CHAPTERS

Before And After The Fall Of Man
Born Of The Flesh And Spirit
Why We Need Christ
Repentance And Reformation
The Holy Spirit
Deliverance From Sin
Changing Your Life
Contending With The Flesh
Contending With The Soul
Dividing Of Spirit And Soul
Communion With The Holy Spirit
Intuition Is Spirit Sense
Communicating With God
Conscience Is Spirit Sense
The Mind Become A Battlefield
Conditions Of The Mind
Battle For Recovery
This Is The Way Of The Light
Narrow And Wide Gates
Truth Will Set You Free
The Body Becomes Changed
Health Not Sickness
Triumph Over Death
Spiritual Works
To Heaven On The Wings Of A Prayer
Prayer And Spiritual Warfare
Believing and Receiving
Words Possess Power
Conclusion
Scripture Index By Topic

Before And After The Fall Of Man

Our God is infinitely all knowing, all seeing, all powerful and always present. His name is mighty in all tongues. His power is greater than the imagination can fathom. We are mere granules of sand in a mighty ocean of His love. God is our Father. With His Spirit He sees and knows all things. With His Word He spoke life into existence. He created us in His image and with His breath gave us life.

It is written, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27) The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) The breath of life is called soul. Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground -- trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:8,9) And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:16,17) Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. (Genesis 2:22) God gave gifts of thought, intellect and free will to the soul. The most prominent of these gifts is free will. God tells Adam and Eve they are free to eat from any tree. God instructs them to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He gave them this instruction to test their obedience. He also gave them this instruction because He knew if they ate of the tree of knowledge it would suppress their spirit. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" You will not surely die, the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ( Genesis 3:1-6) Then the Lord confronted Adam and Eve and asked them: "Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me-- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (Genesis 3:12) The Lord question's the woman and her answer is: "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Genesis 3:13) The Lord says: "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." (Genesis 3:22) The Lord places cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life.

Satan tempted Eve with a question arousing her thought process. She exercised her mind in disobedience to the spirit. In exercising her mind, her body responded and she ate of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Satan provoked her with thought and advanced to seize her will.

John tells us: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world -- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does -- comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:15-17) Adam and Eve's situation falls under the following categories lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of life. Eve sought to increase knowledge other than waiting upon God or the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Eve was deceived and became the transgressor (1 Timothy 2:14). Adam was not deceived; he sinned deliberately. His reasoning became over powered by his affection for his wife. He purposely rebelled against God to please her, making her an idol. The will, mind, and emotion were poisoned by the serpent. The will, mind and emotion are of the soul.

Satan uses the lusts (desire) of the flesh to entice man's soul into sin. The order of Satan's working is: (1) he starts with the body, (2) works on the mind and emotion (3) seizing the will. When the will is seized by Satan, the spirit is put to death. Death of the spirit does not mean nonexistent, it means cut off from God.

The opposite is true with God. God starts with (1) working with man's spirit, (2) illumines his mind and stirs his emotion (3) causing him to exercise his will over his body. The end result is executing God's will.

The soul is what chooses to sin. Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (Micah 6:7) The soul who sins is the one who will die. (Ezekiel 18:4,20) Every sin is an independence from God and a rebellion (disobedience ) against God's will -- rather then depending on God. It consists of coveting what God has not conferred.

Adam and Eve continued to live for hundreds of years after eating the forbidden fruit. We can conclude the death God was speaking of was not physical but spiritual. Death of the spirit means losing its sensuality towards God and we become dead to him. Instead of the body being transformed and glorified, it returns to the earth and becomes dust. The sin in the Garden of Eden has affected all the descendants that followed Adam and Eve.

To get a better understanding how all are born of sin is this. Man is one creation. All people are treated as one. We have many bones but all are in one body. If we break a bone the whole body is affected. Adam and Eve's sin affected everyone. God's redemption is through Jesus and available for everyone. "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:18,19)

The tree of life was forbidden after Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God placed cherubim to guard the way to the tree. Two thousand years ago God gave us access to the tree of life. The tree of life is through Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the atonement for our souls. "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished -- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:25,26)

Born Of The Flesh And Spirit

Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to the flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit." (John 3:5,6) Being born again is the Holy Spirit giving birth to our human spirit. Being born again is being born anew.

When we are born of parents, we are flesh. When we are born again has nothing to do with the flesh or the soul. When we are born, our spirit is veiled from God. It interacts so closely with the soul, it takes on characteristics of the soul. Being born again allows our spirit to interact and communicate with the Holy Spirit of God.

