WHO CAN HELP ME IN MY BATTLE WITH SIN’S CONTROL OF MY LIFE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
So I say, live by the Spirit,
and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
(Galatians 5:16)

MEDITATION:
Living by the Spirit does not mean to live ‘beside’ the Spirit,
it means allowing the Spirit to become an integral part of our
lives. God does not give a ‘dormant’ Spirit to those who ask,
He gives us an ‘active’ Spirit with a desire to help us in many
facets of our lives. The question each of us must ask is,
    “Will I allow Him to be active in my life?”

To live by the Spirit is a challenging and inspiring exercise
that combines activity with relaxation. In general, most
people like to be in control and consequently, they struggle
with either sharing the control of their lives, or surrendering
it totally.

We can experience many emotions at the thought of losing
any amount of control of our lives. Those emotions can include
scary, intimidating, overwhelming, unnerving, etc. But the most
important emotion or attitude we can experience is humility.
When we become humble, we open the door to experiencing
many new blessings in our life than benefit us and bless other
people.

Jesus had all the qualifications to be the most arrogant and
egotistical person who ever existed, but even with His credentials,
He showed us what humility looks like. Although the world would
have us believe that humility is a sign of weakness, it takes a strong
person to become humble.

It’s not unnatural for people to have difficulty leaving their
comfort zones, but think about the times you have done that
in the past, and benefited from it. Maybe it was a new job, a
presentation, a performance, a marriage, or any other experience
where you did not realize the benefits, until you left your comfort
zone.

It is the same when making a conscience decision to ‘live by the Spirit’.
There are untold benefits of allowing the Spirit to become active in
our lives and the Bible includes a very important one:
    ‘you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.’

Just imagine for a moment the exhilaration of no longer being
controlled by a sinful nature. When we decide to give the Spirit
more control of our life, we are not really giving up anything,
but merely swapping the control of our sinful nature for the
control of the Spirit. Kind of gives it a different perspective,
doesn’t it?

If we consider our own resources, our own strength, or our
own ability, we will fail. We cannot live the Christian life
alone without any help. We need the Holy Spirit to live in
us and be able to express Himself through us. Living for
Christ is a day-by-day experience that requires a continuous
dependence on the Spirit of God.

ACTION:
Have you asked God to give you the Spirit and if so,
have you been suppressing His activeness in your life?
You cannot live the Christian life by yourself. The
Holy Spirit must live in you and express Himself
through you.

Living for Christ is a day-by-day experience. It is living by
faith with a continuous dependence upon the Spirit of God.
You have probably been disappointed by broken promises
in your life, but when God’s Word makes a promise, you
can rest assured that it will not be broken.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of the Spirit
to all who ask. Forgive me if I have failed to allow Him to
become an active part of my life. I know that I am missing
out on the benefits of His daily help in my efforts to live a
righteous life. Help me to welcome the fact that I will
experience positive changes to my habits, attitudes, emotions,
and overall character through the active presence of the Spirit
in my life. Teach me to be dependent on the Spirit and to call
on Him whenever I need guidance, calmness, or any other
help in my life. Father, You know how sin can become a
controlling factor in my life and how that control can grow
whenever I defend against it in my own strength. Thank You
for Your promise that the Spirit will help me in overcoming
the control of sin in my life.”

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