“A Spirit Filled Life”
1/28/2007 - Marsing, ID
Ricardo Rodriguez
pastor_rr@yahoo.com
I Thess 5:23
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Y el Dios de paz os santifique en todo; para que vuestro espíritu y alma y cuerpo sea guardado entero sin reprensión para la venida de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.”
Heb 4:12
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
“Porque la palabra de Dios es viva y eficaz, y más penetrante que toda espada de dos filos: y que alcanza hasta partir el alma, y aun el espíritu, y las coyunturas y tuétanos, y discierne los pensamientos y las intenciones del corazón.”
THE MIND/FLESH – THE BATTLEGROUND OF THE SOUL
Rom 8:5-9
“5For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
“5Porque los que viven conforme á la carne, de las cosas que son de la carne se ocupan; mas los que conforme al espíritu, de las cosas del espíritu. 6Porque la intención de la carne es muerte; mas la intención del espíritu, vida y paz: 7Por cuanto la intención de la carne es enemistad contra Dios; porque no se sujeta á la ley de Dios, ni tampoco puede. 8Así que, los que están en la carne no pueden agradar á Dios. 9Mas vosotros no estáis en la carne, sino en el espíritu, si es que el Espíritu de Dios mora en vosotros. Y si alguno no tiene el Espíritu de Cristo, el tal no es de él.”
I Cor 2:14
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
“Mas el hombre animal no percibe las cosas que son del Espíritu de Dios, porque le son locura: y no las puede entender, porque se han de examinar espiritualmente.”
Today our generation and the one that is on our coattails is under attack from Satan himself. All around us Satan is pulling at our senses, we live in such a materialistic age in which our curse is the abundance of material possessions and wealth we posses.
Rev 3:17-20
“17"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: " 18"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. " 19"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. " 20"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. "
“17Porque tú dices: Yo soy rico, y estoy enriquecido, y no tengo necesidad de ninguna cosa; y no conoces que tú eres un cuitado y miserable y pobre y ciego y desnudo; 18Yo te amonesto que de mí compres oro afinado en fuego, para que seas hecho rico, y seas vestido de vestiduras blancas, para que no se descubra la vergüenza de tu desnudez; y unge tus ojos con colirio, para que veas. 19Yo reprendo y castigo á todos los que amo: sé pues celoso, y arrepiéntete. 20He aquí, yo estoy á la puerta y llamo: si alguno oyere mi voz y abriere la puerta, entraré á él, y cenaré con él, y él conmigo.”
This is where Satan Attacks our Soul, not directly because he does not have the authority from God to attack it directly but through the Carnal Body.
There are Five Gates of the Body which are:
Eye Gate: Sight
Nose Gate: Smell
Ear Gate: Hearing
Mouth Gate: Taste
Feel Gate: Touch
This is where Satan is attacking today!
Matt 5:1-15
If Jesus asked the demon its name, he did so that he might disclose this fact to his disciples. A legion was a division of the Roman army containing from four to six thousand men. (TFG 345)
If you saw a man like this running around in a cemetery today what would you think? That man is crazy. The sad thing is that many are living that type of life. Alcoholism, Drugs, perversion and so much more is in control of the lives of many and their lives are as if they were dead. Their children don’t know them, their wives, husbands don’t know them. Many like this man don’t even know their selves.
a. A legion would mean simply a vast number. A legion was a Roman army unit consisting of as many as six thousand soldiers. Can you imagine the torments of this man’s mind?
b. But when Jesus cast the devils out of him, “He was sitting and clothed and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
YOUR EYES AND YOUR MIND IS THE GATEWAY TO OUR LIVES
Seeing and hearing is the gateway to our mind: That is why Satan wants to fill the world with pornography and ungodly music, and the lustful styles of this world.
I wonder how many “Christian” parents, and parents in general have gone through their children’s CD collection, or their IPOD or MP3 player or 8 Track collection.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
EYES
1. Your Eyes are the windows of your soul: We must train our eyes and keep them under God’s control; we must see what God sees.
2. It was lust of the eye is one of the weapons of our flesh against our soul.
3. The Bible tells us to not make provision for the flesh:
a. Any provision for the flesh not only proves that we expect to fail, but it actually invites us to give in to temptation. It provides tempting possibilities for our minds, stirs up our emotions, and then conquers our wills.
