By Chijioke Nwauche
(Sunday 25th May, 2008)
[For a printable version click here.]
Galatians 5 vs 16 “This I say then, Walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fufill the lust of the flesh”.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
The devil has caused us to believe that because of the weakness (infirmity) of our flesh, the sin (flesh) nature is common to all men and there is nothing any man can do to be free from it. But God through Paul brings a key for us in Romans 6 vs 19.
Romans 6 vs 19 “I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness”.
The fact that you find yourself taken down unto uncleanness, unto sin, unto iniquity is an indication by God that you also have the ability to say “no more, I turn around and I yield myself unto God and unto righteousness and unto holiness”. This brings support to what we have heard about the flesh. There is ability in us to overcome the flesh.
God desires to raise an army that is not affected by their circumstance or situation. Learn wisdom brethren and answer the devil not a word. Turn the battle to the gates, seek the Lord and draw near to God and He will draw near to you. The battle is the Lord’s.
…Bro I. Urias.
There are five dimensions I would like us to examine in the matter of walking in the Spirit – The blood, the Spirit, the word, being in Zion and having what you commonly call “quiet time”. Today we shall look at the general principles of walking in the spirit.
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
Galatians 5 v 25 “If ye live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the spirit”.
There is a difference between living (being) in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit. As a born again child of God, you are automatically said to be in the Spirit. It is given to you. If the Spirit of God is in you, you are in the Spirit. If you are covered by the blood, you are in the Spirit. If you are saved by the word, you are in the Spirit. If you are part of the body of Christ, you are in the Spirit, but walking in the Spirit, that is a different matter entirely.
The challenge for us now is not only to live in the Spirit but to walk (remain) in the Spirit. Walking or remaining in the Spirit is the battle we have to fight, this is the overcoming.
Galatians 5 v 24 “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its affections and lust”. (KJV)
If we are living in the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives (NLV)
“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the lower nature with the passions and appetites”
The Lord has promised “As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth”. Be encouraged brethren to press on.
Galatians 5 vs 17 “For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Vs 18 “But if ye be lead of the spirit you are not under the law”
The natural evil desire of the flesh has been crucified and nailed to the cross. Jesus a young man with such a precious life gave up himself, he denied the flesh and crucified it There was another young man, Isaac, who had his whole life before him, he was willing to give up his life when his father (Abraham) laid him on the altar. Let us be instructed brethren to walk in the Spirit, not to be visitors to heaven but fixed dwellers in heaven. “This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” So the problem is not the lust of the flesh, the solution is in walking in the Spirit.
If we walk in the Spirit, we will not follow the dictates of the flesh. (you will not sin). The strength of death is sin. It is sin that brings death (both physical and spiritual death). When sin goes away, the power of death is (naturally broken). (Walking in the flesh = sin = death Walking in the Spirit = righteousness = life)
Judgment is coming upon every man that operates in these dimensions (levels) of the flesh. We know judgment is coming on humanity. The judgment is for those who are in the flesh (those at the lower level). This necessitates then that every part of my being, my will, my emotions, my mind must not be found in the flesh realm (I should be found in Christ). This is the prophetic burden at this time. For God will judge all sin. So my emotions better get to Christ (out of the flesh), if my emotions are to escape judgment. Paul said that I might be found in him not having my own righteousness.
It is no fable then that there is a place we can come to in our Christian experience where sin becomes a thing of the past. To walk in the Spirit, we must overcome the flesh completely. The flesh is not almighty. There is no aspect of the flesh that you can not overcome. This is the prophetic burden of the hour.
What does it mean to walk in the flesh? What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?
Galatians 5 vs 24; helps us establish more clearly the difference between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh.
There is evidence to show if a man is walking by the flesh.
Galatrians 5 v 19 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest; which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanliness (impurity, whoredoms, immorality), lasciviousness (indecency, excess, absence of restraint). We can summarize them under one heading; unclean sexual manifestations, appetites, whoredoms, dealings or emotions. It includes all the simple mannerisms, dressings and attitudes that suggest sexual uncleanliness (including pornography). These fruits or character traits will be found in a man who is walking by the flesh. These wantonness and mannerism of sexual uncleanliness are not Christ like.
v 20 “Idolatory, witchcraft, strife, seditions (grouping i.e forming clicks), heresies. These traits deal with aspects of anger in its various forms and shades. It includes malice, slandering, gossiping, quarrelling, intrigues (guile), contentious tempers, selfish ambitions, etc.
v 21 “Envyings, murders (revelings), drunkenness; The drunkenness here includes any thing that intoxicates like strong wine, that which overwhelms, consumes and controls you completely. It could be the love of your job, your wife/husband or a desire for a wife or husband (burnings), the love for money, food, etc. if you find yourself manifesting these character traits, you are in the flesh and in danger of judgment.
