The Man of The Spirit| Dr. Joe Tarkon || City Of David Atlanta

Jun 21, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Spiritual Man is Called Mad in a Shifting World

Hosea 9:7 declares that society labels the spiritual person as "insane" when darkness escalates. This theme confronts the tension between godly living and cultural norms. Those walking in the Spirit often face misunderstanding, ridicule, or accusations of extremism. Their countercultural obedience to God’s voice makes them appear out of step with worldly systems. Yet this "madness" reflects allegiance to a higher kingdom. The passage anchors believers in the reality that spiritual discernment will always clash with carnal reasoning. [01:09:59]

"The days of punishment are coming, the days of reckoning are at hand. Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired person a maniac." (Hosea 9:7, NIV)

Reflection: When has your obedience to God made you feel isolated or misunderstood? What specific choices require courage to maintain your spiritual integrity this week?

Day 2: You Live in Atlanta But Dwell in Monrovia

The analogy compares physical relocation without cultural adaptation to being born again yet clinging to fleshly patterns. Just as immigrants might physically reside in a new country while mentally remaining in their homeland, believers can inhabit the Spirit’s kingdom while operating by old sinful systems. This disconnect produces powerless Christianity. True transformation requires embracing our new citizenship in thought, habit, and desire. [01:17:37]

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:6-7, NIV)

Reflection: What specific "old country" habits (thought patterns, entertainments, or relationships) still influence you? How will you actively cultivate your new spiritual environment today?

Day 3: The Law of Lift Overcomes Gravity’s Pull

The airplane illustration demonstrates how the Spirit’s law supersedes sin’s gravitational pull. Like aerodynamics overcoming gravity without negating its existence, the Spirit empowers believers to rise above persistent temptations. This reality dismantles the lie that habitual sin is unavoidable. Through Christ’s indwelling power, believers gain capacity to ascend above what once dragged them down. [01:33:07]

"For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2, ESV)

Reflection: What specific temptation feels like unavoidable "gravity" to you? How can you activate the Spirit’s "lift" through prayer or Scripture when it next assaults you?

Day 4: Quickened Mortal Bodies Defy Dead Reactions

Romans 8:11’s promise of the resurrection power enlivening our physical being transforms daily struggles. The same Spirit that raised Christ empowers believers to respond to triggers with supernatural patience, purity, and peace. This quickening turns instinctive anger into grace, automatic lust into reverence, and knee-jerk fear into faith. Our bodies become instruments of righteousness rather than sin’s puppets. [01:36:34]

"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:11, ESV)

Reflection: What physical reaction (temper, appetite, anxiety) most needs the Spirit’s quickening? How will you consciously rely on this indwelling power in your next challenging moment?

Day 5: Tenants Pay Rent Through Obedience

The tenant-landlord metaphor reframes discipleship as active stewardship of our spiritual dwelling. Just as renters maintain properties per lease agreements, believers honor their Holy Spirit Landlord through daily obedience. Neglect brings conviction; faithfulness brings deeper habitation. This perspective shifts holiness from legalistic duty to relational responsibility within our Kingdom home. [01:43:04]

"But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness." (Romans 8:10, NIV)

Reflection: What specific "property maintenance" (thought life, media choices, or conversations) does your Spirit Landlord need you to address? How will you honor your tenancy agreement today?

Sermon Summary

Hosea 9:7 calls the spiritual man “mad,” and that line names the tension: in a world swelling with iniquity, a Spirit-led life will look insane to the age. Romans 8 says the sons of God are led by the Spirit, not by the flesh, because salvation makes a person new. Second Corinthians 5:17 and Colossians 1:13 say a transfer has happened. Birth from above relocates a person from darkness to light. John 3 clarifies the nature of that birth: what is born of the Spirit is spirit. So the life of a Christian is life in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 does not say “if,” it says “since you live in the Spirit.” That identity sets the address. The Atlanta and Monrovia picture presses the point: a person can physically reside in one place while living from the habits of another. Since life is now in the Spirit, life must be lived from the Spirit. Romans 6 then trains the will: reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God. Romans 6:14 puts steel in the spine. Sin does not have dominion, not because temptation vanished, but because grace supplies power.