This is the salvation God gave to all mankind. He gave us his own Son in the likeness of the sinful flesh. God gave us more than the law could ever do. "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man." (Romans 8:3)

Scripture tells us if we are not born again we bear fruit for death. Paul wrote this in a letter to the church of Rome about his life before he was born again. "For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies so that we bore fruit for death." (Romans 7:5)

God took it upon himself the task of Salvation. He decided a way to save the world. He gave to us his son. In John 1:14 there is a reference to Christ as "the Word became flesh" and dwelt among us. The son of God was without sin but came to us in flesh in the likeness of the sinful flesh. Christ took with him to the cross all of our sins. He condemned sin in the flesh. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit" (1 Peter 18)

When we are born again, we are freed from the curse of the law which is sin. On the day Christ died for our sins, our sins were judged and sin itself was judged. Being born again means sin no longer has power over us. God gave us a new life. This new life is given to those who believe in the salvation of Jesus Christ and receive him as their personal Savior. This is called a new birth or born again. The new life is given to us to overcome the flesh. Born again is a term used to mean born of God.

We are flesh and we walk according to our lusts of the body in our old life. The soul has complete control over flesh and spirit. In our new life God first comes to restore the spirit to its original position. God puts his life into our spirit and raises it from the dead. The Holy Spirit takes up his abode in the human spirit. Man is regenerated by believing in Jesus Christ as his Savior. "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." (John 1:12,13)

If you are not born again, you will not see the Kingdom of God. You can not perceive the spiritual mysteries of God and you will not find your final rest in paradise.

Now that you see the importance of being born anew, you may wonder if you are? The Bible tells us: "That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) Being free and a believer in Christ, we are told: "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9)

Why We Need Christ

When God created Adam and Eve they were perfect in their being and in harmony with God. Their thoughts were pure. They were holy and walked with God. Because of their disobedience, they became weakened and could not find the strength to resist the power of evil. They became part of Satan's plan of captivating them.

There is no plan or scheme that we can come up with to bring ourselves back in harmony with God (Job 14:4). We could apply human effort, exercise our will and fill ourselves with knowledge, but these things would only correct our behavior not our heart.

There needs to be a power within, a new life from above to change the heart from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone will quicken the lifelessness in us, attracting it to God and holiness.

Christ said, "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (John 3:3) This means if you do not receive a new heart -- your purpose, your motives and desires will not change from a life of sin (which brings death), to a life of holiness (which brings eternal life).

About Christ it is written: "In him is life" (John 1:4) and "for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

The Apostle Paul was in anguish and despair (Romans 7:16). He longed for righteousness and to be delivered from this body of death (Romans 7:24) -- And the answer was given to him and to all: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

Earth has been cut off from heaven. Between the two lies a great (sin made) gulf. Christ has become the bridge that crosses the gulf from earth to heaven. Through Christ the earth once again becomes linked with heaven. He is the mediator between God and man. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Until we are born again and believe in our heart and confess with our mouth, Christ is our Savior, we are under the service of Satan. Until we are born again we are under God's Wrath. Why would anyone want to settle for death and destruction, when they could be transformed in the likeness of God, be restored to the fellowship with the ministering angels and be in communion with God and the Son.

So get out from under the foot hold of Satan and repent (Acts 2:37,38). Repent means turning away from sin. We must turn away from it in our heart or we will see no change in our life. Let's look at David's prayer of repentance: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. (Psalms 51:1-14)

We need Christ in our life to make a true repentance (Acts 5:31). We need the spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience. His spirit moves across our heart and lifts the conviction of sin. Then, sin will no longer be our master. When we are born again, Christ lets us know in our heart, he died for the sins of the world. The mystery of the redemption unfolds to our minds and by the goodness of God, we are lead to repentance.

The power of Christ draws us near to look upon his cross. To see him who we have pierced with our sins. The deep seeded sins of our soul are revealed. We know his love for laying down his life on the cross for us, his humiliation, his suffering, so that we might have everlasting life.

The unsaved may stand aside and say, "my life is upright", "my morals are good", and "I don't need to humble myself like the common sinner." The veil of flattery will be lifted when the light from Christ shines into your soul. His light shows us how impure we are, our selfishness, our enmity against God and the defects of our human character. Daniel was overwhelmed with weakness when surrounded by a heavenly messenger (Daniel 10:8). He became weak because he saw his imperfections compared to the heavenly host.

Do not put off seeking the purity of heart through Jesus. It will become your eternal loss and places you in danger of eternal hell if you should parish before your commitment to Christ.

No sin is small and the longer it takes for you to overcome it, it obtains the power to overcome you and lead you to destruction. Look at the terrible consequences from Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. This one thing they did separated man from God. It opened the floodgates of death upon the generations that followed. Let us not regard sin as a trivial thing.

Christ is ready to set us free from sin. "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2) The Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts..." (Hebrews 3:7,8) So let this be a part of your prayer, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

Study God's Word, it plainly reveals the way of salvation.

Repentance And Reformation

A confession that follows with sincere repentance and reformation is acceptable to God. There must be decided changes made and everything offensive to God must be put away. If we follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil, we will surely live; we will not die" (Ezekiel 33:15).

We must then yield to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. A sincere confession is not filled with blame or excuse. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

To be completely free from bondage will require renewing our whole nature, surrendering all to the Will of God. The soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness. We give up the things that separate us from God and are not in our best interest. The path of transgression is a path of misery leading to destruction. God's requirement is to rid ourselves of indulgences that would close heaven's door to us.

