Romans 8:6 - Battle Between The Flesh And The Spirit.
Romans 8:6 - Battle Between The Flesh And The Spirit.
Romans 8:6 (NIV) The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind
controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
Romans 8:6 (NLT) So letting your sinful nature control your mind
leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life
and peace.
So many illustrations have been offered to clarify what Paul
was saying here. Some speak of a tug-of-war between the Spirit and
the flesh. Whichever side you choose to pull with will win. Some
suggest a teeter-totter. The sinful nature is on one end, the Holy
Spirit on the other. And you tip the balance.
These, and other illustrations, make a common point. There's
a competition between God and man's mortal, sinful nature. The
Spirit urges us to go in one direction and the flesh urges us to go
another. And, each of us can choose. We can choose to follow the Spirit's
leading, to pull with the Spirit, to add our weight to His side of the
teeter-totter. Or we can choose to go the way of the flesh.
How gracious God is. Even now, He does not say "You must."
That would be Law. Instead He reminds us that, because of Christ, and
in the power the Spirit gives, "You can!" [The 365-Day Devotional
Commentary]
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle
that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2
wolves.
"One is Evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority and ego.
The other is God. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion,
and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8CHjX8HauA&feature=related.]
"You can!" is one of the hardest things for a Christian to
truly believe. We're so used to failure that down deep many of us are
convinced, "Well, I can't!"
When that conviction overwhelms you, remember the nature of
God's power. God's power, exercised by the Holy Spirit, raised Jesus
from the dead. That same power, exercised by the Holy Spirit, is
fully capable of taking your mortality--your deadness--and making you
live! And, this same verse says, His Spirit "lives in you."
Of course "I can't." But because God's Spirit lives in every
true believer (v. 9b), you can!
To approach any spiritual challenge with the confidence that
"I can" isn't presumption, it's faith. Faith that God's Spirit
living in you will give you the power you need, despite your mortality,
to succeed rather than fail.
Actually, this is how you and I add our weight to that inner
tug-of-war, or climb on the Spirit's side of that teeter-totter. We say, "I
can," confident that the Spirit will act in and through us.
And then, we do! [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
There are so many forces in the world that aim to control our
minds: the media, trends and advertising, secular philosophy, and
materialism. Yet none of these brings us real life. Through computers,
television, malls, and music, the enemy comes in like a flood to distract
us, capture our minds, and dominate our thoughts. There's also our
own sinful nature, which today's verses say will lead to death if we
give over the controls of our life to it. But the good news is in the
last part of verse 6: "If the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there
is life and peace." Yielding our minds and thoughts to Christ Jesus
will result in a spirit of calmness, a quiet confidence that he is in
control no matter what is happening in the world around us. When the
Spirit controls us, we are able to think about things that please God
and, as this verse describes, he will allow our hearts to experience
life and peace. Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) [Praying Through The Bible
By Fuller]
Seek My face, and you will find not only My Presence but also
My Peace. To receive My Peace, you must change your grasping,
controlling stance to one of openness and trust. The only thing you can
grasp without damaging your soul is My hand. Ask My Spirit within you
to order your day and control your thoughts, for the mind
controlled by the Spirit is - Life and Peace.
You can have as much of Me and My Peace as you want, through
thousands of correct choices each day. The most persistent choice you face
is whether to trust Me or to worry. You will never run out of
things to worry about, but you can choose to trust Me no matter what. I
am an ever-present help in trouble. Trust Me, though the earth give
way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. [Jesus Calling
by Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2010/20100530-2133.html
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON EXPERIENCING GOD:
http://sda.biggytv.com/watch/Revive!_-_Dwight_Nelson:_Experiencing_Gods_Grace/revive/
BIBLE PROPHECY SERIES ON REVELATION:
http://revelationtodaylive.com/live
ONLINE BIBLE STUDIES: THUNDER IN THE HOLY LAND
Send email request to fggibbs@aBible.com
