We all struggle with something. Whether we’re selfish or lazy, we gossip, overeat, or overspend… Our flesh is at war with the spirit in a constant battle to win over our heart.
In Galatians 5:17, Paul writes, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (KJV)
The flesh desires to do what feels good, while the Spirit follows that which is good. That’s why the best-laid plans are an uphill struggle. Every time we take two steps forward, it seems that we’re taking one back.
The key to it all, my friends, is keeping in step with the spirit. Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
For it is through the Spirit and by the Spirit that we are equipped to live victorious lives.
Some of our struggles are easy, but some are downright difficult. Sometimes it takes a lifetime of bringing your body into subjection to turn away from your sin, and keep turning away.
Remember, God doesn’t care what you did yesterday–He wants to know what you’ll do today. I don’t mean that He doesn’t care in the sense that He isn’t kind and compassionate, I mean that He’s not holding the sin against you. When you repent, you’re forgiven. His grace is unending, His mercies are new every day.
In closing, let’s look at five ways to let go of bad habits:
- Pray. Ask God to forgive you for sin in your life, and ask for His help in breaking free from it.
- Keep in step with the Spirit. The more we walk in the Spirit and follow God’s law, the more we allow His Holy Spirit to guide us to victory.
- Forgive yourself. Don’t get down on yourself when you fail. Forgive yourself just as God forgives you.
- Get back up. Every time. As long as you keep getting up, you are heading in the right direction.
- Avoid temptation. If you have made a decision to turn away from your sin or bad habits, then avoid contact with it at all costs. The further you are from temptation the easier it is to resist it.
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Tilling the Soil
Read Galatians 5:16-26, where Paul reminds us to keep in step with the Spirit.
Planting Hope
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16 KJV)
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Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
Facebook: @timewarpwife
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Twitter: @timewarpwife
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife