Fight for a Spiritually Healthy Life

A child of GOD ought never to be lulled into thinking that our faith in the finished work of JESUS CHRIST and our love and passion for our Holy Father will keep us from sin. The reason? In every believer an ongoing battle between two natures is raging and threatening our spiritual health. But we have the means and the ability to win the battle for holiness and righteousness - to live spiritually healthy lives.

Before JESUS CHRIST became our SAVIOR and LORD, we had within us only the capability of an unbeliever, which is to sin; with our conversion we received the capability to resist sinning – the Spirit of GOD living within us. However, although we became a new creation in CHRIST, we still retain our old nature.

We can love and serve GOD faithfully and still be tempted towards sin, just like the Apostle Paul tells it in Romans 7 regarding his own struggles: 

• So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it.  V. 14-15
• I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature, I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. V. 18-19
• I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power^[e] within me that is at war with my mind. V. 22-23
• In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. V. 25

Like us the Apostle loves the LORD and His law and desires to do what is right but admits he is fighting a battle to stay on the right course as all of us do from time to time. If we think we don’t, we are guilty of the sin of spiritual pride and we doubt GOD’s WORD. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth…^. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:8, 10

We can and do succumb to sin but the Father has provided a way by which we can be active participants in the fight for holiness and godliness and win!

GOD gave us His Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit living in us replaces the absent CHRIST in our lives and is our guarantee and assurance that we are eternally GOD’s children. His role is all that CHRIST’s would be, if He were still here on earth – Comforter, Counselor, Guide and Helper (John 14:16). Ultimately, the Holy Spirit sanctify and cleanses us as CHRIST’s Church, which will one day be presented to Him a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:26-27

With the Holy Spirit working with us and through us we cannot lose.

The Holy Spirit warns us before we sin and convicts us when we do sin, so we can immediately confess, repent and receive the forgiveness that JESUS purchased for us at the cross.

• But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9
• You are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. Romans 8:9

The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and interpret GOD’s WORD. Every child of GOD must read the Scriptures frequently to renew our minds and change our thoughts and desires. 

• When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13
• For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12
• Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2

The Holy Spirit gives us each special abilities, or spiritual gifts, to enable us to function as the body of CHRIST – to be CHRIST’s ambassadors who glorify Him before the rest of the world. If we are using our gifts faithfully – to promote harmony among the other members of the body, we could not also risk grieving the Spirit by sinning against Him. When we fail, the entire body of CHRIST suffers and the NAME of GOD is dishonored.  

• There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. … It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 1 Corinthians 12: 1-31

When we, give ourselves completely to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives He produces spiritual fruit in us that become our godly lifestyles. These can only be evident when we give our whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God, never by the sinful workings of our flesh.

• But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23.

We are not mere onlookers in the battle for spiritually healthy lives but rather active participants along with YOUR Spirit. Ass we faithfully abide in, listen to and obey the Spirit’s commands, we have victory over the deeds of our sinful nature; being ever mindful that all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. (Romans 8:13-14).

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. Colossians 3:10

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Holy Father, ALL KNOWING, ALL POWERFUL, OMNIPOTENT GOD! EL-SHADDAI. Father, we belong to YOU and to our faithful SAVIOR and LORD, JESUS CHRIST body and soul, in life and in death, so we desire for ourselves only what YOU desire of us – to be holy as you are holy. Father we thank you that YOU never leave us to our own devices, YOU do not expect from us what YOU have not made available to us through YOUR Holy Spirit. Help us to listen, to abide and to obey, Father YOU ask so little of us and YOU have given so much; forgive us when we do not yield all that YOU have purchased for us to YOU. Thank YOU that YOU never give up on us, that once we have been called we are YOURS unto eternity and YOU ensure that no one is left behind. YOU are our good, good Father and we are so loved by YOU, WHO deserve all honor, dominion and power forever and ever!  We pray and ask all things in the matchless Name of JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile