"The Battle Within"
"Knowing Our Enemy" series - Part 3
Text: Gal. 5:16-17; Rom 7:21-23 & Selected
Cross Creek Community Church
July 9, 2000
God’s Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Up to Date!
Galatians 5:16-17 "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."
Romans 7:21-23 "So I find this law at work: When 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 the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members."
Part 1 - KNOWING OUR ENEMY - Sin
Part 2 - KNOWING OUR ENEMY - World
Part 3 - KNOWING OUR ENEMY - Our Old Nature
It is one thing to accept what Christ has done for us - but quite another thing to experience our salvation as personal and real.
* How many believe it is good to read your Bible everyday?
* How many believe it is good to pray every day?
* How many believe it is good to faithfully attend your Church?
* How many has bad habits as a Christian which you struggle with?
Probably everyone would answer YES - I believe that! Now we are beginning to see the crux of our message.
Paul said, the things I know I should do - I don’t do; The things I don’t want to do - I do!
This morning we are going to examine our "inner battle" - the conflict which takes place inside of you. As a Christian we have everyday struggles between our old nature and our new nature. We’re also going to learn from God’s Word how to gain the victory for this type of battle we all struggle with.
The first thing we will look at, are our two natures.
1. The natural, unsaved man is DEAD in sin.
Ephes. 2:1-3 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
* There is no "little spark" of goodness in our naturally born selves - we are dead.
* God says that we are dead in our transgressions and sins. How dead is dead?
* DEAD - totally unable to produce life or righteousness, or to come back to life - dead.
Romans 3:10-12
As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good,
not even one."
* We are alienated from God, Hostile to Him, Our sin makes us totally deprived and wanting.
* The whole human race stands before God lost, dead in our sins.
2. The unnatural, saved man is ALIVE in Christ.
Ephes. 2:4-5 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
* Praise God - God steps into the picture, by sending His only Son Jesus.
* God made us alive in Christ by His grace (unmerited favor, we were DEAD & He made us ALIVE).
* Through the power of the Holy Spirit the fallen Spirit of man is regenerated, new birth, born again, born anew, saved, literally ’born from above’ - God the Holy Spirit does a miracle within us. Personal Salvation.
Titus 3:4-5
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
* God the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer. 1Co. 6:19; Rom 8:5-11; Eph. 1:13-14; Jn. 14:17 and many other passages.
1 Cor. 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Ephes. 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession--to the praise of his glory.
We are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. (example of redeeming a coupon, etc.)
* You can start to see the battle lines being drawn within you, can’t you?
* These "Two Natures" produce a battle within us with results.
* Fruit (deeds) is ALWAYS produced (either good or bad).
1. Old Sinful Nature Gal. 5:19-21 - Bad Fruit
Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
2. New Spiritual Nature Gal. 5:22-23 - Good Fruit
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Can you hear Paul crying out? The things I know I should do, I don’t do; The things I don’t want to do, I do!
VICTORY - The Spirit Filled Life
1. Realize that every sinful act is committed twice:
* In our MIND.
* In our ACTIONS.
* Critical - We must win this battle in our minds!
* Don’t get caught up focusing on the wrong things - your sin, the externals. If you do, you will get victory today but not tomorrow, very inconsistent, and very discouraging.
* Then you too will be crying out as Paul did in Romans 7.
Romans 8:5-8
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
* Notice carefully what verse 5 says.
* The Battleground is in the mind - win there and your external life WILL change!
Your wants & desires, your priorities, your loves, your hates, your bad habits will begin to disappear being replaced by good habits and disciplines, your friends change, your perspective of things all begin to change, WHY? Because-
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
* When we win the battle in our minds - the battle of loving the world becomes much easier.
* Tremendous benefits - we become more like Christ, as we grow Spiritually mature.
2. Winning the battle, in our minds:
* FILL your mind with God’s Word.
* Hear, Read, Study, Memorize and Mediate then Apply what you learn.
* We forget 95% of what we hear within 72 hours!
* David said, "Your Word have I hid in my heart (mind), that I might not sin against you"
David gives us some examples that will help us defeat our Goliath. 1Sam. 17:26-50
* FACE the reality of the battle. V26 & 32
* Ignoring the problem will not make it go away.
* David faced the enemy, He stood up to Goliath.
* We need to face our sin, stand up against our Goliath - understand we can’t do it alone.
* Fully understand the battle is won or lost in your mind - before the actual external conflict.
* FOCUS on Christ (no detours). V38-39
* We often experience distractions - stay focused on your Lord.
* Sometimes our strongest distractions are the ones closest to us (Jesus rebuking peter).
* Focus on the battle in your mind - start obeying the Word, deliberately doing the Word.
* Walk by FAITH. V37
* David trusted in the faithfulness of God - so should we.
* How are we saved? By FAITH - we live and walk our lives the same way!
* Is GOD ABLE to take this bad habit from me? Is God strong enough to deliver me from alcohol, tobacco, lust, homosexuality, pornography, bad attitudes, or our non-chalant approach to God.
* We serve a powerful, almighty God - who is able, we need to exercise a walk of faith.
3. Experience new:
1 Samuel 17:45-47
David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give all of you into our hands."
* FORGIVENESS
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
* FELLOWSHIP
1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
* FREEDOM
Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
* FRUITFULNESS
Col. 1:10
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
The battle within is won through Christ, allow Him to work in a powerful way, in YOUR life TODAY!
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