Galatians 5 v 21b “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 truth Brethren is that Gods throne cannot be established in a man who is overwhelmed by the flesh. In simpler terms, this would mean such people shall not experience that place of spiritual authority.
When you walk by the spirit, you will manifest joy, peace (the peace of God that passes all understanding), longsuffering, gentleness, goodness (being naturally good), meekness (mildness that is allowed to control excess power), temperance (self control), faith, Galatians 5 v 22, 23.
Jesus Christ walked in the Spirit while upon this physical earth. Jesus is the pattern. He walked upon this earth as a man but manifested God completely in the flesh. Man saw God express himself through a human being, Jesus of Nazareth. He had all the power of heaven at his disposal, yet he walked in meekness. He had the power and authority but he administered it in such a way that men were able to receive correction without being destroyed. (Matthew 26 v 52, 53, 54), that is meekness Brethren.
He was tempted in all points as a young man and not as God, yet without sin. You can do the same.
We are armed brethren with the Spirit of God. Let us not be like the men of Ephraim who turned back in the day of battle. Let us therefore not succumb to the flesh. The flesh has no power to compel you to manifest its fruits for Jesus Christ has broken the power of death over us. Examine yourself whether you are in the faith. Resist the devil and his temptations to cause you to walk in the flesh.
You can walk in the spirit while on this physical earth. You can be gentle, it is not a sign of weakness, you can have self control over your emotions, your desires, over the expression of your mind or will. Self control is a thing of the Spirit. You can express joy (a joy not only produced when you have money). You can be meek (meekness is when one who has so much authority but can administer it in such a way that men can received the authority and the correction. It is mildness that controls excessive power). You can have joy constantly dwelling in your heart; it will well up like a spring (a fountain) irrespective of whether you have money in your bank account or not. (The joy of the Lord is your strength). You can have peace irrespective of the circumstance around you, even in the face of grave danger, you can be naturally good, without any alternative motives, you are good to everyone around you even the ones that do not like you or do not do you good, you can express faith, it comes to you naturally.
When people are pessimistic (oh I cannot receive help) you are naturally full of faith, (you say “it is well”). You wake up in the morning and you believe “today will be better than yesterday”, while the man that does not have faith believes that today cannot be good because yesterday was bad. You believe that because Jesus lives, you can face tomorrow. When men are cast down, you say “there is a lifting up” (Job 22 vs 29). Brethren walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the dimensions of the flesh.
You have the ability to express yourself in the realm of the flesh and in the realm of the Spirit. It is a long standing deception that the devil has put out to men that we cannot walk easily in the Spirit as we do in the flesh. You can walk in the Spirit brethren. A man can walk this earth and manifest God in the fullness. Jesus is your perfect example.
Romans 8 v 29. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
We must be strong to believe this. Refuse to be pulled down in the flesh, refuse to be tossed to and fro between the spirit and the flesh. 1 hour in the spirit, 5 hours in the flesh. It is time to fight brethren. Get out of the carnal, you cannot live 99% in the flesh and expect that you will manifest the fruits of the Spirit.
TESTIMONY OF WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
2 Chronicles 20 gives an account of Jehoshaphat’s battle plan as he stood against the enemy. There are principles we can learn from his story.
1) Jehoshaphat was standing against a host (flesh).
A great host made up of Moab, Amon and Edom (representing the flesh) came up against Jehoshaphat. This is how the devil comes, all at the same time, he mounts pressure from different angles on you, his intention is that you react or walk in the flesh. Jehoshaphat did not succumb, rather he turned to God, with God there is always a way out. No matter the fierceness of the host, look out for the way of escape God is providing. The mere fact that the host has come up against you means that the grace has already been made available for you.
1st Corinthians 10 v 13 “ There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation, provide a way to escape, that he may be able to bear it”. You must realize that you are in battle for your souls.
2) Jehoshaphat feared.
Fear is one of the greatest weapons of the enemy. Often times, we fear. We live under the real threat of the fear of death. But the bible enjoins us not to fear. Fear is a spirit. Bind it and cast it out of your heavens. Resist it. Love not your life unto the death (Rev 12 v 11). This is your means to overcoming. Borrow a leaf from some of the brethren of old, those martyrs; some were thrown to the lions but they died singing, they defied the “fear of death”. As long as we are operating at the level where fear can affect us, all the other weapons we have will not function. We must overcome fear because it is a door way to the flesh. Jehoshaphat feared but praise God; he turned himself to seek the Lord. This is the point of deliverance; the ability to turn from fear. When he turned from fear to seek the Lord, he turned from fear (flesh) to faith (seeking God).
3) Learn to arise when you fall.
Jehoshaphat, when he fell to the flesh (fear), he did not stay there; he arose and turned to the Lord for help. The point here is not the falling; but the ability to arise from the place where you have fallen. Though we fall, let us rise and follow on. Be like David and learn to encourage yourself in the Lord. If there is no challenge, then there will be no real testimony i.e. there will be nothing to overcome.
