Battle of the Wills!

Pastor Andrew Lim

Romans 7:17-25 So I am not really the one who does this thing; rather it is the sin that lives in me. I know that good does not live in me- that is, in my human nature. For even though the desire to do good is in me, I am not able to do it. I don't do the good I want to do; instead, I do the evil that I do not want to do. If I do what I don't want to do, this means that I am no longer the one who does it; instead, it is the sin that lives in me.

So I find that this law is at work; when I want to do what is good, what is evil is the only choice I have. My inner being delights in the law of God. But I see a different law at work in my body- a law tha fights against the law which my mind approves of. It makes me a prisoner to the law of sin which is a work in my body. What an unhappy man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is taking me to death? Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ!

This then, is my condition: on my own I can serve God's law only with my mind, while my human nature serves the law of sin.

*We will experience such struggle in our lives
*desire for us to enjoy sin
*before, during and after we know we are not suppose to sin
*eg: lying, gossiping, lust, adultery
*spirit man and the old self

John 3:6 A person is born physically of human parents, but he is born spiritually of the Spirit.

Romans 8:5 Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human natue wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.

1 Corinthians 5:4-5 As you meet together (the body and the Spirit), and I meet with you in my spirit,by the power of our Lord Jesus present with us, you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in he Day of the Lord

Galatians 3:3 How can you be so foolish! You began by God's Spirit; do you now want to finish by your own power?

Galatians 5:16 What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.

*influences our mind to do actions, war for control of our mind

1 John 2 - Christ our Helper

*lust of flesh, eyes and pride
*depends who is in control
*mind completely in tune with Spirit-man should be adhered
*how we react with situation, deal with temptation depends on how strong the spirit man is
*the way we live our lives- starving spirit man and obese carnal man
*When we face temptation, our carnal man will overpower us


*Strong defense
-strengthening the Spirit man- stronger than the carnal man

Ephesians 3:16 I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves.

Romans 10:17 So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

*Faith makes our spirit man strong
*Know the word of God can we counteract the lies of carnal ma
eg: "You are worthless in the eyes of God but knowing the Word of God reassures that God died for me and he will always be happy for me."

*Offense
*Making the carnal man weaker
*Cut off the enemies supply
*What are the things that you can supply- self help, books, political views that strenghten your carnal man but may cost your entertainment. It is a price that you must pay
*Abstinence - restraining
eg: fasting- giving up food- making the carnal man weaker, denying the flesh, cravings.
fidelity - giving up spending
silence- giving up talking
solitude- giving up company of people
chastity- giving up sexual intercourse

*Do not let the lies of the enemy say you cannot fast. Your spirit man is stronger then. You can hear God better. Fast with prayer

Conclusion
Galatians 6:7-8 Do not decieve yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. A person will reap exactly what he sows. If he sows in the field of his natural desires, from it he will gather the harvest of death; if he sows in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit he will gather the harvest of eternal life.

Romans 8:7-8 And so a person becomes an enemy of God when he is controlled by his human nature; for he does not obey God's law, and in fact he cannot obey it. Those who obey their human nature cannot please God.

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**