Engaging in Spiritual Warfare Against Sin

Devotional

Day 1: Living Our Death and Resurrection in Christ

In the Christian journey, the battle against sin is not merely about self-improvement but about embodying the reality of our death and resurrection in Christ. This unique warfare involves recognizing that we have already died with Christ and now live in Him, empowered by the Spirit to wage war against the flesh. This spiritual battle is not fought with human strength but through the power of the Spirit, who enables us to overcome the sinful inclinations that seek to enslave us. By understanding our identity in Christ, we can engage in this battle with confidence, knowing that victory is assured through Him. [01:12]

Colossians 3:3-4 (ESV): "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Reflection: In what ways can you remind yourself daily of your identity in Christ and the power you have through His resurrection to overcome sin?

Day 2: The Heart's Inclinations

Sinful deeds originate from the heart, and our spiritual battle must focus on addressing these deep-rooted inclinations. Jesus taught that what defiles a person comes from within, emphasizing the need for an intense and vigilant spiritual warfare that targets the heart's desires. This battle is not about physically cutting off parts of our body but about a spiritual struggle that requires us to confront and transform the heart's inclinations that lead to sinful actions. By focusing on the heart, we can address the root causes of sin and experience true transformation. [05:13]

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV): "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 'I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.'"

Reflection: What specific heart inclinations do you need to bring before God today, asking Him to transform them into desires that align with His will?

Day 3: Slaying the Root of Sin

The root of our sinful deeds is the flesh, which is inherently hostile to God. This hostility is evident in our preference for worldly pleasures over God, and it is this root that must be slain in our spiritual battle. The struggle against sin is not just about resisting individual actions but about addressing the deep-seated hostility of the flesh that opposes God. By recognizing and confronting this root, we can experience true freedom from the power of sin and live a life that honors God. [07:33]

Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."

Reflection: Identify one area where the desires of the flesh are particularly strong in your life. How can you actively choose to walk by the Spirit in this area today?

Day 4: Setting the Mind on the Spirit

To effectively put to death the deeds of the body, we must set our minds on the things of the Spirit. Our minds, like muscles, can be trained and fixed on spiritual truths, which is essential for engaging in spiritual warfare. By focusing on the teachings of the Spirit and the Word of God, we can align our thoughts with God's will and find the strength to overcome sin. This intentional focus on spiritual truths empowers us to live a life that reflects our identity in Christ and His victory over sin. [10:00]

Romans 12:2 (ESV): "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Reflection: What practical steps can you take today to set your mind on the things of the Spirit and renew your mind according to God's Word?

Day 5: Empowered by Faith and the Word of God

The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and it is through this Word that the Spirit empowers us to kill sin. This process involves hearing the Word with faith, believing in God's promises, and trusting that no good thing will be withheld from those who walk uprightly. Faith is the foundation of our spiritual warfare, enabling us to rise after every fall, reestablish our standing in Christ, and continue the fight against sin. By immersing ourselves in the Word and holding onto God's promises, we can experience the Spirit's power in overcoming sin. [20:34]

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV): "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Reflection: How can you incorporate the Word of God into your daily routine in a way that strengthens your faith and equips you for spiritual warfare?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of faith, we are called to engage in a spiritual battle against sin, a battle that is unique to Christianity. This battle is not about mere moral self-improvement but about living out the reality of our death and resurrection in Christ. We have died with Christ and now live in Him, empowered by the Spirit to wage war against the sin that seeks to enslave us. The deeds of the body, those actions driven by lust, pride, or selfishness, must be put to death. This is not a superficial battle against actions alone but a deep-rooted struggle against the heart's inclinations that give rise to these deeds.

Jesus taught that what defiles us comes from within, from the heart. Therefore, our warfare must be as intense and vigilant as if we were physically cutting off parts of our body, though the real battle is spiritual. The root of our sinful deeds is the flesh, which is hostile to God. This hostility manifests in preferring worldly pleasures over God, and it is this root that must be slain.

