How To Fight Temptations
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THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESHAfter Jesus Christ rose from the grave and returned to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit (also called the "Spirit of Christ") to dwell inside those who trust in His payment for their debt of sin (Romans 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14). When the Holy Spirit enters our life He raises our "inner man" from spiritual death, just like Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, (Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 2:12; Eph. 3:16), thus making us a "new creation" in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). The struggle to fight temptations is the struggle between the resurrected "inner man" and the old sinful desires of the body. Not until heaven will we have new bodies that are free of sin (2 Cor. 5:1-7). Satan works around the clock to make the world a battlefield of temptations (1 Peter 5:8-9). Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can our inner man override the desires of our flesh to give into the temptations - "if, by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Romans 8:13).THE GUARANTEE OF OUR SALVATIONSatan not only wants us to struggle with temptations, but he wants that struggle to make us doubt our salvation and lose the joy of our salvation. The struggle with temptations is actually a good indicator that the Holy Spirit is alive inside us. If He wasn't then we would be comfortable with sin and freely welcome it into our lives. Once the Holy Spirit enters our life He will never leave (Hebrews 13:5). The word "guarantee" is used only three times in the Bible, and every time it refers to the Holy Spirit being the guarantee of our salvation! (Eph. 1:14; 2 Cor. 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:5). Eph. 1:13-14 - "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." 2 Cor. 5:4-5 - "For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee." 2 Cor. 1:21-22 - "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." The guarantee of our salvation is the solid foundation upon which
we fight temptations victoriously! |
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