4) Learn to seek God
We must learn to seek the Lord. When you face a challenge, turn your face to the Lord. Get into your closet, shut the door and say, Lord what do I do? This is what Jehoshaphat did; and the word of the Lord came to him in the midst of the camp. Seek the Lord brethren, by praying, fasting, in fellowship, etc. and the word (the direction) of the Lord will come to you. And when he speaks, be it by the word of counsel, a vision, a clear direction, etc, do as he says. That is the way of deliverance, the way of escape.
It is futile to look for salvation else where. Trusting in the wisdom of men will fail you. It is the word of the Lord you need. We must be a people that seek the will of the Lord. We must learn to order ourselves and our brethren to seek the Lord.
4) Learn to bring heaven down into your physical situations.
You cannot fight the devil on your own. There is nothing in you to stop the devil physically. But the power of God released on your behalf will stop satan dead in his tracks. Even Jehoshaphat began to praise the Lord God came down and destruction came upon the camp of the enemy, suddenly they began to fight amongst themselves. Learn to bring heaven into the challenges that you face. If you want to build a house, pray, invite heaven into it. If you are going out, pray and invite heaven into it. Let heaven rule all your activities. Bring down spiritual ambushments upon the enemy and you will be victorious.
Infact,, the greater your problems, the more your potentials in God. God can make your enemies bread before you. The more our problems are, the greater the opportunity for blessings. Jehoshaphat took the spoil when the Lord rose on his behalf. Thank God for the situations that resist you, call upon the Lord and the Lord will send down ambushments upon the enemy. Tribulation worketh patience. Rise above complaining and murmuring and strive to walk in the Spirit and overcome the flesh.
IT PAYS TO REMEMBER…
MAY OUR COVENANT WITH DEATH BE BROKEN O LORD
There is a time to be born and there is a time to die. There is a time when a covenant is made and there is a time when a covenant is broken.
A time was when we made covenants with death, but today we rejoice because the word of the Lord says this is the season when the covenant that we have made with death is broken. Hallelujah. In whatever ramification that covenant speaks off, today we come to declare that by the word of the Lord we are made free. The covenant that our forefathers made that was ratified and accepted by us in our actions, today we come to a place where we have come of age; we have the right to decide what we want and we look at all the options and we say we want life!!! With open faces without being cajoled or forced; of our own free will this hour, we choose life. We choose that the old covenant of death be broken. The people of God stand on this ground today and we say unto you death! Your strength has been broken. The scripture says we cannot walk under sin because we are no longer under the law. Yes sin shall not have dominion over us. We come to attack the instruments (the things that give strength to) death. We cut off every allegiance, every agreement to be angry, every agreement to commit fornication or adultery, every agreement to lie no matter the circumstance. For a people (Daniel, Meshack and Abedinego) were brought to a tight corner; they were commanded to bow to the image, but they declared to the king that the covenant that had been broken will not be ratified because of the fear of death. So the things that have been put together to force us (to insist on us) to bow, we bind you in the name of Jesus. We speak this to every circumstance of sickness, of pain, of poverty, of the desire for wife/husband, all things that put us in a tight corner, to rope us in; that which wants us to continue to stay in darkness, we command in the name of Jesus for every reproach of Egypt to be rolled away this hour and we say death we have the victory over you. For all things belong to us. Life belongs to us. We have the authority to put death where it belongs. You will not have the rule over us. Let the earth be silent because God is in His holy temple.
Oh flesh (lower nature) you shall not speak. Be silent perpetually. We silence you in the name of Jesus Christ. We cut off all the things that supply you with strength. Every conduit pipe which the enemy has secretly passed into our souls to draw out life from us, we come this hour to shut them up in the name of Jesus. And we enter into a new covenant, a covenant of life. Hallelujah. We reject death, we reject sin, we reject the walks of the flesh. Yes. Works of the flesh you will no longer be mentioned amongst us. Uncleanness, lasciviousness you will no longer be mentioned amongst us. The torment of fear we bind you in Jesus name. We have lived for many years through many circumstances and we have survived. Oh fear of death, we put a knife on your neck and we cut you off. Our decisions shall be not based on the fear of death, today we shall not only be a people who overcome by the word of our testimony but we also overcome by not loving our lives unto the death. We receive, O God, by the strength of your word an ability to jeopardize our lives for the sake of the kingdom. We receive a boldness oh God over the things which represent lions, over that which represent the fiery furnace. Those which say “you will not be promoted, we will take your right away, you are of no value” etc, we overcome you today for it is written we shall trample on serpents and scorpions and over every work of the enemy. Lord we thank you. We have prayed in Jesus name.
Bro. Yaguo Ide