Devotional: Living As a New Creation

The Bible says that when you accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life, your spirit was recreated. You went from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. The spirit that is living inside your body looks just like God’s, and wants you to act just like God. Have you noticed that there is a part of you that always wants to do the right thing? Why is that? Because, your spirit is holy and always wants you to do things God’s way. Your flesh, however, may still want to drink, smoke, sleep around, tell people off, party, or curse from time to time. Your flesh is working to bring you into the captivity of sin again.

There is a war going on inside of you right now. Your spirit and your flesh are in a boxing ring every day. Have you ever said, “I’ll never tell off someone like that again,” only to find yourself saying the same things one week later? Have you ever said, “I’ll never go to that porn website again,” only to find yourself at the same website a month later? For some reason, you just keep doing the same things. You are fighting a war, and your flesh is winning. This describes the plight of many Christians, particularly those who are still carnal. The word carnal means “flesh ruled.” Carnal Christians plan to do the right thing and try to grow spiritually, yet keep making the same mistakes.

God did not put you in a place where you’re winning in one moment and losing in the next. He wants you to live in constant spiritual victory. Where you are today is not where you are supposed to end up. But you cannot get to where God wants you to be until you deal with the issues of your flesh.

God asks you to be holy, and live for Him. Christian believers should not be like non-believers. We should not talk like they talk or react like they react. Our lifestyle should be separate and different from that of the world. This is more easily said than done. You are surrounded by the world. You live in the world. What is a Christian to do? How do you get to a place where you are holy, obedient, and blessed? By renewing your mind using the Word of God.

What you have is a battle between your spirit and your flesh to gain control of your mind. If your flesh can get you to start thinking in line with your fleshly desires, then your flesh wins. But if you renew your mind and start thinking in line with God’s Word, your spirit wins. You need to decide to daily renew your mind with the Word of God, because it is only when you do that you will change, and your spirit will have ultimate victory.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:” – 2 Corinthians 5:17a

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