Doing Right Isn't Always Easy

Romans 7 and 8 are FILLED with help, guidance, tools, and promises from God, for us and how to deal with our daily sin desires and actions. Just like it says in Romans 7:19 "I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway."

Daily - let me say it again, DAILY, we ALL struggle with doing what we 'want to do' and 'what we should do'  - it is every persons battle for sure! However, we don't have to do it alone! We DO have the power and ability to "RESIST" the enemy and all of our sinful desires! We do! Not in and of ourselves, but in, by, because of, and through Jesus Christ via the Holy Spirit! 

How? What does it look like? Well, first of all, we have to START our day with Jesus! If you don't have time to pray before rushing in to your day - your day WILL be crazy! If all you can do, is put on your full armor before leaving your bedroom - that's a GREAT start!!  God tells us in Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." This is because He knows that each and every day is a battle. Not only with the world outside our doors, but in our mind as well.

Now battling the war inside ourselves is a bit harder. No one else actually sees or hears what is going on in our thoughts and mind. But that doesn't matter! God knows! He has provided us with the Holy Spirit, to be here, guiding and fighting for us! The first thing we need to do is humble ourselves before God, James 4:7 "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." It takes practice to do this, but God promises us this: If we resist the enemy, he DOES flee from us! How do we do this, you ask? Right here, it tells us in Ephesians 4:22-24  "22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy." It is perfectly good, right, nature, and acceptable to ask God to GIVE us this new nature!! Yes, daily! Also to ask Him to help us 'throw off our own ways' - and 'put on His ways' - yup! Do it!! Ask! It's ok - we have permission to do so!

Sure, our selves get in our own way - but we are NOT alone! If you remember, Jesus was nailed to a cross, for us! When He was nailed up there, and the time was coming for Him to die, ALL of the sins of ALL of us, were thrown upon Him. ALL of our sins that we were ever going to commit, were the spikes that kept Him up there on the cross! Yes, even the secret sins that no one sees or knows about! ALL of them! No matter how good our intentions are, the forces of good and evil are constantly at war in us - yes, daily. But Galatians tells us that we are NOT to do what we 'want' but to allow the Holy Spirit to take over, and 'drive our bus' so to speak. Galatians 5:17 "The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions."  Then in Romans, God shows us where the answer REALLY is. Romans 7:25 - "Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin." We are indeed slaves, but we are FREE slaves because of Jesus! He has set us free from our sins, because we put them on the cross with Him. Galatians 5:24 "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there." 

Now does that mean we won't have desires that then cause actions to do things against Gods plan and will for us? No. But it does mean, that DAILY we can go to Him, tell Him of our thoughts, and even when we mess up in our actions - and ask Him to forgive us - and you know what?!?! He WILL!!! In 1 John 1:9 "But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." God's answer back to us is in Hebrews 8:12 "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."

So day by day, or hour by hour, heck! even minute by minute - we CAN go to Him and ask the Holy Spirit to give us clean, fresh, godly wants and desires and actions! Yes, it is a battle that wages war in, to, around us - daily, but "greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world!" (1 John 4:4) I am praying for you and your victory today, in ALL areas of your day and life! Jesus didn't die on the cross for some little petty reasons, but for all of the deep, dark, secrets that we each hold and try to hide in us. Confess these to Jesus - let Him set you free!! Then hold on to these promises of God, that He DOES/HAS forgiven you, and remembers them no more! No matter how many times the enemy tries to whisper lies, you CAN claim these verses and truths! Be well, be safe, KNOW that you ARE loved!!