The question then is, how do we do this by the Spirit? The answer lies in setting our minds on the things of the Spirit. Our minds, like muscles, can be set and fixed on spiritual truths. The things of the Spirit are the words of God, the teachings of the apostles, which are spiritually appraised. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and it is through this Word that the Spirit empowers us to kill sin. This process involves hearing the Word with faith, believing in God's promises, and trusting that no good thing will be withheld from those who walk uprightly. This faith is the foundation of our spiritual warfare, enabling us to rise after every fall, reestablish our standing in Christ, and continue the fight against sin.

Key Takeaways

1. improvement but living out our death and resurrection in Christ. We fight sin by recognizing that we have already died with Christ and now live in Him, empowered by the Spirit to wage war against the flesh. [01:12]
2. The Heart of the Matter: Sinful deeds stem from the heart, and our battle must focus on the heart's inclinations. Jesus emphasized that what defiles us comes from within, and our warfare must be as intense as if we were physically cutting off parts of our body, though the real battle is spiritual.

3. The Root of Sin: The root of our sinful deeds is the flesh, which is hostile to God. This hostility manifests in preferring worldly pleasures over God, and it is this root that must be slain. Our battle is against this deep-seated hostility.

4. Setting the Mind on the Spirit: To put to death the deeds of the body, we must set our minds on the things of the Spirit. Our minds, like muscles, can be set and fixed on spiritual truths, and this focus is essential for spiritual warfare.

5. Faith and the Word of God: The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and it is through this Word that the Spirit empowers us to kill sin. This process involves hearing the Word with faith, believing in God's promises, and trusting that no good thing will be withheld from those who walk uprightly.

** [01:12]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:17] - The Call to Suffocate Sin
[00:39] - Understanding Our Death in Christ
[01:12] - The Unique Warfare of Christianity
[01:50] - Identifying the Deeds of the Body
[02:13] - The Process of Killing Sin
[03:12] - The Heart's Role in Sin
[04:18] - Jesus' Teachings on Defilement
[05:13] - The Intensity of Spiritual Warfare
[06:35] - The Root of Sinful Deeds
[07:33] - Hostility of the Flesh
[08:09] - How to Fight by the Spirit
[09:02] - Setting the Mind on the Spirit
[10:00] - The Mind as a Moral Muscle
[11:40] - The Things of the Spirit
[12:50] - The Word of God as the Sword
[16:25] - Bringing the Spirit's Power to Bear
[20:34] - Faith in God's Promises

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 8:10-17
- Matthew 15:18-20
- Galatians 3:5

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Observation Questions:

According to Romans 8:10-17, what role does the Spirit play in the life of a believer? How does this relate to the concept of spiritual warfare against sin? [00:39]
In Matthew 15:18-20, Jesus speaks about what defiles a person. What does He identify as the source of defilement, and how does this connect to the sermon’s emphasis on the heart? [03:40]
Galatians 3:5 mentions "hearing with faith." How does this concept relate to the process of putting to death the deeds of the body as discussed in the sermon? [16:57]
The sermon mentions the "deeds of the body" and their roots. What are these deeds, and what is their root according to the sermon? [06:35]

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Interpretation Questions:

