A battle within…
Writing the Book of Romans, the author, write of a battle in chapter 7….
For I do not understand my own actions.
For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.
For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Wretched man that I am!
Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Rom.7.15-25
I don’t know about anyone else, but this resonates with me…I delight in the Word, wanting to be obedient moment by moment, being led by the Spirit all the time, but …it is hard to be “good “ all the time…my thoughts wander, I wander, I don’t listen sometimes…am off doing “my” thing…independent rather than dependent…
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Rom.8.5-6
Paul follows up with chapter 8…encouraging…live by the Spirit…walk by the Spirit…set our minds on things of the Spirit…and what happens…life and peace…so much better than the battle …
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom.8.26-31,Rom.8.37-39
What hope we have…I have… each day that He is with me…guiding when I listen, teaching, even praying when I can’t…giving life, peace, love, victory, working for good….
Thank YOU…
To do your will….
Seek ye first…
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