Quit Trippin!
Here we are on a Thursday finding ourselves 5 days into this challenge. How are you doing? I'm lovin it but I have to admit it's not always easy. Secular music is everywhere...shopping, cars next to me, birthday parties, friends houses, places to eat, sporting events, tv and the list goes on and on. This reminds me of everytime I've ever made an advance in my spiritual life guess who has been faithful to set up traps for me to fall into all along my "victorious" path. Satan that's who! He sets up a trap of temptation that lures me with my own desires and when it has to do with music he uses my favorite beats, lyrics, genre, and songs that have deep meaningful memories from my past. All to steal my attention and focus away from Jesus! And guess what...He's very very good at it. In fact he's been doing this to Christians for many many generations. How do we battle these temptations that we so naturally are attracted to...well.. we need to understand that temptations are always going to be coming at us and we need to ready for them. We need to recognize when our "flesh", that is, our natural desires, are being stirred and lured toward something that will pull us away from God. Then we need to resist the temptation, that is, turn away from it and run to Jesus. This is an action step. Go call a leader that can pray with you, go serve at church, go read your Bible, go play your instrument and worship, go write a Christian song. Do something that will bring honor and glory to Your Father in heaven and focus your attention on Godly things.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Galatians 5:16-26
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 1 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[a] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,[b] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Challenge Today: Read Ephesians 6:10-20. Identify which piece of spiritual armor you are missing or need to exchange for a better one. Sometimes our equipment gets old and we need an upgrade with a brand new smell and look with all its speed and high powered characteristics. Ask the Lord to send you an updated "warfare" armor and then wear it proudly...even sleep in it! Watch "Break Every Chain" video to the right.
Here we are on a Thursday finding ourselves 5 days into this challenge. How are you doing? I'm lovin it but I have to admit it's not always easy. Secular music is everywhere...shopping, cars next to me, birthday parties, friends houses, places to eat, sporting events, tv and the list goes on and on. This reminds me of everytime I've ever made an advance in my spiritual life guess who has been faithful to set up traps for me to fall into all along my "victorious" path. Satan that's who! He sets up a trap of temptation that lures me with my own desires and when it has to do with music he uses my favorite beats, lyrics, genre, and songs that have deep meaningful memories from my past. All to steal my attention and focus away from Jesus! And guess what...He's very very good at it. In fact he's been doing this to Christians for many many generations. How do we battle these temptations that we so naturally are attracted to...well.. we need to understand that temptations are always going to be coming at us and we need to ready for them. We need to recognize when our "flesh", that is, our natural desires, are being stirred and lured toward something that will pull us away from God. Then we need to resist the temptation, that is, turn away from it and run to Jesus. This is an action step. Go call a leader that can pray with you, go serve at church, go read your Bible, go play your instrument and worship, go write a Christian song. Do something that will bring honor and glory to Your Father in heaven and focus your attention on Godly things.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Galatians 5:16-26
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 1 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[a] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,[b] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Challenge Today: Read Ephesians 6:10-20. Identify which piece of spiritual armor you are missing or need to exchange for a better one. Sometimes our equipment gets old and we need an upgrade with a brand new smell and look with all its speed and high powered characteristics. Ask the Lord to send you an updated "warfare" armor and then wear it proudly...even sleep in it! Watch "Break Every Chain" video to the right.