The Battle That Counted

1 Peter 2:11 “Dear friends, I warn you…to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” ~NLT
 
The way my cravings for alcohol pulled at my flesh, even when my mind spoke against it, was so strong that my flesh would always give in and feed that craving I desired. There was a pattern to my craving. I would wake up every morning saying I would not drink this week. But I could not pass a liquor store without stopping and buying a bottle.
 
After the Lord healed me of that craving for alcohol, I promised myself that nothing would ever get a hold of my flesh like that again. Then, something else crept into my flesh. Cookies. I began to eat cookies with a tall glass of milk with ice. I had been eating healthy for so long that it started out as one weekend a month. Then two weekends until I was eating cookies just about every night.
 
Now some may say, "Cookies are alright." But it's the pattern that's the problem. The pattern was the same. I would get up in the morning and say, “No cookies this week.” Then after work I couldn’t pass a grocery store without stopping to pick up some cookies. When I noticed this, I said, “No! Not today!” I made a promise not to allow myself to get into another position where my flesh would be stronger than my spirit.
 
God created us with a great and powerful spirit. That spirit contains the fruits found in Galatians 5:22-23. But in life, before we are saved, before we know Christ as our Savior, the world strengthens our flesh so that it will out vote and out weight its influence in which we act and/or react to people and situations in our lives.  In other words, there is a war waged within us.
 
We know right from wrong. And if we ever stepped out of ourselves, we could give ourselves some real good advice. But within we always give into the fleshly desires. That is until we allow ourselves to get to know God and learn just how much He loves us! This is when the spirit in us grows stronger than our flesh. So, no matter how much the flesh wants to go one way, our spirit takes over and directs us in ‘Christ’s way’! 
 
I used myself as an example to show you that it was easy to give into the sugar and ice milk. But the spirit allowed me to see the many things I needed to stay healthy for. It allowed me to see the family members, the friends and anyone else the Lord placed in my life for Him to bless through me. The spirit allows us to stay focused on why we were created by God to do ‘His’ will, not ‘ours’.
 
The ‘…war waged against our very souls…’ is a never-ending attempt for the enemy to claim victory in a battle he has already lost to Jesus Christ. Jesus says in the Word that, “…I have come so that you may have life and have it in abundance…” (John 10:10).  His death on the cross and His resurrection sealed our ‘VIP’ ticket to a place in the kingdom.
 
Let us silence this war within ourselves. Pray for God’s peace as you embrace His love for you as His child and know that the enemy cannot touch you. The war in you does not exist unless you allow it to. The war that counted, is already won.
 
May God bless and keep you in his love as you continue your journey in Jesus’ name,
 
Amen

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