James 1:13-15
“13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
“13Cuando alguno es tentado, no diga que es tentado de Dios: porque Dios no puede ser tentado de los malos, ni él tienta á alguno: 14Sino que cada uno es tentado, cuando de su propia concupiscencia es atraído, y cebado. 15Y la concupiscencia, después que ha concebido, pare el pecado: y el pecado, siendo cumplido, engendra muerte.”
b. If we pray and ask God to reveal to us those things which we have brought into our lives
which Satan uses for our defeat: Impure books or magazines, sensual records, pictures, wrong friendships, or activities. Only as we remove these from our lives will we prove that we are sincerely resisting the devil so that he will flee from us.
1. We have a direct commandment not to bring it into our homes:
Deu 7:26
“Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: [but] thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it [is] a cursed thing.”
“Y no meterás abominación en tu casa, porque no seas anatema como ello; del todo lo aborrecerás y lo abominarás; porque es anatema.”
Do you know that this is why the first king of Israel was dethroned, because he brought back to Israel things which were ungodly and because of that “Disobedience” he lost his place in the kingdom of Israel here on Earth. The Prophet asked Saul, what is that noise that my ears hear?
I Sam 15:23
“23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
2. Overcomers are not to set any wicked thing before their eyes:
Psa 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
Psa 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; [it] shall not cleave to me.
3. It pollutes the pure stream of righteous thoughts:
Phi 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
“Por lo demás, hermanos, todo lo que es verdadero, todo lo honesto, todo lo justo, todo lo puro, todo lo amable, todo lo que es de buen nombre; si hay virtud alguna, si alguna alabanza, en esto pensad.”
Matt 6:22-23
“21"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. " 22"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. " 23"But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
“22La lámpara del cuerpo es el ojo: así que, si tu ojo fuere sincero, todo tu cuerpo será luminoso: 23Mas si tu ojo fuere malo, todo tu cuerpo será tenebroso. Así que, si la lumbre que en ti hay son tinieblas, ¿cuántas serán las mismas tinieblas?”
LUST OF THE FLESH
Gal 5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
1. Our Flesh is our strongest battle (Not the devil)
2. The Scripture speaks to us, not to make provision for the flesh:
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit - The inclinations and desires of the flesh are contrary to those of the Spirit. They draw us away in an opposite direction, and while the Spirit of God would lead us one way, our carnal nature would lead us another, and thus produce the painful controversy which exists in our minds. The word “Spirit” here refers to the Spirit of God, and to his influences on the heart.
1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
“Amados, yo os ruego como á extranjeros y peregrinos, os abstengáis de los deseos carnales que batallan contra el alma.”
OVERCOMING IMPURE THOUGHTS
1. Our battle against impure thoughts is far more than a mental or physical struggle- it is spiritual warfare. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
2. Both the Spirit of God and Satan need a person’s mind, will and emotions through which they can express themselves.
3. God knows that our natural inclinations easily betray us. They betray us to lean toward the flesh and the temporal pleasures that Satan offers. (The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak)
God wants us to use the pressure of the battles to daily motivation to transform our minds to His way of thinking. This will be achieved by the taking the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Phi 2:5 ”Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR IMPURE THOUGHT INTO GOOD THOUGHT
I Cor 2:14
“14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
“Mas el hombre animal no percibe las cosas que son del Espíritu de Dios, porque le son locura: y no las puede entender, porque se han de examinar espiritualmente.”
1. Memorize the Word of God:
a. Meditate in His Word day and night:
Psa 1:2 But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
2. Develop a Consistent Prayer Life:
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Jud 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jud 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
3. Learn to Live in the Fear of God:
a. A sincere Christian cannot enjoy sensual thoughts unless he temporarily blots the presence of God out of his consciousness. If we knew that God was evaluating every one of our thoughts, we would quickly reject all those that are impure.
Pro 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil.
b. A moment - by - moment awareness that God is watching and weighing every one of our words, thoughts, actions, and attitudes.
Gen 16:13 “….Thou God seest me…”
Pro 15:3 The eyes of the LORD [are] in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
Psa 139:4 For [there is] not a word in my tongue, [but], lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
c. Learn God’s Limitation to Curiosity: Undisciplined curiosity is one of Satan’s most powerful means of defeating us in our thought lives. God has given us a marvelous intellect, but with it he gave one limitation. We are not to learn the details of evil.
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Eph 5:10-13
