Die, Dethrone, and Delight

Let’s be honest. Sometimes, as humans, we suck.

We wear out and we get frustrated (mostly at our own doing) and we turn to other things that give temporary satisfaction, if any at all.

What are the things you struggle with DAILY?

Maybe you’re not struggling with a serious drug addiction, but you can’t seem to keep your mouth shut around your “inner circle”?

Here are three points that I “came up with” (I like to believe that God placed them in my mind and upon my heart based on my own continuous struggles) that will help you in your daily battles against the world.

It’s as easy as ABC…D?

1) Die to Daily Desires

Like I said, what are those things that you struggle with daily?

What are the things you think about, look at again, say and wish you hadn’t, take, use, or abuse and those things you don’t think twice about but probably should?

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh along with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”

Galatians 5:24-25

Here in Galatians 5, Paul talks about life in the Spirit and how desires of our flesh are not of the Spirit and we have crucified them and belong to them no longer.

Now is the point where you say, “Well it’s not that easy!”

Yeah, you’re right.

Let me preach to myself as much as to you here:

To overcome your daily desires that are not of the spirit, it’s going to take DAILY DEATH.

Whenever that temptation hits you, say to yourself

“Lord, make me dead to this desire today”

 Don’t be above asking the Father above for help.

2) Dethrone Doubt

In the book of Kings, Elijah the prophet gets into a classic “My dad can beat up your dad” argument with the prophets of Baal.

So naturally he makes a bet:

He tells the prophets of Baal to choose two bulls and put them on separate wooden altars for a burn offering. He issues a challenge:

“Then you call on the name of our god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire- he is God” Kings 18:24

Pretty bold statement right?

Elijah even taunts them and has them pour buckets of water on his stack of wood.

Elijah trusts God’s power enough to stand in front of hundreds of people and make such a bet and yet, in our own lives, we submit to our vices because, deep down, we believe they are better and more satisfying than a God who answers by fire:

“Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil and also licked up the water in the trench” Kings 18:38

                            

Ask for the Fire of the Lord to fall down in your life and dethrone your doubts of salvation and satisfaction.

3) Delight in your Deliverance

God already knows your failures.

Past, present and future.

So it’s not a shock to the Almighty when you fall down.

God, knowing our human limitations and inclination to submit to our sinful hearts, sent his only Son to die on the cross for ALL of our sin. No matter how frequent or how ugly. He died for it.

          “When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, ‘Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance” 2 Chronicles 12:7

          “‘You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you’” 2 Chronicles 20:17

It’s like being enrolled the class “Life 101” and God is the professor.

We expect our report card to come back to us:

A- Language choice

B- Gossip

F- Lying

D- Sexual Immorality

Student Notes: Fix your sin before you can graduate!

But how blessed are we that Jesus crushed our sins on the cross!

Sure. We fail and may earn an “F” in a certain area of our walk with Christ but God sent his Son to the “Final exam” on the cross and presents us with an exemption ticket, hot off the press, with the word “GRACE” stamped on the top.

Therefore, battle your sin already knowing the outcome.

God is on your side: HE WINS!

So come face to face with your struggles, die to them, dethrone the doubt that the presence of God may not be better than the fulfillment of your fleshly desires, and battle already knowing the victorious outcome you have with Christ.