A Christian's conscience becomes quickened by the Holy Spirit. God's light shines in our darkness, which opens our eyes to see the power of sin. We acquire a keen sense of guilt that we didn't seem to have before. We feel bound and we want to be free. We may even feel helpless. How can we flee from this helplessness? We need God's love, peace and forgiveness in our soul. "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;"... (Ezekiel 36:26) He will wash your scarlet robe and put upon you a white robe of righteousness (Isaiah 55:7). The Lord says, "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." (Isaiah 44:22) If we ask, the Lord will wash away our sins and give us a new heart. He will give us these things because he promised us.

When you confess your sins and will to serve Him, God will fulfill His Word. If you believe -- you will be made whole. You will be forgiven and cleansed. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,... (Romans 8:1) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18,19) When you have given yourself to Christ, ask him to give you his Spirit and keep you by his grace.

Let there be no doubt what God's Word says: In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:7,8) Our God is a loving and tender God and He declares, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3)

You will no longer fashion yourself according to your former lust, but by the faith of the Son of God. Your character reflects Christ's character. Genuine repentance shows works of reformation. The path of darkness we once walked, becomes filled with the sun of righteousness. The heart becomes renewed by divine grace and love becomes the principle of every act.

When our hearts are renewed in the likeness of God and divine love is implanted in our soul, the new covenant promise is fulfilled. "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." (Hebrews 10:16) Scripture tells us, This is love for God: to obey his commands. (1 John 5:3) If we do not keep His commands the truth is not in us (1 John 2:4).

Salvation is a free gift of God to be received by faith -- And the fruit of faith is obedience. Righteousness is defined by the standard of God's Holy Law. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. (1 John 3:7) Faith does not release a Christian from the obligation of obedience to God. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. (Ephesians 2:8) Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17) Jesus declared: I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10) Scripture says: If we obey His commands, God's love is truly made complete in us (1 John 2:3-6). Christ is our example and we should be following in his steps (1 Peter 2:21).

Through faith the heart is renewed (Romans 7:22). In an unrenewed state the heart "does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." (Romans 8:7) Therefore, the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, "who walk not after the flesh" (Romans 8:4). When the heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, a change will be seen in your character and habits. There will be a change in your words and your actions. Those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus will bring forth fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22,23)

The life which God Himself has imparted to us, gives us eternal life. With this life we begin to grow. God brings forth the bud that blooms and He brings forth the fruit from the flower. It is by His power the seed grows: first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. (Mark 4:28) Jesus tells us to consider how the lilies grow (Luke 12:27) They do not grow by their own care or effort, but receiving that which God has furnished -- and we should do the same. Jesus says: "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:4-6)

We trust in Christ for forgiveness of sin. We grow in grace by abiding in him. How do we abide in him? So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith... (Colossians 2:6,7)

The Holy Spirit

The Trinity of God is: God the Father, the Son which is the Word made flesh, and the Holy Spirit. The first mention of the Holy Spirit is in Genesis. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Genesis 1:2 ) The Holy Spirit was made known to those living throughout the Old Testament. Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit being present (Isaiah 61:1); (Micah 3:8).

In the New Testament the Holy Spirit becomes fully manifested after Jesus' ministry was completed (John 7:39). Throughout the New Testament He was forever present. Mary gave birth to a child conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20); (Luke 1:35). Parents of John the Baptist were filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied (Luke 1:41-45; 67-69). When Jesus was brought to the temple as an infant, Simeon proclaimed Jesus' role which was an anointing of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22). Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit appearing as a dove, at the time of his baptism in the river Jordan (Luke 3:22).

The Holy Spirit came with power on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). He came with the sound of a mighty wind and appeared as cloven tongues like as of fire. The Holy Spirit sat upon each apostle and they spoke to a multi-lingual assembly proclaiming Christ. There was also a similar manifestation in Cornelius' household (Acts 10:44-47).

The early church leaders, Peter, Paul, Stephen and Barnabas were recipients of a special measure of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be thought of as a link between Christ and his church. It is part of the new birth associated with baptism (John 3:3-5); (Titus 3:5); (Romans 6:3,4). It gives us a new life in the Spirit (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit within us unites us in personal fellowship with God (1 Corinthians 12:3) and we can call on God (Galatians 4:6). The Holy Spirit is the principle of Law which replaces the Law of Moses. He is the principle of life which replaces death and the base for Christian unity (1 Corinthians 12:4-13).

Life in the Spirit brings forth fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26); (1 Corinthians 13). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a down payment and a guarantee for our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22).