The sermon emphasizes that the battle against sin is not about self-improvement but living out our death and resurrection in Christ. How does this perspective change the way one might approach personal struggles with sin? [01:12]
Jesus taught that what defiles us comes from within. How might this teaching challenge common perceptions about sin and morality? [03:40]
The sermon describes the flesh as hostile to God. In what ways might this hostility manifest in a believer's life, and how can it be addressed? [07:33]
The sermon suggests setting our minds on the things of the Spirit as a way to combat sin. What practical steps can be taken to achieve this mindset? [10:00]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a recent situation where you struggled with sin. How might viewing this struggle as a spiritual battle rather than a moral failure change your approach to overcoming it? [01:12]
Jesus emphasized the importance of the heart in relation to sin. What steps can you take to examine and address the inclinations of your heart that lead to sinful actions? [03:40]
The sermon discusses the hostility of the flesh towards God. Identify one area in your life where you feel this hostility. What specific actions can you take to address it this week? [07:33]
Setting the mind on the Spirit is crucial for spiritual warfare. What are some practical ways you can incorporate this practice into your daily routine? Consider specific times or activities where you can focus on spiritual truths. [10:00]
The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit. How can you incorporate more of God's Word into your life to empower you in your battle against sin? Identify one specific passage to meditate on this week. [15:18]
The sermon highlights the importance of faith in God's promises. Reflect on a promise from Scripture that you find challenging to believe. How can you strengthen your faith in this promise? [20:34]
Consider a temptation you face regularly. What is one practical step you can take to bring the power of the Spirit to bear on this temptation, using the Word of God as your guide? [16:25]

Sermon Clips

We can only kill the sin that has already been killed when we were killed in Jesus. That's Christianity. That's what makes the Warfare unique. If you just say, I guess what he's saying is a Christianity is just a moral self-improvement program, you just missed it all. If you say that, you missed it all. [00:00:54]

Christ is the key. He has died for me. I have died in with him. I'm a dead man and a living man. I have passed through judgment into life and now in him and by the spirit, which I have in him and the spirit alone, do I make war on what is so alien to me now. [00:01:20]

The Deeds of the body are the actions of your body that are about to happen taken captive by lust or Pride or self-pity or selfishness or any form that the flesh has. You know the works of the flesh. When those powers are about to move this body of mine into sin, kill it. [00:01:48]

Deeds are not the main problem in the Christian Life. That's the end of the process of death. Deeds have roots. Sin is deeper than Deeds. What did Jesus say? The things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart. So you got a problem with your tongue and remember what James said. [00:02:46]

Jesus says the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and these defile a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts and murders and adulteries and fornications and thefts and false witness and Slanders. These are the things which defile the man, but to eat with unwished hands does not defile the man. [00:03:38]

The Mind Set On the flesh is hostile to God. It does not subject itself to the law of God for it's not even able to do so. The root of the Deeds of the body is the flesh that is hostile to God. It's my hostility to God. I don't like God. I don't like him. [00:06:57]

We must choke off, cut off the blood supply of the flesh, cut off the air pipe of the flesh lest it provide life to our bodies to do evil. Third question, how do you do that by the spirit? Last question, how do you do that by the spirit? Let me give you the answer in three steps. [00:08:05]

Those who are according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit. For the mind that is set on the flesh is death. We saw that in verse 13, first half of the verse, but the mind that is set on the spirit is life. We saw that in the second half of verse 13. [00:09:36]

The Word of God is the sword of the spirit, and it is through this Word that the Spirit empowers us to kill sin. This process involves hearing the Word with faith, believing in God's promises, and trusting that no good thing will be withheld from those who walk uprightly. [00:15:01]

The spirit moves with faith in the things of the spirit, the word of God. If you wondered why we call them fighter verses, Wonder no more. They are our sword, they are our hope, they are our life, and we will trust them and with them slay every Temptation that comes our way. [00:20:55]

Should we stumble and fall as we do every day, we will hate our fall, rise up, betake ourselves to the Cross, reestablish our standing in Jesus by faith alone, and fight again. This is light and Truth, god-centered preaching to help you see Christ clearly and treasure him truly. [00:21:41]

The bottom line issue in how to put to death the Deeds of the body by the spirit is that the spirit moves with faith in the things of the spirit, the word of God. If you wondered why we call them fighter verses, Wonder no more. They are our sword, they are our hope, they are our life. [00:24:06]

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Engaging in Spiritual Warfare Against Sin

Devotional

Day 1: Living Our Death and Resurrection in Christ

Day 2: The Heart's Inclinations

Day 3: Slaying the Root of Sin

Day 4: Setting the Mind on the Spirit

Day 5: Empowered by Faith and the Word of God

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Engaging in Spiritual Warfare Against Sin

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