THE BATTLE INSIDE EACH OF US THE POWER OF THE FLESH! Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Here we read about the Saviour who goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He takes with him Peter, James, and John and asks them to watch with Him. Jesus leaves them at the door of the Garden and goes in to pray. Jesus returns to find the disciples asleep, and this is what he says to Peter and the others, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” This brings us to our text. Inside every child of God is the Spirit of God. Romans 8:16 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” Jesus said that our spirit is willing to do what is right and the flesh is weak. So why don’t we do what we know is right to do? Why do we listen to our weak, sinful flesh? Why do we obey the flesh instead of the Spirit? Today when we were eating dinner, our daughter Amy dipped her biscuit in the pork chop grease. Her knowing all the while that she shouldn’t because it was bad for her. She obeyed the flesh instead of what she knew was right. Even though the flesh is weak, and capable of being defeated, she allowed the flesh to win the war. She ignored what she knew was right, what was stronger, what was good, what was healthy, what was the victor and did that which felt good to her taste buds. We are the same way every single day of our lives. We feed the flesh by allowing it to control us. As if it has some greater strength than us. There is no reason why we should obey the flesh. The Spirit is greater than the flesh. The fact is we are in a battle every single day of our lives. The flesh and the Spirit are constantly fighting to have control of your life and everything about it. Galatians 5:16-17 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” We can see clearly here that the two are totally opposite of each other. This brings us to our first point: 1. The Battle Includes Everyone. Everyone is in this battle. It is true that some are not even aware that they are in it. Some don’t care to be in it. Some don’t care if they win or lose, but the fact is we are all in this battle the moment we are born again. The flesh is battling to have victory over us and our soul. We are all born sinners; therefore we are all in this battle. Cain battled the flesh concerning murder. Job battled the flesh concerning pride. Moses battled the flesh concerning disobedience. David battled the flesh concerning lust, laziness, and murder. Saul battled the flesh concerning pride. Samson battled the flesh concerning lust. Jonah battled the flesh concerning selfishness. Peter battled the flesh concerning denying the Lord. Thomas battled the flesh concerning doubt. No one is excluded from this battle. No matter how great or how small we may view them they have the same problems with the flesh as us. Sometimes we think that “Great” Christians don’t have the same battles as we ordinary Christians do. That’s why they are great, and we are ordinary. The fact is, they are great because they have learned to say no to the flesh and we have not. 2. The Battle Is Incredibly Hard To Win. Paul tells us that the battle with him was extremely hard. You would think that of all people Paul the Apostle certainly didn’t have a problem, but he did. In fact, because of whom he was, and what he was accomplishing for the cause of Christ, his battle was even harder. Read how Paul describes his own battle inside of him. Romans 7:14-25 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Paul as you can see certainly had the same temptation and battle going on inside of him as we do today. The problem is we love our sin to much to give it up. Let’s talk about a couple of things here. Just saying no the flesh is hard to do. Saying no to that second piece of pie is hard, not to mention saying no to the first piece. Saying no to the flesh when it screams for a glance at sin on television, when it screams out for a drink, when it screams out to curse, when it screams out to talk about someone unjustly, when it screams out to smoke, when it screams out to steal, when it screams out to be lazy, when it screams out to lust, when it screams out to bite your nails, when it screams out to listen to the wrong type of music. Our flesh is constantly pulling at us to do what it wants, to be lazy, to be selfish, to be immodest, to be worldly, to over eat, to disobey, to oversleep, to lust, etc. What is our problem? Why do we give in without even a fight most of the time? We are allowing the flesh to control our bodies and our lives when we give in. Learn to say no. Think before you react to what the flesh is wanting. Even in areas that are not sinful, learn to say no to the flesh. Jesus said that the “flesh is weak” so lets treat it as being weak and not strong. As much as we give in you would think that it was all powerful. That we have no say so in the matter, but that is not the case. We do have a say so. We certainly will always have the flesh with us until we get to heaven but we don’t have to give it what it wants every time it hollers. 3. The Battle Ignores Everything. What I mean by this is, the flesh does not care what you are doing at the moment, who you are with, how you feel, or your present situation. It will attack you no matter what. It will come at you when you least expect it. That is why the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” We have to be on guard at all times with our flesh and the devil. We give the devil to much credit I believe when we sin. We blame it on the devil and say things like, “The devil was really after me, or the devil made me do it.” That is hog wash as far as I’m concern. The fact is you were too weak spiritually and physically to say no and stick to it, to your own sorry wicked flesh. Admit it you gave it. 4. The Battle Is Identifying Who We Are. The battle identifies: A. Who we belong to. Are we a child of God or a child of the devil? 1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Jesus said in Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” B. Who’s side we are on? What side of the fence do you stand on today? Joshua had to make that same choice as you and I do everyday. Will we give in to the flesh or fight? Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua made a choice to stand up, to say no to his fleshly desires and to do what was right. What will you do? C. What we are made of. Character is what you are. Reputation is what people think you are. Paul said I’m not perfect, but I’m not giving up to this old sinful flesh. I’m going to keep going, I’m going to keep running, I’m going to keep fighting, I’m going to keep resisting, I’m going to keep saying no, I’m going to keep dying to self, I’m going to keep warring, I’m going to keep pressing forward, I’m going to keep running, I’m going to keep forgetting, I’m going to keep reaching, I’m going to keep on keeping on. Philippians 3:12-14 “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” What are you made of? Are you going to keep listening time after time to this sick, sinful, weak flesh or are you going to stand up and be counted for Christ? 5. The Battle Is Impossible to Lose. We may lose individual scraps or fights, but the battle is already won in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Outside of Jesus Christ there is no victory over the flesh, the world, the devil, sin, death, and hell. Paul said in Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Because of the finished work at Calvary we have been given victory over the flesh. The Bible says in 1 John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Victory is ours already in Christ, because when we get to heaven we will receive a new body and sin and this wicked flesh will be done away with. 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Four things to help in our battle. A. Walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-17 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” B. Mind the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:5-6 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” C. Sow to the Spirit. Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” D. Feed the Spirit. 1 Peter 5:2 “Feed the flock of God which is among you…”