Rehab of the Holy Spirit

Why do I always have to go through trials and temptation? I don’t want to continue facing the same things over and over and over AND OVER again! I just want to be free.

Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever felt like the Apostle Paul when he said that when he wants to do right, sin is right there (Romans 7:21)? OR the things you want to do you don’t do, but the things you don’t want to do, THAT you find yourself doing (Romans 7:15)? Many of us can relate to Paul’s statements of temptation and sin, but we often stop there without going any further. We continue to live in a cycle that goes from temptation-sin-repentance-temptation-sin-repentance and it never seems to stop. We want to get off the merry-go-round, but it doesn’t seem like we ever can. Why do I have to go through this? Why can’t God just take it away because He knows I want to serve Him. If I didn’t have this ‘sin’ issue, I could just run for Him.

Many of us feel this way and we continually find temptation drawing us right back into sin. We want to be free and we don’t understand how it will ever be possible because God isn’t helping us. (Let’s be honest: some people will blame God because they feel He hasn’t done something about it.) However, God IS doing something about, but not in the manner in which we expect.

So, what do you need to know?

1. God loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you (Romans 5, 6:23). Though you deserved death (eternal separation, lake of fire), He came to save you from sin. He knows exactly what you are going through and He wants to help you overcome and live for Him.

2. God wants you to love Him. The evidence of our faith and love comes through our obedience to Him (Matthew 22:34-41; John 8:51, 14:23-24, 15:10). It is a conscious choice that we make to live as He intends. As we read through the scriptures, it is those that overcome the flesh that win the crown and receive eternal life (Proverbs 19:16, Matthew 7:21, 12:50, John 5:24; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; James 1:12; 1 John 2:17, other examples in Revelation 2-3). This overcoming begins as we place our faith and belief in Jesus and hold fast to Him and His word for our eternal security. Our love for Him is shown through our obedience to Him.

2. God works with us. Paul writes in Philippians 2:12-13, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Also, he writes in the first chapter that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). Lastly, Jesus declared to His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come into them to convict them of sin and guide them into all truth (among other things) – John 14:16, 17, 26, 15:26, 16:8-13.

3. Work with God or against God. In your life, you can either work with God or against God. You can work with Him to become an overcomer or against Him and remain a child of disobedience (Ephesians 2). Many people assume that if they say ‘I believe’ and live like they don’t, they’ll be in heaven, but there are a number of scriptures that speak against that (Matthew 7:21-23; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:7-8).

Working with God is a ‘process’ where we go to Him (via prayer, reading the Bible, wise counsel, etc.) to live a righteous life before Him – to be an overcomer (working out your salvation with fear and trembling).

Many people come to God expecting that He would take away all of their problems. They get excited about God moving in their lives after they first believe. However, after a bit of time, things may not move or happen as fast (as they want) and it seems that God (and heaven) has gone silent to their prayers and cries for help. The same nature and problems they had may reappear and they wonder what they are to do and whether or not they’re even ‘saved’ in the first place. Then sadly, many of them live their lives in a deceived state, where they cycle back-and-forth in and out of sin.

This is not the state the Lord desires us to remain in. As we draw closer to Him, we draw further away from sin and the world.

4. How it goes down. There will be two things that will seek to keep us bound to sin (1) Satan and (2) the flesh. Satan roams around seeking how he can devour us (using what’s in us to tempt us). He seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The lust of the flesh pulls from the same innate things that once captured our attention and/or still does (toward sin) – 1 Peter 5:5-11. James says that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed (James 1:14-15). It’s what’s in us that can tempt us. This is why there are some things that can get someone’s ‘attention’ (temptation) in one area and not another. It’s what’s in us that can be used against us. If you’re being tempted (read James’ definition above), it’s because there’s something left inside of you that needs to be addressed and overcome.

As I stated previously, you can work with God to get your life in check or work against God. Many people choose not to work with God because they feel it may be too hard; they’ll never overcome; or they simply want to continue in the sin, not wanting to give it up. This is the working ‘against’ God. You grieve the Holy Spirit and quench the Holy Spirit’s purpose for your life when you do (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

5. Working it out.

Titus 2:11-14 (KJV) – For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

The grace of God seeks to teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and we must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to have free course in our lives. God wants us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age as we await Jesus’ appearing. He is our husband that washes us with the Word to present us to Himself a church without spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:24-32). He is very concerned about our lives in Him.

To address this part, we’ll go over some instructions given through 1 Peter 5:6-10:

Be humble under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6). He will exalt you in due time – which would be His timing, but it will come. This could is concerning the resurrection (v.10).

Cast all cares upon Him for He cares for you. This is an awesome thing as we’ll need to continue seeking the Lord for help. Help and deliverance is not a one-day, one-situation thing. We must continually cast our cares upon Him (Psalm 55:22). He cares for you. Think about that. God cares for you.

Be sober, be vigilant (1 Peter 5:8). The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. This is why we must be sober and vigilant because the devil is looking for the perfect time and opportunity to strike. Ever wonder why temptation comes at the moment you’re stressed, mad, or filled with all types of emotions? When you’re sober and vigilant, you know what’s going on around you and paying attention to the condition and path of your life.

Being vigilant is someone that is active and on the offensive. They are waiting and prepared for any battle of temptation. They are careful to watch for the things going on around them and not living haphazardly. They take notice of people, conversations, entertainment, etc. They will not put themselves in a position that will cause lust to manifest. This means you will have to cut some things out of your life (i.e. TV, movies, music, bad friendships/relationships). Far too many people want to live the exact same way with the same friends, doing the same things. But you’ll find out that you can’t that way and live a righteous and faithful life for Christ. Something will have to give. Now, the question becomes how badly do you want eternal life?

Matthew 18:8-9 (KJV) – Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

If you understood how important eternal life is, you would do whatever it took to receive it. Yet, many live for those things that will not last beyond the next few years. How badly do you want eternal life?

Read Ephesians 6:10-20 about the schemes of the devil and what we need to have to prepare ourselves (via the armor of God). Learn how to use your weapons of warfare, for your life does depend on it.

Resist the devil in the faith (1 Peter 5:9). Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). The substance we hope for is the heavenly city (Hebrews 11:13-16) and the evidence is the proof of our lifestyle (fruit being bore, Matthew 7:15-20; Galatians 5:22).

Peter also gives several items to add to our faith: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity (2 Peter 1:4-11). He says that if we do these things we will not be unfruitful or barren in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if we lack them, we are nearsighted and cannot see afar off (i.e. eternal life). However, if we do them, WE WILL NEVER FALL and we will receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom (2 Peter 1:10-11).

If we say we’re hoping for heaven, our lives should reflect this. Only when we do not resist the devil do we encounter problems. We fail to see the hope of our calling afar off and we allow sin to have its way. We become unsettled in our faith (in what we said we believe) and are tempted into sin.

Please remember that the same afflictions you face are the same that our brothers around the world deal with. There is no temptation that is not common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). Let us support our brothers and sisters in the faith to live wholly for God and bear the burdens of others (Galatians 6:1-2).

We will be called into eternal glory by Christ Jesus after we have suffered a while. He will make us perfect and will establish, strengthen, and settle us (1 Peter 5:10). This is an awesome promise for each of us as we faithfully endure (overcome) temptation.

You can overcome Satan and the flesh and live! You don’t have to give into sin. You can be an overcomer! Allow the Holy Spirit to help you live completely for Him!

There is a Day of Rest coming for all believers that overcome in the faith (Hebrews 4 (read chapter 3 as well); Revelation 21:1-7). Live as a child of the day (light) for we know not when the Day will come that the Lord will return (or we will go to meet Him) – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

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