John goes into great detail and personalization of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17; 14:26; 15:26,27; 16:5-11; 16:12-15). The Holy Spirit is truth and reveals life and deeper meanings of the teachings of Christ (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13). The attributes of the Holy Spirit are found in teaching (John 14:26), guiding (John 16:13), bringing to remembrance (John 14:26), bearing witness (John 15:26), declaring things to come (John 16:13), and glorifying in Christ (John 16:14). The Holy Spirit recalls, confirms and expounds the meaning of Christ, until God's grace and truth are completed.

The Holy Spirit acts as one who reveals and one who convicts. He convicts the world of sin and exposes all things outside of Christ. He proclaims Christ as the righteous one, revealing to us his resurrection and the judgment passed on Satan (John 16:8-11). He is attributed to the Father but sent by the Son as fruit to the Incarnate Word (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7).

There are many similarities of the Holy Spirit and Christ. (1) Both were sent by the Father (John 14:24-26). (2) Both have authority from God (John 14:10; 16:13). (3) They both teach (John 7:14; 14:26), (4) bear witness (John 8:14; 15:26, convict the world of sin (John 3:18-20; 16:8-11). John tells us they are one in the same saying the one who is to come is already present (John 14:17).

The Spirit form of God became flesh so that we who are in the flesh could comprehend that which the prophets prophesied. Jesus was God in the flesh; for he says "God is in me and I am in Him." (John 14:11) Christ was baptized in the water and by fire which is the Holy Spirit. Jesus appeared as a man in our eyes but he was the redemption plan in the eyes of God. If we look at Christ as a mere man we can not fathom the mystery. If we look at Christ as God made flesh for our salvation, than what we see is no longer a stumbling block. God says that Jesus is "a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation." (Isaiah 28:16) (1 Peter 2:6,7) According to God's Word, Christ died and was buried. He rose from the dead, he spoke and ate with his apostles and ascended to Paradise. Jesus tells his apostles before he died, "It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you." (John 16:7) Jesus tells his apostles when he goes to the Father he will send them the Holy Spirit. What they later understood was as Christ he could only be with them for a little while because of God's plan. But when Christ went to the Father he sent them the Holy Spirit to dwell in each of them as well as in each and everyone of us. Christ says in his closing prayer before the betrayal "that I myself may be in them" (John 17:26). Christ verifies it again to his apostles with this statement "But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:17) This is why we see the similarities between Christ and the Holy Spirit. They are one in the same, once appearing in the flesh to lay the foundation and again in Spirit within all Christians. We are many but a part of a whole. So therefore what one receives is received by all. Scripture therefore tells us by the first Adam all mankind sinned and by the second Adam (Christ) mankind has been redeemed.

Jesus prays for the Apostles and then for all believers. His prayer is upon each and every Christian. "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (John 17:20-26)

Deliverance From Sin

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24) This scripture tells us the sinful nature has been crucified. Christ died on the cross, he delivered the believer completely from the power of sin reigning over him. Paul tells us: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." (Galatians 5:16,17) As a new believer in Christ, your sins are forgiven and the Holy Spirit has been sent and dwells in you. It is important to know you have been given the grace of forgiveness of sin and the grace of deliverance from sin.

When you are born again, God's life enters into our human spirit. He requires man to leave his former master of sin and be subject completely to Him. Great conflicts break out as though there is a battle of the will inside you. Sometimes you may feel like you have two persons inside you pulling in opposite directions. You are not alone if you are experiencing this in your life. A majority of the new believers experience the same thing. Your new life is of a heavenly nature and of light. The light penetrates the man and immediately exposes him to the corruption within and without. When the spiritual life is in control, you will find yourself happy and when the self of the flesh gains control you are not happy. It grieves the Holy Spirit when you have become enlightened, knowing the wickedness of the flesh and then you still desire and give it strength to continue in its wickedness.

Paul saw his sinful nature when he was living by the commands of the law. "I know that nothing good lies in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:18-20) "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -- Through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24,25) Paul tells us we can be rescued from this death by believing in Jesus Christ. He tells us our evil actions are not of us but of sin living in us.

All believers could be filled completely with the Holy Spirit at the moment of their belief like Paul was (Acts 9:17-18). If we are struggling in the flesh, means we do not truly believe in the fact that Christ died for our sins and resurrected. Our body is to be made dead and then raised like Christ's, when we become a new believer. Which means death to the self and live for God. The Church of Corinth had this problem and Paul addressed them saying: "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly -- mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

The Holy Spirit dwells in the innermost part of your being. A new believer may proceed faithfully, but it still takes time for the new life to show its works in the body. A baby when he is born does not walk and talk immediately like an adult. These things are developed as part of a continual growing process. After a few years, Paul expected the Christians at Corinth, to no longer be babies spiritually. We can conclude after a few years, we to should have advanced in our walk towards spirituality. The redemption can not fail because God does not fail. We should strive for progress in allowing the Holy Spirit to rule over every aspect of our life. God has a plan for each and every one of us. We need to be in right standing before God, to know and execute His plan.

Changing Your Life

How many thousands of dollars do people spend on psychologist's and psychiatrist's a year and why? Because they can not cope with life, depressed, stressed out, because of some habit destroying their lives and the lives around them. This is a profession for helping people. How many of these doctors turn their patients to God?

