Flip the Script

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NKJV

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It is normal for Jesus to tell us to do things that are not normal to our sin nature. In Christ Jesus, we have become brand new creatures in our spirits, we have received a brand new nature. When we are lead by the Spirit, we can do what seems impossible in the flesh. We can do what is the opposite of what the flesh craves, in every aspect of our lives. The war is already won, but now we must deal with the battles. How do we flip the script so that we can have the victory in the battles?

Battle Truths

1. See our identity see our victory.

“With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:17-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

2. See Jesus. Be like Jesus.

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The way we overcome our flesh, and it’s ‘natural’ inclinations, is by practicing the things of the spirit. Moving beyond our senses means submitting our flesh to the spirit so that we can walk out by faith and into the victory. When we know the end result, we begin to see the impossible as possible. We begin to partake of the divine nature, rising above the frailty of the flesh.

3. We aren’t faking...We’re partaking.

“as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” ‭‭II Peter‬ ‭1:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Go Boldly,

Joshua David Brawner

The Word, The Pen, and The Mic