Do You Know What It Takes To Crucify The Flesh?

And since this is the case the devil wants to use thepleasures of our flesh to keep us enslaved to our oldhabits and sinful attitudes.

We have daily choices to live according to God'srighteous desires, and deny sin. When we use our powerto choose God's way instead of sin's way, we crucifyour flesh.

God helps us crucify our flesh through the Holy Spiritso that we may live in the newness of the Spirit.

The desires we must crucify include fornication,covetousness, stealing, and lying plus follow the restof the ten commandments.

As we put these things to death, we are able to thenput on the new man, renewed in knowledge according tothe image of Him who created us.

1 Peter 4:1-2 Forasmuch then as Christ hath sufferedfor us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with thesame mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hathceased from sin; That he no longer should live therest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, butto the will of God.

When a man is crucified, he dies. And when you die,you're dead.

Therefore those of us who belong to Jesus need tocrucify the flesh so that we become dead to the flesh,dead to our passions, and dead to our desires.

Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ's havecrucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Now if this is true, why do we still have ungodlydesires, and why do we still yield to the flesh andit's passions?

Also since these things still bother us, does thatmean that we are not one who belongs to Jesus?

Are we failures as Christians? Do we really belong tosatan and not God?

Have I struck a nerve? Perhaps you've pondered overthese exact same questions.

I suspect that all of us may have felt this way at onetime or another.

Rest assured, you are still a child of the King if youhave excepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave hisonly begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shouldnot perish but have everlasting life.

God paid a high price for you. He sent His own Son todie in your place.

Therefore the intent of (Gal 5:24) is not todiscourage, but to encourage us to resist thesefleshly desires and passions.

What is dead is the strings that attach us to sin thatno longer bind us because they were cut loose anddestroyed by the Blood of Jesus and the Word of God.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and Ino longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life Ilive in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me.

So what we need to do is commit to responding to theflesh in different ways than how we used to bychoosing to be a living sacrifice to God and by beingobedient to him.

Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, andmake not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the luststhereof.

For example: If your flesh wants to look at a personto lust after, look the other way. Or if your fleshwants to take someone else's valubles when they leaveyou alone in the room, you should change your thoughtsto something possitive.

Another one could be if you know you're going to bealone tonight and will be able to surf for porn on theinternet, you could invite a friend over so you don'thave the opportunity to get into trouble.

Keeping your mind off of your own desires by helpingothers is another good way to keep from fulfilling thelusts of the flesh.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called untoliberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to theflesh, but by love serve one another.

Crucifying your flesh does not mean that your lifewill lack pleasure. God is the author of true pleasurethat is not tainted with sin in any way.

Matthew 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is likeunto treasure hid in a field; the which when a manhath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth andselleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."

In fact, God provides perfect pleasures that bringlasting satisfaction and joy, unlike the temporarypleasures that selfish sin could ever offer.