Romans 8:2 introduces two operating systems: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and the law of sin and death. The law exposes but cannot empower, like light that shows an oily wall yet cannot keep tired hands from leaning on it. Grace does what the law could not do. The gravity and lift picture clarifies it further: gravity remains, but the law of lift overrules it. In the same way, the pressures of the flesh remain, yet the Spirit raises a person above them.

Romans 8:11 shows how. The Spirit who raised Jesus dwells within and quickens mortal bodies. He does not leave a person to say, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. He makes the body say no. That is why a child of God does not practice sin. The seed remains and disturbs compromise. Romans 8:12–14 reframes obligation. Since the address is the Spirit, the debt is to the Spirit. The tenant and landlord image lands it. The Holy Spirit owns the space, convicts, warns, and leads. So the deeds of the body must be put to death by the Spirit.

How then does a man of the Spirit live? Psalm 91:1 says dwell, not visit. John 15:4 says abide, not dabble. First Peter 2:2 says feed on the pure milk of the word. Hebrews 10:25 says keep company with the saints. Romans 8:5–8 says set the mind on the things of the Spirit. Anointing is not a show. Its point is obedience. Its fruit is life and peace.

Key Takeaways

1. Since you live in the Spirit [01:16:19] The new birth relocates a person’s address. Life is no longer run from the flesh, so identity must shape practice. Treat the Spirit’s realm as home, not as a place to visit on Sundays. A stable address produces a consistent walk. [76:19]
2. Sin shall not have dominion [01:22:22] Grace is not permission. Grace is power. Temptation’s presence does not equal temptation’s rule. The law can name sin, but grace breaks its grip, training the will to say no without living on fumes or fear. [82:22]
3. Two operating systems at work [01:25:56] The law of the Spirit of life and the law of sin and death run side by side. The first frees what the second only condemns. Moving from dos and donts into dependence on the Spirit turns knowledge into strength and burden into liberty. [85:56]
4. The law of lift over gravity [01:33:31] Temptation does not disappear, just like gravity never turns off. Yet a higher law can overrule it. When the Spirit’s thrust engages, a person rises, not by denial of pressure, but by a stronger power at work within. [93:31]
5. Abide, be quickened, and grow [01:45:15] Dwelling in God’s presence, feeding on the word, and keeping fellowship are not extras. They are the means God uses to quicken mortal bodies and make holiness practical. Abiding turns anointing into obedience and desire into durable fruit. [105:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[69:34] - Sons of God are led
[72:01] - From darkness to light
[73:55] - Born of the Spirit is spirit
[76:19] - Since you live in the Spirit
[78:42] - Living where you actually live
[80:51] - Reckon yourself dead to sin
[82:22] - Sin shall not have dominion
[83:34] - Law of Spirit vs law of death
[88:19] - Law exposes, grace empowers
[91:01] - Gravity and the limits of zeal
[93:31] - The higher law that lifts
[95:35] - The Spirit quickens the body
[99:59] - Debtors to the Spirit
[103:29] - Put to death the deeds
[105:15] - Dwell and abide, do not visit
[107:50] - Feed on the word to grow
[108:54] - Do not forsake assembling
[112:38] - Set the mind on the Spirit
[113:21] - Anointing that leads to obedience
[125:44] - Prayer for freedom and life
[126:26] - Fasting and worship call

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Romans 8:2 (ESV): "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."
Romans 8:11 (ESV): "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."
Galatians 5:25 (ESV): "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."

Observation Questions

What two "operating systems" (or laws) does Romans 8:2 contrast, and how do they function differently?
According to the analogy in the sermon, how does the "law of lift" overrule gravity, and what does this represent spiritually? [01:33:31]
What practical actions does the sermon connect to "abiding" in God’s presence (e.g., feeding on Scripture, fellowship)? [01:45:15]

Interpretation Questions

Romans 8:11 says the Spirit "gives life to your mortal bodies." How does this relate to overcoming daily temptations or habits that feel overpowering?
The sermon states, "Sin does not have dominion because grace supplies power" rather than because temptation vanishes. How does this redefine what victory over sin looks like? [01:22:22]
Why might treating the Spirit’s realm as a "stable address" (home) produce a more consistent walk with God than treating it as a place to "visit"? [01:16:19]

