They Clash by Day!
Matthew 26:41, It is the on-going battle within.
The great Saint Augustine
(354-430) fought the battle for many years. He lived the first part of his
life living in the flesh. Then one day as he was reading the Bible, these
verses suddenly hit home with him and he changed from a man living in the
flesh to a man who lived in the Spirit forever more.
©
They Clash by
Night!
It is the Life Long Battle Within!
"Watch and pray, that you
enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak."
It is the battle
between the spirit and the flesh. It is a life long battle......that is, if we
allow it to be so.
Genesis 6:3,
"And God said: My spirit shall not remain in man
for ever, because he is flesh, and his days shall be a hundred and twenty
years."
Luke 24:39,
"Behold my hands and my
feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as you see me have."
John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit."
John 6:63,
"It is the
spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto
you, they are spirit, and they are life."
Romans
8:1-22,
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. (3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the
flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh: (4) That the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (5)
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that
are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (6) For to be carnally
minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7)
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be. (8) So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God. (9) But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if
so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his. (10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead
because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) But
if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his
Spirit that dwelleth in you. (12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not
to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (13) For if you live after the
flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the
body, you shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God. (15) For you have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father. (16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God: (17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may
be also glorified together. (18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. (19) For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth
for the manifestation of the sons of God. (20) For the creature was made
subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the
same in hope, (21) Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from
the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God. (22) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain together."
1Corinthians 5:1-7,
"It is reported commonly that
there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named
among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. (2) And you are
puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might
be taken away from among you. (3) For I verily, as absent in body, but
present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him
that hath so done this deed, (4) In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when
you are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus
Christ, (5) To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the
flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
(6)
Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole
lump? (7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump,
as you are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for
us:"
2Corinthians 7:1,
"Having therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Galatians 3:1-3,
"You stupid
people of Galatia! Who put you under an evil spell? Wasn't Christ Jesus'
crucifixion clearly described to you? (2) I want to learn only one thing
from you. Did you receive the Spirit by your own efforts to live according to a
set of standards or by believing what you heard? (3) Are you that stupid?
Did you begin in a spiritual way only to end up doing things in a human way?"
Galatians 5:16-26,
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify
the desires of the flesh. (17) For the desires of the flesh are against the
Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are
opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. (18) But
if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. (19) Now the works
of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, (20)
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension,
party spirit, (21) envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you,
as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control;
against such there is no law. (24) And those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (25) If we live by
the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (26) Let us have no
self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another."
Galatians 6:7-9,
"Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever
a man sows, that he will also reap. (8) For he who sows to his own flesh
will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the
Spirit reap eternal life. (9) And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for
in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart."
Philippians
3:3,
"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and
rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
1Peter
3:18,
"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but
made alive in the spirit;"
1Peter 4:5-6,
"Who shall give account to
him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. (6) For for this cause
was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the
spirit."
1Thessalonians 4:1-8,
"Finally, brethren, we beseech and
exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live
and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more. (2) For
you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. (3) For this
is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from
unchastity; (4) that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in
holiness and honor, (5) not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not
know God; (6) that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter,
because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we solemnly forewarned
you. (7) For God has not called us for uncleanness, but in
holiness. (8) Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but
God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you."
Romans 13:13-14,
"Let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and
drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and
jealousy. (14) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for
the flesh, to gratify its desires."
Augustine came back to the Church,
became a priest, and then the Bishop of Hippo in North Africa. He went on to
write what has been called the second most popular book that was ever written,
second only to the Bible itself, "The Confessions of Saint
Augustine".
Written by Bob
Stanley, September 5, 2008
"Have I then become your enemy,
because I told you the truth?"
Galatians
4:16