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Victory Over the Flesh

Last year I uploaded an article on how to keep your New Year’s resolutions. It can be found here. While studying this morning I found some old notes that inspired me on a similar line. Below are the notes and then some facts I drew from scriptures that are at the end of the article.

What is will power?  It wasn’t made to battle against principalities and powers.  It wasn’t given to overcome the flesh.  It was made so that we can say yes to God, so that we can have free choice.  Of course, I can obey the Bible and do what God says, because God is my ability to win over sin and evil; I draw from Him all I need.  It is not improving my flesh but depending on His strength and walking in the Spirit that gives me the ability.  Because of this, all I need do is believe and receive, and what I have been is the past makes no difference.

Keys to scripturally gain control over your flesh:

  • The power of the old man and the flesh was already broken so that I am no longer its slave.  I can do it!
  • Do it by faith not works.  Focus on the Spirit and relationship more than outward things.  You are no longer under law (rules) but under grace (relationship & fellowship).
  • I walk not in newness of spirit and not oldness of letter.  I am joined to Him in order to bear fruit for God.  The fruit of the Spirit comes only by abiding in constant fellowship with Him and yielding to Him.
  • No matter how much I love God and desire to do His will, my flesh is still flesh and has no power to obey the word (which is spiritual) and do what I desire to do.
  • Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God.  Believe that your flesh no longer has the mastery and that you CAN be in control.
  • It is not in me (in my own flesh or will power) to do what I want to do.  The willing is present, but the doing is not.  There is a law of sin and death that dwells in my flesh.  Because of this God had to provide an alternate way of victory.
  • The only way to not carry out the desire of the flesh is to walk in and through the spirit (this is abiding in Him, joined to Him, walking in newness of spirit and not oldness of letter).
  • Jesus did what I couldn’t do and overcame my flesh for me.  Now I can walk out my victory with Him, yielding to Him and trusting in Him in each instance.
  • Now I can fulfill His requirements and live in control of my life when I walk according to the spirit and not the flesh.
  • I am under no obligation to follow my flesh.
  • He who has given life to my spirit will also give life to my body as I yield to Him.  Since I live by the Spirit I also walk by the Spirit.
  • My victory over the world (including my flesh) is through Faith.  Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.  Faith is the victory to me being in control over my flesh.
  • Through the law I died to the law that I might live to God.
  • I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but He who lives through me.
  • The life I live in the flesh I live by faith in Him who loves me and did everything for my victory and is there to walk it out with me and through me.
  • I began by the spirit and I walk out my salvation in the same manner.  Since I live by the Spirit I also walk by the Spirit.  He who gave life to my spirit will quicken also my mortal body so that I can live and do what I want to do rather than what my flesh demands.
  • This all works by faith.  I see it in the Word, I believe it and speak it over myself.  Then I walk it out.
  • A key to victory in walking by faith is to believe it and speak it even before I am living it perfectly.  Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

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Written on January 3rd, 2012 , Change & Growth, How To..., Victory Always
No Limitations – Believing Beyond the Possible

All Things are Possible

We need to learn to believe beyond what we think we can believe.  All things are possible with God. And  all things are possible to whoever will learn to believe beyond the limitations of their own mind and the common thoughts of the world around them. all things are possible to those who learn to think like God.

Mark 9:27; Matthew 19:26 – With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.  We need to believe for things  that only God can get done.

Jeremiah 32:17 – Nothing is too difficult for God.

We need to renew our minds to believe these things in our lives.  We need to expand our thinking and learn to think like God.

Luke 1:37, 38 – For not any word (nothing) will be impossible with God.  …Be it done to me according to your Word.

Job 42:2 – I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Genesis 18:10-14 – Is anything to difficult for the Lord.

Zechariah 8:6 (Living) – This is what the Lord Almighty says:  All this may seem impossible to you now, a small and discouraged remnant of God’s people.  But do you think this is impossible for me, the Lord Almighty?

Mark 9:23 – All things are possible to him who believes.  If you believe, you are powerful,  able and capable.  If you don’t believe you are powerless, weak and impotent.

Matthew 17:19-20 – If you have faith… nothing shall be impossible to you.

Luke 5:1-9 – Launch out into the deep.

Stretch your thinking.  Expand your expectation.  It is time again to expand your thinking and believing, to see and grasp more.

