In this final installment of Keep the Change, we’ll be looking at the most difficult adversaries of our soul—the world and our flesh. With the devil, we can resist him and he’ll flee, but with the world, and to a greater extent our flesh, it’s not quite so easy to ward them off. However, through the power of the Holy Ghost we can tell even these formidable foes to keep the change!!!
Telling the world to keep the change:
I John 4:4 reads, “because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Through scriptures like this one we understand that we have power over the temptations of this world through the power of the Holy Ghost. Just look at these verses:
and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand (John 10:29)
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 also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (I Corinthians 10:13)
This world throws a lot at us in the way of temptation. The spirit of the world would do anything and everything possible to get us to give up, throw in the towel, and change (for the worse). However, through the power of God and the blood of Jesus Christ we are able to tell this world to keep the change!!!
Telling the flesh to keep the change:
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)
This verse written by the apostle Paul is the key to overcoming our sinful nature. There is no shortcut to being able to deny our flesh; we must walk in the spirit through prayer, fasting, the Word, holiness, godly fellowship, and assembling together.
Notice what Paul says in II Corinthians:
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (II Corinthians 7:1)
We must cleanse ourselves. This is not saying that we do the cleansing per se; obviously it’s the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. However, we must nail ourselves down to the cross and deny ourselves when temptation arises. We must perfect holiness, as said in this verse…
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)
Our flesh doesn’t like to be denied. But by doing so, we mortify or kill those deeds through the Spirit. It’s not always an easy thing to do though, just read Paul’s discussion in Romans 7:18-25. Yet, when we submit to God and walk in the Spirit, the rewards are greater than anything we can imagine.
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. (I John 2:25)
Our flesh constantly tries to change us in ways that would be displeasing to God, but what better reward could there be to deny and crucify that flesh than abundant life in this world and eternal life in the world afterwards? What better reason to tell our flesh to keep the change?