Application Questions

If "living in the Spirit" is your permanent address, what daily habits or choices would reflect that you’re "at home" there? What habits might need to change?
When facing a recurring temptation, how could you actively rely on the "law of the Spirit" (Romans 8:2) instead of trying to resist through willpower alone? [01:25:56]
The sermon compares fellowship to nourishment for growth. How can you prioritize meaningful connections with other believers this week, even in small ways? [01:48:54]
What does it look like to "set your mind on the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5) in moments of stress, conflict, or decision-making? Give a recent example where this was easy or difficult.
The Spirit "quickens" our bodies to say "no" to sin. Is there a specific area where you need to trust His power more than your own resolve? How will you practice this? [01:36:34]

Sermon Clips

37s

#GraceGivesPower

“The law is like the light that they turn on. You see the stain on the wall, but you don't have the power to not lean on the wall. You are weak. You're exhausted. You're hungry. You've been famished. You're fasting. And so what do you wanna do? You wanna lean on the wall. The light is the law. It shows you evil. Don't do this. Don't do that. Don't do this. But it does not give you the power to not lean on the wall. When Jesus Christ came, he brought grace. Grace gives you the power to not live on the wall.”

48s

#SpiritOvercomesLaw

“But it breaks the law of gravity. It overpass the law of gravity. What overpass the law of gravity? The law of thrust and aerodynamics. the plane is designed in such a way that when that law of thrust gets into effect, right, it overpowers gravity and it flies into the air. Is gravity still present? gravity still present? But the thrust of the plane has overcome gravity, isn't it? Go back and look at that passage verse verse two. Now the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

53s

#RiseAboveTemptation

“When you are in Christ, the law of sin and death is still present. Temptations are present. Vices are present, but the law of the spirit of God in you can help you overpower that. Am I making sense to somebody? It doesn't mean that those things are not present. They are present. But when you are in Christ, you can lift up above temptation. You can lift up above, you know, all kinds of tountings of the enemy. You can lift up above fear. You can lift up above greed. You can lift up above insecurity because the law of the spirit of life in Christ is stronger than every other law on earth.”

53s

#DeadToSin

“Consider yourself to be dead. It's just like when a guy proposes to a woman, she's off the market. Isn't it? You're you're different. So consider yourself now as into a relationship. The guy may be living somewhere in Ukraine in the war front. But listen, you are different. You can't live like the other girls who don't have a guy. You go around behaving, you know, conducting yourself in ways that look as if you are still available. No. You are not available. So now you have become a Christian. You are not born again. He said consider yourselves as dead to sin.”

41s

#AbideInChrist

“So how do you be a man of the spirit? How do you satisfy the requirements of the spirit? How do you obey the demands of the spirit? Abide in Christ. Abide in him. Don't try to live an independent life. You abide in him. And when you abide in him, you live as a child. When a child is born, the child is a child. The child is a human being, isn't it? But a child has to go through processes to grow and develop into an adult.”

36s

#SpiritualNutrition

“A child is a person. But for this child to grow, you nourish the child, you give the child good nutrition. Do you give the child just one diet because you like the diet? You came from Africa with apple. Some of you know what apple is. You love apple, so you give the child apple, apple, apple. Will that child grow properly? No. You feed the child good nutrition. So as a believer, what is your own good nutrition?”

35s

#MilkOfTheWord

“So if you wanna grow in the spirit, you're a baby, you became a believer, you wanna serve God with all your heart, but you're a child in the spirit. If you wanna grow, desire the sincere milk of the word, the pure milk of the word. Not only Psalm 23 or Psalm 91 or Psalm 35 if you want your enemies to die quickly. Look at the word of God that you may grow.”

58s

#LawVsSpirit

“There are two operating systems in the world. There are two operating systems. When we talk about righteousness and unrighteousness, godliness and ungodliness, there are two operating systems. And the operating systems are called the law of the spirit of life. Say that with me. Sin and death. And the law of sin and death is predicated, is founded, is legitimized by the principle of the law, the commandments. Either the 10 commandments or the 633 commandments that God gave the children of Israel.”

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The Man of The Spirit| Dr. Joe Tarkon || City Of David Atlanta

Devotional

Day 1: The Spiritual Man is Called Mad in a Shifting World

Day 2: You Live in Atlanta But Dwell in Monrovia

Day 3: The Law of Lift Overcomes Gravity’s Pull

Day 4: Quickened Mortal Bodies Defy Dead Reactions

Day 5: Tenants Pay Rent Through Obedience

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

The Man of The Spirit| Dr. Joe Tarkon || City Of David Atlanta

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