Strip off the old man with its unrenewed parts and unscriptural ways of thinking.  Put on the new man – all of the things God has made you.  Stretch out to embrace the good things you have seen in the Word and that your heart bears witness to with great excitement.

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Written on July 30th, 2011 , Faith, Victory Always
You CAN Change!

Last week we talked about some of the wonderful things God has done for us. (SEE ARTICLE).  This week we will talk a little about how to apply them to our lives.

There are no limitations!

As Far as I can See I Can Have!!!Whatever you can see, whatever you can believe – YOU can have!

Genesis 13:14-17 – …lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are…for all the land which you see I will give to you…arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you.

Joshua 1:3 – Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses.

Deuteronomy 11:23-25 – Then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.  Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea [the Mediterranean] your territory shall be.  There shall no man be able to stand before you; the Lord your God shall lay the fear and the dread of you upon all the land that you shall tread, as He has said to you.

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Written on March 21st, 2011 , Change & Growth, Victory Always
Freedom from Fear – The Bible Answer

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.

In this one very popular verse on fear is the perfect and complete answer to victory over fear.

  • Power
  • Love
  • A sound and disciplined mine

These are three forces that will overcome fear when applied.  It isn’t just a matter of saying the scripture, but of doing what it says.  God tells us over and over again not to fear.  This verse contains tools that will lead to your victory.

POWER – Jesus has defeated the enemy. He has taken away his power against us, completely disarmed him and given us the authority over him. He has raised us up to it in heavenly places with Him far above all of the troubles of life.

Colossians 1:13 – We are delivered from the authority and dominion of darkness.

Matthew 28:18 – All authority in heaven and earth was given Him (and us in Him).  (See Ephesians 1:20-22; 2:6)

Luke 10:19 – We have power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall harm us.

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Written on February 26th, 2011 , How To..., Victory Always
A Present Help Part 2

This is a completion of a teaching from two weeks ago, “A Present Help”.  If you missed the first part, you can find it here.

God’s Help is Real and Always There – You Must Draw Near and Take it

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Living – God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

God is always with me, a very present help in trouble, always ready to help in times of trouble. Sometimes we feel like He is far away or that He won’t help, but according to the Word, He is near and will help – always!  every time!  How do we get the help He offers?

Hebrews 2:18 – For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Amp – able (immediately) to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried…

Hebrews 4:14-16 – For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Amp – that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it).

The Lord is touched with the feelings of your infirmities, He always is moved with compassion and cares what you are going through, but that alone isn’t enough.  He is willing to help, but is moved to help you when you come boldly and TAKE of the mercy and grace that is always there. He will help me always!

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God is able and willing to come to my aid when I am tempted.  Every Time!

The first step is to know He is there and will help.  The second step and the step which is most important is that you act on your knowledge and come boldly to His throne of mercy and TAKE; RECEIVE what you have need of in every time of need – just as the scripture above says – appropriate help and well timed help coming just when we need in in every time of need.

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Written on February 12th, 2011 , Faith, Victory Always
A Present Help

This week I’ll begin talking about God being a present help to us in every situation we find ourselves in.  Next week, I’ll get into talking about how there is always a way out any situation of life.

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Living – God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

God is always with me, a very present help in trouble, always ready to help in times of trouble. Sometimes we feel like He is far away or that He won’t help, but according to the Word, He is near and will help. We need to put the Word above our feelings to enjoy its benefits.

Hebrews 4:2 – …For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

God helps those who trust in Him. He wants to help us all, but we can limit what He is able to do in our lives but our unbelief, by not trusting Him to do what He said He would do.

The Lord delights in us when we believe in His mercy, and then He is able to help us and make things well with us. He takes pleasure in those not with great ability but those who worship Him and hope in His mercy.

Psalm 35:27 – Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant.

KJV – …Let the Lord be magnified which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

Living – Great is the Lord, who enjoys helping His servant.

The Lord is near and He enjoys helping us. He wants to call on Him in our times of trouble so that He CAN rescue us.

Psalm 50:14-15 - Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High; call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.

Living – …I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give me glory.

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Written on January 29th, 2011 , Presence of God, Victory Always
How to Cast Your Cares on the Lord

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FEAR?  ABOUT WORRIES AND ANXIETIES?  DON’T DO IT.  DON’T HAVE THEM.

