Something I have noticed about my heart, my soulish desires, my flesh, is that it tends to rush to despair and violence.
Whenever I have another moment of, “Oh no!!! What are we going to do?”, I try to remember to remind myself the flesh, the heart, is desperately wicked and to not trust it’s lamenting.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” -Jeremiah 17:9, KJV
I find sometimes I have to quite my heart just like a little child and that at other times I have to squelch with a “No! STOP that!”
Another painfully obvious issue of the heart is this tendency to murder people for the smallest infraction, “What, you cut ME off?” “Oh no you didn’t just honk at me!” (Notice how it’s always traffic that brings out the worst?)
I have been responsible for some serious road rage in myself and others. But yes, I am glad to say this happened before I was a Believer. So I am glad to say, “That dude is dead, man!” But his evil heart remains within me, warring against the new spirit God Himself gave me. I desire to do what is right but find within myself a contrary heart that yearns to murder, destroy and maim.
“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (from Romans 7)
We are no longer obligated to fulfill the sins of the flesh. We don’t HAVE to obey the flesh, we can put down our foolish desires and control the thoughts that rebel against God.
Living in the Flesh Vs. Living in the Spirit
A heart of unbelief wars against ourselves, within ourselves; an enemy resides within. It is up to US whether we will “buy into” the lies our hearts tell us, or whether we believe God’s word, the Bible.
Thankfully, Jesus has not left us alone…
He loves us, with an un-dieing love,
That knows no bounds,
The Father’s love.
Yes, he loves us,
He’s not left us alone.
He’ll be coming back,
To take us home.
But until that day,
His Spirit within,
Will keep us close to Him.
So remember… (repeat)
God’s Holy Spirit is our weapon against the fears and cares of this world, the sudden bursts of fear and the rushing rages of the flesh. He is faithful to teach us how we should live, how to control this flesh. One Day the struggle will be over and our bodies will be in total cooperation to our spirits. Until then, trust…
Be confident in your Master, Jesus.
Because, as an old wise Brother in Christ recently told me, “If God doesn’t do it, it cannot be done.”
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
– Jesus, John 14:27, NASB
Do not LET your heart be fearful! HalleluYah!
Patrick Burwell, OnlyJesusSaves.com
