminished.
When these things happen to us, we can have a greater understanding
of Paul’s struggles, can’t we?
I do not understand what I do. For what I want
to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
(Romans 7:15)
We can relate to Paul’s personal frustration with himself.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is
sin living in me. For I know that good itself does
not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For
I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot
carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do,
but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I
who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
(Romans 7:17-20)
Paul knew the source of his failures was the sin within himself.
He continues to express his frustration with his inner spiritual
warfare.
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good,
evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight
in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging
war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner
of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man
I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to
death?
(Romans 7:21-24)
We can sense the desperation of Paul in his words, can’t we?
He realized He didn’t have the capacity to stop the cycle of
failures in his life, so he struggled with viewing himself as a
servant of God. Although he truly was a servant, the regret
he had for his failures, caused him to view himself as, a
“wretched man”.
While expressing his disappointment with his own weaknesses,
he still knew where the power to break this cycle could be found.
Thanks be to God, who delivers me
through Jesus Christ our Lord!
(Romans 7:25)
The same source that was available to Paul for overcoming the
temptations of Satan, has been given to us as well. Whenever
we focus on living by the Spirit (asking Him control our lives),
we will discover that when we fall into the same sin again it doesn’t
give us the same gratification it did before we surrendered to the
Holy Spirit.
When temptation and sin gratify us, we will chase after them even
more. But when we become less satisfied, we find it is easier to break
the vicious cycle. The Holy Spirit is our friend who has the power to
redirect our attention to the righteous things that are pleasing to the
Lord (which in turn, will please us). He gives us determination and
confidence to walk away from unexpected and sudden temptations.
ACTION:
Do you feel you are in a vicious cycle of being close to the Lord,
then yielding to temptation,
then experiencing guilt,
then feeling ashamed,
then returning to the Lord,
then yielding to temptation and sinning again,
etc.?
Are you trying to break the cycle in your own strength? Have you
forgotten that when you were saved, you were given the Holy Spirit
to live within you? Make a conscious effort to invite Him into your
daily life and call on His assistance to help you with your struggles.
Remember God will give the Holy Spirit to all believers who ask.
Jesus said,
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will
your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those
who ask him!”
(Luke 11:13)
Questions:
– Have you asked for and received the Holy Spirit?
– How is the Holy Spirit helping you each day?
– Do you call for His assistance when you are tempted?
(We can call on Him with a quiet whisper,
“Holy Spirit, I need you”).
– Have you discovered the spiritual gift
you were given along with your salvation?
(The Holy Spirit assists us in finding our spiritual gift).
– How are you using your spiritual gift
as God intended when He gave it to you?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know the struggles I have with temptations.
I feel like Paul at times as I do the things I don’t want to do and fail
to do the things I want to do. It frustrates me when I am drawn away
from You, because I know how my fellowship with You is diminished.
I also know that the forces of evil are stronger than I am, so I call on
the Holy Spirit to help me resist the temptations whenever they appear
suddenly. Thank You for Your gift of the Holy Spirit to help me become
more pleasing to You, and less susceptible to the temptations of Satan.”
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