Though we know we are to not worry and that we are to cast our cares on the Lord, how many actually do it?  This isn’t because we aren’t willing to but because WE DON’T KNOW HOW; and we don’t actually think we CAN do it.  There is an underlying thought that we excuse our worrying with, “God knows I can’t do that.”

But why did God tell us so many times not to fear, not to have anxieties or worries?  Because He doesn’t want us to do it and He knew it could be a constant temptation. He told us not to worry not just to give us another thing to have to do to please Him but because He actually cares for us. Worry, fear, stress – these are things we are not designed to carry, things that will kill our bodies over time. So it would benefit us greatly to learn how to do what God says to do and then to actually DO IT.

(See February 26 article on Freedom from Fear).

1 Peter 5:7 (Amplified) – Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all you concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Phillips – You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern.

Living Bible – Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.

In the Bible, we are told not to worry and many, many times we are told to “fear not.”  Here is a link to a document listing over 50 of these instances not including the ones telling us not to worry or be anxious. How many times does God have to tell us something before we actually think we have to do it?

Thank God the Bible doesn’t just tell us WHAT to do; but also teaches us HOW TO do it.

The key here to successfully getting your cares to stay on Him lies in the end of the verse, “because He cares for you.”  If you don’t know how much He actually cares for you, you can’t rest and trust in Him and let go of you cares, and they will keep coming back. As some of the translations say, “He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully,” “You are His personal concern,” “He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” These kinds of thoughts are the cure to worry, anxiety and fear.

Throughout His Word, God doesn’t just tell us not to fear; He always gives us reasons to not fear.  He says such things as, “fear not, FOR I am with you,” fear not, FOR I will help you,” “fear not, FOR I will never leave your nor forsake you.” Take a look at these Fear not scriptures and look for reasons not to fear.

It is the reality and awareness of His love, care and present help that pushes out the fear; it is not just trying to stop being afraid and striving to stop worrying.  It must be replaced at the very depth of your beliefs with the knowledge that He actually does care about you, is with you and will take care of you.

Casting your cares on the Lord involves a trading of your present anxious thoughts with thoughts of Him, of His love, His care, His character and His sure promises.  But it is at more than a superficial level.  You must replace the thoughts at the level of your heart.  That sometimes takes time.  Taking the time to replace your thoughts and renew your mind to His love and care is not as hard as struggling to believe and make your cares stay on Him – year after year after year, until you finally just give up. Take hold of Him and focus your mind on Him. This will force the cares out. You can get rid of cares by taking the time, effort and concentration to enter His presence through praise and worship and letting your mind focus on Him and His good promises rather than the problems you are tempted to worry about.

Knowing and believing His perfect love for you will displace the fear.  It will push it out and replace it.  As it says in the Amplified Bible, perfect, complete love will turn fear out the door and expel every trace of terror.

1 John 4:16-18 – We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.  God is love…There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels ever trace of terror!  For fear brings with it the thought of punishment and he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love.

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Written on January 15th, 2011 , How To..., Victory Always
How to Keep Resolutions

People make many decisions at the first of the year to be better people, resolutions to do lose weight, exercise more, or other such things. It is like we have a fresh start. But in observing myself and others, I have found that in most cases these resolutions don’t last.

Why is that?

I believe this is because most people don’t have the ability to change themselves from within themselves, in their own strength.  Will power alone is not enough to gain control over your life.

Romans 7:18 (Amplified Bible) – For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.]

So I give you a resolution that will lead in time to victory in all of the other areas you might want to change in your life.

It is the greatest secret life has to offer.  If you come to know and learn this secret and live by it, your life will change more than you ever thought possible, you will find the peace and abundant, overflowing life that has always been so elusive, the true fullness of life that all men long for, a control over your life, over habits, emotions and feelings.  We were not designed to be controlled but to reign in life.

What is this secret?  How can you learn it?

Philippians 4:11-13 (Amplified Bible) – Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I HAVE LEARNED how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.  I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance.  I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.  I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency.

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Written on January 1st, 2011 , Change & Growth, How To..., Victory Always

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Adventures in God

The Teaching Ministry of Emily Bernardi