THE CROSS: A SYMBOL OF DOMINION OVER THE FLESH IV

Rom. 7 reveals Paul’s personal struggle with the flesh. Verse 15, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” Several times, we find ourselves in such position struggling with a power that wants to influence us to do the wrong thing.

Rom. 7:23-25, “But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

How do you deal with this? Sin is an aggressive sickness that only the cross can crush. Mr flesh is nurtured by – lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and pride of life. The mind is your thinking self. The gateway to the mind is the flesh – what you see, hear, smell, touch and feel. That is the battle field. We need to keep renewing our mind by programming the mind with the word of God. The greatest programme we can put in the mind is the word of God. What are you feeding on? You are either feeding Mr Flesh or you are feeding the spirit man. When you spend the whole day on social media and television, you are building the muscle of the flesh; the muscle you build is the one that will control you. However, if you spend quality time in the presence of God – praying, studying the word and meditating on it, you are building the spirit man. When you do this, the flesh will be put under while the spirit man takes over. The spirit of God will always be in union with the will of God so that when your will crosses with the will of God, your will would submit easily because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Why are people defeated in the battle of the mind? It is because they have neglected to feed the spirit man. They have fed the carnal man instead. A lot of people find it difficult to fast because they have nurtured Mr flesh to the extent that it dictates to them. The muscle you exercise is the one that will grow.

Religion as opposed to salvation is nothing but trying to make Mr flesh behave. Crossless, bloodless Christianity is an empty ritual; if you remove the cross, there is nothing left. The blood of lion cannot remit sin neither can the blood of an eagle. The lion and eagle model is nothing but a motivational message. No eagle can penetrate the second heaven. The cross is a place of pain that is why a lot of people don’t like to hear the message. It is the place of crucifixion. Everyone wants to experience the resurrection power but how many people want to die? Without the death and burial, there cannot be resurrection. Nobody who has not been to the cross can experience the power of resurrection.

Gal. 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like: of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The works of the flesh as mentioned in the above scripture can be categorized into four: –

1. Sexual immorality
2. Occultism (which is an extension of idolatry and witchcraft)
3. All wrong attitudes in relationships including rebellion. Wherever you find rebellion, there is witchcraft.
4. Sensual self indulgence. Some preachers go to the extent of telling their congregation that masturbation is not a sin. Masturbation is a sinful habit. Behind every work of the flesh are demons. Go to the cross and mortify the flesh. Die to the old man so that the new man can come alive.

TO BE CONTINUED……..