In Christ's ministry, apostles and even the disciples of Christ did not spend more than mere minutes in helping the lame, the blind, the deaf, the demon possessed and the abnormal (which were sinners). Why is that? Because in every case it required, the person to believe in Christ and God the Father, to have faith in their healing from whatever it was.

Jesus said to the apostles: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- The Spirit of truth." (John 14:16) The Counselor is the Holy Spirit. Once we are believers, the Holy Spirit indwells in our spirit. We are lead (in faith) from the abnormality of life. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." (Romans 7:9)

The phases of a butterfly is an example to show you in parallel, the life before and after believing in Christ. The butterfly lays her eggs on a leaf. In the warmth of the summer the egg hatches a black prickly looking caterpillar. It crawls from leaf to leaf and eats and eats until one day it just stops. It may stop because it is miserably full or stops because it realizes there is more to its existence. In any case the caterpillar releases himself from his present life for a new life. The caterpillar no longer indulges in his habit and lays himself quietly in a housing (cocoon) away from the world. Away from the worldly environment a miracle happens. He loses his prickly little black body and gains a new body. The old body is the caterpillar the new body is the butterfly. His new body is clothed with soft, downy hair and four beautiful wings. His desire has changed and no longer has a want for green leaves. He now has a sucking tube and sips nectar from the flowers and dewdrops from the leaves. The butterfly flies and is free.

The non-Christians are like the caterpillar and the Christians are like the butterfly. The non-Christians (caterpillar) can change into the beautiful butterfly (a Christian). Once the transition takes place, it can not be altered or changed to what it was. Like the butterfly, Christians are given a new birth and in this new birth is given a new life.

Christ is like the butterfly. He came to us in the flesh appearing like one of us. He was encased in a tomb and from this tomb he rose and became free. His body became changed. You are given an opportunity for a new birth if you, "confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9,10)

"Seeing therefore he has renewed us by the remission of our sins, he has put us into another frame, that we should have souls like those of children, forming us again himself by the spirit. (Barnabas V:11)

Contending With The Flesh

There is no mistake in knowing what the manifestations of the flesh are. Paul gives us insight of the existence of sin and our human nature before being born again: "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." (Ephesians 2:3) Paul takes it one step further so there is no misunderstanding. He writes a letter to the churches of Galatia and lists them. "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21) God reveals to us through Paul, if we find ourselves committing these sins we are operating carnally. It is important to pray continuously with our hearts aflame until every carnal element has been eliminated. Barnabas also relates the same message, "But the way of darkness is crooked and full of cursing. For it is the way of eternal death, with punishment; in which they that walk meet those things that destroy their own souls. Such are: idolatry, confidence, pride of power, hypocrisy, double-mindedness, adultery, murder, rapine, pride, transgression, deceit, malice, arrogance, witchcraft, covetousness, and the want of the fear of God." (Barnabas XV: 1,2)

The Holy Spirit will convince us and convict us of our sin until we are delivered. Struggles and failures will give strength and determination to overcome the sins of the flesh -- but if you are struggling, only means you are trying to be delivered by your plan, not God's plan. We are to accept God's plan for salvation not our own plan. Our ways of improving and disciplining our flesh may consist of us telling ourselves, "do not touch this", or "do not go there", or "don't handle that." Such treatment however is useless and lacks "any value in restraining sensual indulgence." (Colossians 2:21-23) God's way is not taming the flesh, regulating it or conquering it. God's prescription is death. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24) The past tense is used in this scripture meaning our flesh has been crucified. All we need to do is accept it and believe.

Once you are free from the rulership of the flesh, you can walk according to the Holy Spirit. When this happens, your spirit regains its proper place and rule. If you believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, then the flesh has been crucified. If you believe, then you belong to the Lord. The crucifying of the flesh is not dependent upon experiences, but belief. You may say, "but I still sin." God says, "your flesh has been crucified." This was accomplished for us through his own son, Jesus. Do not look at your experiences, but look to what God says! If you look at yourself and your daily experiences rather than God's Word, you will never see the reality that your flesh has already been crucified from its passions and its desires. When you respond to God's Word, believe and act upon God's Word. Believing is knowing and accepting, we have been crucified together in Christ (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6). If we believe God's Word is true when he says: "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh" then, it is a fact. If we don't look to ourselves and look to God for everything our experiences of the sins of the flesh will diminish!

The key is to not walk by sight, but walk according to faith in the Word of God. We must simply trust the Word of God. If we believe God's Word and exercise our will to choose what God has accomplished for us, it will become our experience. There are rich experiences ahead if we cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20,21)

Temptation will always be a part of our lives. Therefore, we must be watchful and pray so that we continue to walk according to the Holy Spirit. Through faithfulness, the flesh will loose its resistance and its power to stimulate. We will have complete triumph as we mature in faith. Let us give praises to the Lord daily. For the power in us (as a Christian) is stronger than the power that is in the world.

