What do we need to overcome in this world – in our everyday life?
We need to overcome our flesh(which produces sin), the world(which corrupts our soul) and the Devil(who ultimately aims to make us fall) – just as Jesus overcame each of these when Satan tried to tempt Him.
Galatians 5: 16-18
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Romans 8:13
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.
There is a constant battle in us – between our flesh and our spirit – to gain control over us – our soul. The spirit has communion with the Holy Spirit and the flesh has contact with the corrupt world. When we exercise our God given "free will", we either give our flesh the control or surrender to the Holy Spirit. Whatever proceeds from the flesh produces sin and death, but whatever proceeds from the Holy Spirit within us produces the working of the perfect will of God in our lives. The flesh has to be slain in order for the Spirit to have dominion over us. Only the Holy Spirit knows and can teach us the right thing to do, the right thing to say – at every moment. But if we want to listen to and obey the gentle words of the Holy Spirit, our noisy flesh (or our “Self”) has to be put to death. The working of the ‘cross’ in us, puts our flesh to death, and makes us die to our ’self’ and gives the Holy Spirit the control of our lives.
Jesus said,
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” - Matthew 16:24
Why do we need to die to self?
Only when we die to ’Self’, can the Holy Spirit work is us enabling us to:
Overcome the lusts of the eyes and the flesh (Galatians 5:19,20)
To be uninfluenced by the passions of the world (To be in the world, but not of the world)
Resist the Devil (Only the Holy Spirit can help us use the right weapon in the armor of God to battle the Devil)
Please God in whatever we do
Carry out the Perfect will of God (for the “free will” has now been surrendered to the control of the Holy Spirit)
Be Sanctified and continuously pursue the Holiness of God (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!)
Pay the price for the Kingdom of God and to take up the cross daily
Bear the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23)
Paul makes it very clear that the will of God for our lives is that we should be Overcomers, sanctified continuously through the Holy Spirit.
I Thessalonians 4:3-8:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
What exactly is “Dying to self”?
Dying to self is to allow the moulding of the Potter – accepting those times of crushing, those disappointments that crush our ego, those uncomfortable circumstances that conflict our self interests, those times of rejection from the world, those times of patient endurance during trials – which denies our self of its own will, which shapes us more into His Image everyday. Dying to self is also to invite the Holy Spirit everyday and asking Him to slay our flesh whenever it raises its sinful ugly head. Dying to self is not a one time thing – it is a continuous process of surrendering of our selves to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Remember we are to walk in Spirit – which suggests that “Dying to Self” , which is nothing but “Being an Overcomer” is not a one time process, but a continuous walk with God (just like Enoch) through the leading of the Holy Spirit, which transforms our sinful souls each day into the likeness of Christ. Amen!
As a side note, being an “Overcomer” is not trusting on “deeds” rather than Grace, but in fact, it is just the opposite! Doing NOTHING of our own (through the flesh), but denying our Self and surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit and through the Grace of Jesus, we “Overcome” the flesh, the world and the Devil. Salvation is a one time process, that is by Grace through Faith in Jesus and His work on the cross. Sanctification, on the other hand, is a continuous process, through the work of the Holy Spirit. Bottom line is, we need to “walk in the Spirit” that slays the “works” of the flesh, to be an Overcomer and a true disciple of Jesus Christ!
We need to overcome our flesh(which produces sin), the world(which corrupts our soul) and the Devil(who ultimately aims to make us fall) – just as Jesus overcame each of these when Satan tried to tempt Him.
Galatians 5: 16-18
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Romans 8:13
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.
There is a constant battle in us – between our flesh and our spirit – to gain control over us – our soul. The spirit has communion with the Holy Spirit and the flesh has contact with the corrupt world. When we exercise our God given "free will", we either give our flesh the control or surrender to the Holy Spirit. Whatever proceeds from the flesh produces sin and death, but whatever proceeds from the Holy Spirit within us produces the working of the perfect will of God in our lives. The flesh has to be slain in order for the Spirit to have dominion over us. Only the Holy Spirit knows and can teach us the right thing to do, the right thing to say – at every moment. But if we want to listen to and obey the gentle words of the Holy Spirit, our noisy flesh (or our “Self”) has to be put to death. The working of the ‘cross’ in us, puts our flesh to death, and makes us die to our ’self’ and gives the Holy Spirit the control of our lives.
Jesus said,
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” - Matthew 16:24
Why do we need to die to self?
Only when we die to ’Self’, can the Holy Spirit work is us enabling us to:
Overcome the lusts of the eyes and the flesh (Galatians 5:19,20)
To be uninfluenced by the passions of the world (To be in the world, but not of the world)
Resist the Devil (Only the Holy Spirit can help us use the right weapon in the armor of God to battle the Devil)
Please God in whatever we do
Carry out the Perfect will of God (for the “free will” has now been surrendered to the control of the Holy Spirit)
Be Sanctified and continuously pursue the Holiness of God (Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!)
Pay the price for the Kingdom of God and to take up the cross daily
Bear the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23)
Paul makes it very clear that the will of God for our lives is that we should be Overcomers, sanctified continuously through the Holy Spirit.
I Thessalonians 4:3-8:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
What exactly is “Dying to self”?
Dying to self is to allow the moulding of the Potter – accepting those times of crushing, those disappointments that crush our ego, those uncomfortable circumstances that conflict our self interests, those times of rejection from the world, those times of patient endurance during trials – which denies our self of its own will, which shapes us more into His Image everyday. Dying to self is also to invite the Holy Spirit everyday and asking Him to slay our flesh whenever it raises its sinful ugly head. Dying to self is not a one time thing – it is a continuous process of surrendering of our selves to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Remember we are to walk in Spirit – which suggests that “Dying to Self” , which is nothing but “Being an Overcomer” is not a one time process, but a continuous walk with God (just like Enoch) through the leading of the Holy Spirit, which transforms our sinful souls each day into the likeness of Christ. Amen!
As a side note, being an “Overcomer” is not trusting on “deeds” rather than Grace, but in fact, it is just the opposite! Doing NOTHING of our own (through the flesh), but denying our Self and surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit and through the Grace of Jesus, we “Overcome” the flesh, the world and the Devil. Salvation is a one time process, that is by Grace through Faith in Jesus and His work on the cross. Sanctification, on the other hand, is a continuous process, through the work of the Holy Spirit. Bottom line is, we need to “walk in the Spirit” that slays the “works” of the flesh, to be an Overcomer and a true disciple of Jesus Christ!
