Helllloo, everybody!
Welcome to tonight’s teaching, I hope the rain did not reach your side? It rained heavily in my area…
Alright, we would be discussing a very important topic tonight, CRUCIFYING THE FLESH.
It is necessary we do this because the only thing stopping a believer from enjoying and manifesting the reality of Zion is the flesh.
The devil and his demons naturally can’t stand near a believer, but if he/she has not learnt to tame the flesh…it can end in premium tears.
Holy Spirit, thank You for teaching us tonight, I ask that our minds be open to understand in Jesus’ name. Amen!
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The flesh is a stubborn and dangerous thing. It is so stubborn that Paul records in the book of Galatians, that it is always against the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
And this is a constant battle that many find hard to overcome, some even get frustrated in the process and totally give up…
One thing I can tell you is this, overcoming the flesh is simple but not easy. However, if you stick closely to the Holy Ghost you will overcome it totally.
We’ll be looking at some scriptures that are very helpful in overcoming the flesh:
“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
[Romans 6:5-14 NKJV]
Paul gives us a powerful revelation here on overcoming the flesh. He tells us that, THE OLD MAN WAS CRUCIFIED AND BURIED, and A NEW MAN WAS RESURRECTED.
He goes on to say, the life a believer lives now, he lives unto God… right?
Then, he goes on to say “RECKON YOURSELF DEAD TO SIN”
Do you know what it means to reckon? It means to establish as truth or possible in YOUR MIND.
This victory first begins in the MIND, the Holy Spirit cannot work as He should if you are not mindful of Him.
That’s why it is recorded that to be Carnally Minded is death but to be Spiritually Minded is life.
Both the Spirit and the flesh can’t do anything without the permission of your mind.
Ultimately, if you expose your mind constantly to fleshly/ungodly things, you will give life to what has already been declared dead.
The flesh has nothing to work with if you constantly submit your mind to the Holy Spirit.
That’s why Paul says, renew your mind through the reading of the Word and fellowship with the Spirit (Romans 12:2) and bring every thought captive in obedience to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
I’ll tell you what, because you are a life-giving spirit, whatever you give attention to will come alive to you!
So, I’ll ask you… Do you RECKON YOURSELF DEAD OR ALIVE TO THE FLESH?
Alright, so if you have, it automatically means that you reckon yourself alive to God abi?
So, let’s move to the next step… now that we’ve dealt a bit with the mind.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
[Galatians 5:16 NKJV]
Why would Paul say we should walk in the Spirit? The answer is in verse 25:
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
[Galatians 5:25 NKJV]
So, you see Paul’s way of dealing with the flesh?? It’s by always being CONSCIOUS THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS IN THE SPIRIT!
The believer is not trying to get into the Spirit, the believer DWELLS IN THE SPIRIT!
If you can be Spirit-conscious 24/7, you will have full control of your flesh.
Of course, it won’t happen in one day, it is a process.
But, you should always be conscious that:
- You are already dead to the flesh and its lust
- You are in the Spirit always, so walk in the Spirit.
Now, because you have the Spirit, you already have the greater advantage!
Sammy taught about Engaging the Spirit last week.
If you can just engage the Spirit continuously, you won’t even know when certain habits/behaviours will die of their own accord.
In Ezekiel 47, anywhere the river (the Holy Spirit) flowed, healing took place.
The more you submit to the Holy Spirit, the easier it is to deal with the flesh.
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I pray for you in the name of Jesus, that as you fellowship with the Word and Spirit, your mind conforms to the Word of God.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, I stir up the consciousness of God in you right now! You begin to maximize the authority you have in Jesus!
I declare by the power of the Holy Spirit, that habits/addictions that are against the nature and character of God die now in the name of Jesus!
Thank You, Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Thank you everyone for your time, God bless you.