We know the flesh can do bad which is sin. We know the flesh can also do good. If the flesh is doing anything on its own good or bad means it has not been crucified. Paul addresses this very issue saying, "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3) He is saying, the Christians in Galatia began depending on the Holy Spirit and their goodness showed. But some decided to show their goodness by the things they could do and they started relying on themselves. This meant they resorted to human effort. It is not by works (of the flesh) we are saved, it is by grace we are saved (Ephesians 2:8).

The error most believers make is they know they must get rid of the evil things done by the flesh, but they forget this means also the good things. As long as the flesh is operating in doing good things, then it is very much alive and can in an instant turn and do evil things. The problem with flesh doing good or evil things is, it always places self first. Anything that proceeds from self does not proceed from the Holy Spirit. If it comes from the self, then it will glorify the self. It will say "I did this," looking for recognition or "it was because of me," looking for gratification. Our strength has to be dependent upon God not ourselves. Attempting to follow the Holy Spirit and not denying ourselves is the root to all failures.

There is a transformation that takes place when we receive the Holy Spirit. God makes it known to us, we can live a more abundant life. We receive wonderful blessings. Some may take this for granted and instead of looking at things as belonging to God, they look at these things and say "it belongs to me." Then without warning the very things they were blessed with in faith are lost. The abundant living they experienced has vanished. Why? Because they started relying on the self, giving recognition to the self, and stopped relying on God. This is an example of starting in the Spirit and ending up in the flesh.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7,8) Jesus says: "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." (John 6:63) Paul tells us: "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God." (Romans 8:6,7) We need to be operating in the spirit, being lead by the Holy Spirit. Our flesh needs to be crucified of self and be under submission of the Holy Spirit.

When God says our old man has been crucified, we account ourselves dead. When God says we are made alive in Christ, we reckon ourselves alive. "Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." (Romans 6:13,14) Any defeat is either lack of faith or failure to obey God.

Contending With The Soul

Our soul is our life. It is what makes us a living creature. It is the power our flesh relies on to be kept alive. The Holy Spirit grants us supernatural power, whereas the soul grants us natural power. The soul will execute power to whatever reigns, whether it is the spirit or the flesh. If the spirit reigns, the soul will decide on the behalf of what the spirit desires. If the flesh reigns, it will be enticed by sin and will decide on what sin desires. Before we were Christians and this includes the carnal Christians, sin decides our walk and the soul supplies the strength.

A spiritual Christian is led by God's Spirit. His power is the power of the Holy Spirit. His will is the Will of God, not the will of self. He does not trust in his own resourcefulness to perform any service, he trusts in God.

When a Christian dwells in his soul life, he will be motivated by thoughts, imaginations, plans and visions of the mind. Living in the soul life is walking after sensations of the body.

If we experience victory over sin and neglect to proceed to overcome the natural life (soul), eventually the body and the soul will reunite. When they reunite, the old sins that were once forsaken will come alive and be part of our life again. It is in Satan's scheme to preserve as much of the old creation as possible, to eventually gain complete control over the whole being. Christians are aware Satan will apply every effort to entice them to sin. If Satan fails to entangle the Christian in sin, he will next try to take advantage of their ignorance of him or their unwillingness to yield to the Holy Spirit.

He seeks out looking for parts of the old creation that the new believer still clings to. Whether Satan uses enticement or attack, it always comes from our old creation. Listen to what Paul says in the following scripture: "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts." (Ephesians 2:3) Gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature is following its desires (body or flesh) and thoughts (the soul). It is important to know that Satan not only operates in the realm of the flesh but also in the realm of the soul. That is why it is extremely important the believer be released not only from sin but also from their natural (soul) realm.

If you remain a carnal Christian and do not guard your mind, evil spirits can enter. They can introduce misunderstanding, raise questions about God's truth. They can raise doubts about the truthfulness of others. Evil spirits can impart visions and thoughts, leading the believer into thinking they are supernatural manifestations from God. If a Christian allows any of these occurrences it will hinder the Holy Spirit's action. The adversary can play on our emotions. The devil can conquer anyone who is filled with self-consideration. Any attachment to things reveals a weakness in which Satan can work. Satan can operate through undisciplined souls. These examples are all part of spiritual warfare.

Jesus says: "and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:38,39) Jesus tells us to relinquish our soul life and hand it over to the cross for his sake. Now Jesus tells us what some might call harsh words in the Gospel of Luke: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life -- he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26,27) These are very powerful words whether they are heard by a non-Christian (who will not grasp the deeper meaning of what Jesus said), or a Christian. What Jesus is telling us as long as we have natural love, we have not carried his cross and followed him. We are to follow Christ and in doing so, our love is not to be natural love but the Love of God. We are to love others, the same as God loves us. The Bible tells us; Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) We are not to hang on to a natural love from the soul. God's Love is perfect and forever, natural love is not. Natural love is filled with highs and lows of emotions, and changes as the world changes. Sometimes the natural love even comes with provisions. God is love (1 John 4:8), God is the Word (John 1:1) and love is putting the Word into practice. This is cultivating the fruit of love in our lives. So now you see what it means when Jesus says, we are to hate what we love. We are to hate what we love in the natural and replace it with God's love. We must deny ourselves so that greater works can be found in us.

Jesus said to his disciples and this message is for all of us: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:24-38) Whoever wants to save his (soul) life will lose it (eternal life), but whoever loses his (soul) life for me will find it (eternal life). God's purpose can not be accomplished as long as Satan finds opportunity in us. Satan will find opportunity in the natural life which remains uncommitted to the death of the cross.

Jesus gives us another example using wheat as an example of soul life: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24,25) In reference to us, this scripture means as individuals, the self is a seed. A person who is strictly self and has not been saved will not receive gifts of the Holy Spirit and will not produce fruits of the Holy Spirit. God's children even though they live on this earth, they are not of this world. The world was given to and is under rulership of Satan and his legion. Therefore if you remain a part of this world you will lose your life and will not have eternal life.

Paul comes to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. He views all his gains as loses, compared to the greatness of knowing Jesus Christ. "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ -- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:7-11) "All of us who are mature should take such a view of things." (Philippians 3:15)

Dividing Of Spirit And Soul

When the Bible tells us our old nature must pass away -- does not mean we must die and be physically buried. Death of self allows God an opportunity to communicate his life to us. We will be yielding our members (parts of our body) to God as instruments of righteousness. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. (Romans 6:13) In our natural death (not physical death) will be found renewal. Every part of our body and our soul remains available for the renewal process. The only difference is this, what was activated by the natural is now activated by the supernatural. Jesus, throughout the Bible had many emotions depending on the circumstance at hand and was in continual communication with God. His soul and flesh were not alienated in his spiritual walk. He did not become cold and not sociable because he was in this world and yet not a part of this world. He was very active. He didn't sit in one spot, refusing to move until moved by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus not only communicated with God, he also resurrected from death and ascended to heaven. The first resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:16) is not possible for us after death unless we are operating in the Holy Spirit, while we are alive. The resurrection is a supernatural act. The rapture is also a supernatural act (1 Thessalonians 4:17). In many Christians the Holy Spirit indwells in the human spirit and nothing more. It is most important that we allow the Holy Spirit to have full reign over our whole being. If the soul does not will what God wills, then there is no Spiritual fruit. If the believer allows the self to be master, the Holy Spirit will not bless him in his works and he will not have Spiritual fruits. What is Spiritual fruit? "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22,23)

What is dividing the soul and spirit mean? It means the soul no longer affects the spirit. The spirit is no longer under the authority of the soul. They each have their rightful place and God's work will be done and not hindered with the two mixed. In Hebrews we are told exactly what divides the soul and spirit. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13,14) Look very carefully at this scripture. The word of God is living and active, meaning the Holy Spirit indwells in our spirit and we become imitators of Christ. In the Holy Spirit's indwelling we are allowed to see the difference between the operations of the spirit and the operations of the soul. Having the Holy Spirit reigning over the whole man divides the soul and spirit as cleanly as a double edge sword would cut through the joints and marrow. The soul encases the spirit and the Lord will divide the same way a sword would cut, to release the spirit from its bondage. When the will of the soul leans toward God, the Holy Spirit keeps it in check with judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before God, because His divine light penetrates the darkness of our soul. Therefore, nothing is hidden from His sight.

Pure spiritual walk is the dividing of the soul and spirit. It is important to experience this division. The Christian should ask the Lord to show him explicitly his life in the spirit and his life in the soul. It should be noted a life that bounces from one to the other is filled with frustration. You must will to have the soul and spirit divided. You must constantly bend your will continuously towards God and actively choose to have this separation. Stand and maintain the attitude found in Romans 6, "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." (Romans 6:11,12). This process leads to purification of the self. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, though the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:22,23). God's Word penetrates into the soul so the natural life can be purified. Deny self at all times. Make no provision for the flesh -- not even for a moment.

Live according to your spirit. Knowledge will help you recognize the workings of the Holy Spirit in your spirit, enabling you to recognize the workings of the other spirits. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16) Through faithful obedience we will experience the dividing of soul and spirit. The Holy Spirit requires our cooperation for us to experience a pure spiritual walk. The Bible is God's Word and Jesus is the Living Word. God's Word separates the soul and the spirit. Our obedience to God will lead us unto the spiritual path.

The Bible tells us we are God's temple. "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19) "For we are the temple of the living God." (2 Corinthians 6:16) The Jewish temple was set up in three parts: it had the outer court, the inner court and the inner sanctuary (called the Holy of Holies) where God dwelt. The body is also set up in three parts; the outer court is the flesh, the inner court is the soul and the inner sanctuary is the spirit. A better understanding of what the dividing of soul and spirit means can be found in the Gospel of Mark at the crucifixion of Jesus. "With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." (Mark 15:37,38) This curtain was torn from top to bottom by God immediately following the death of Jesus. This was symbolic as well as actual. In actuality, God waited for the completion of the cross, before moving out from the inner sanctuary of the temple. "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:19-22) Symbolically when we are born anew, the Holy Spirit indwells in our spirit (inner sanctuary). When we believe the flesh was crucified to sin when Jesus died on the cross and the soul's will becomes God's will, the curtain between the soul and the spirit is torn down. God then moves and operates over the whole man. This includes the spirit, the soul and the flesh. When the curtain is torn down between the soul and spirit our natural life renounces its independence and waits upon the spirit life for direction. Our works will be works of the Holy Spirit, we will be operating supernaturally not naturally. Our fruits will be the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Nothing will be of our own doing so that we may boast. We will no longer operate in the power of our own but in the power of God's Word, "humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." (James 1:21) The miracles we once wondered about will become an experience.

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:1-5)

Communion With The Holy Spirit

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- The Spirit of truth. The world can not accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:15-17) Jesus is speaking of the believers who are born anew. "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26) Peter tells us how we receive the Holy Spirit: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off -- for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38,39)

The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity of God. Isaiah describes the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord --" (Isaiah 11:2) He teaches, guides and communicates the reality of Christ to us. If we do not let him regulate our lives, we will not be open to receive from Him. We will not be conscious of the power the Holy Spirit manifests within us. We are to believe by faith the Holy Spirit dwells in us even if we are not having the experience. It is wonderful to have the knowledge the Holy Spirit indwells in us, but what joy to have the experience! We should pray that the Holy Spirit strengthens our spirit. The Apostle Paul prays for others to be strengthened. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." (Ephesians 3:16)

The difference between a strong spirit and a weak spirit is this. A weak spirit's reaction can be positive or negative depending on the circumstances or events. The reaction of a strong spirit is meeting the most disturbing situations with peace. In a strong spirit we could pray continually until the answer comes. A weak spirit becomes faint after awhile if it does not receive an answer. A strong spirit can move forward in any adverse situation, whereas a weak spirit becomes faint and backs away from the opposition. We are in need for the power and strength of the Holy Spirit, to defeat Satan in spiritual warfare.

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." (Galatians 3:14) Receiving the Holy Spirit is an inward manifestation. The Holy Spirit expresses his self and guides us through our spirit's sense, which is intuition. The Holy Spirit does not direct us through our mind. If we sense something intuitively and lack understanding, we must pray asking our mind for understanding. The mind can be instantly enlightened and will understand the meaning of the intuition. The meaning must be in alignment with God's Word.

If we rely on the desire of the body or the mind, we are not relying on God. If we depend on the desire of the body or mind, we are walking in the flesh not the spirit. We need to walk by faith, not by sight. We should trust the unseen power of the Holy Spirit more than our own power.

Paul describes the condition of the Spiritual man as: "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Intuition Is Spirit Sense

The spirit's primary senses are intuition, communication and conscience. It does not come from your own thought. The mind can only enlighten your understanding of an intuition of the spirit.

The intuition is a sense that comes directly to us without reason. Our senses, we know and understand are activated from an outside influence. Spiritual sense does not require an outside influence and comes from within. Intuition expresses the thought of the spirit, which expresses the thought of God. The intuition may urge us on when our mind can not find a logical reason to go forward in the matter. Likewise we may be filled with certainty to move forward on a matter and intuition loudly discourages us. We know now if we get a notion in our mind from an emotion it is not of the spirit.

The body and the soul belong to our outward being and the spirit belongs to our inward being. Satan can attack us only from the outward being. He can affect our senses, mind, emotion and cause sensations but scripture tells us: "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) It is very important to distinguish our feelings and know if they come from within or from without.

To get a clearer understanding of what comes from the spirit and what doesn't is this. The spirit knows and the mind understands. Knowing is the work of intuition and understanding is the work of the mind. The Holy Spirit instructs our spirit to know and the spirit instructs the mind to understand. Sometimes we can know something without understanding it. At times we act upon intuition and understand it later. We are to heed the direction of the intuition. We are to accept the instruction from the anointing of the Holy Spirit. If we are not lead by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, then it is of our own doing.

It is important to have the power of discernment in our spirit. There are many false teachers and false teachings. The Holy Spirit will teach us what is of God and what is not. It doesn't matter how educated you are, the Holy Spirit is the same in everyone and there is only one truth. Another reason it is important to have the power of discernment is because in the end times there will be supernatural manifestations. Supernatural manifestations are not always from God. We are not to be misled by what our outer senses tell us. We are to listen to the voice within. A supernatural manifestation can overwhelm the mind with awe. Therefore, it is important to follow intuition. The Anointing of the Holy Spirit will deliver us from a confused mind.

An example of intuition can be found in the Gospel of Mark, "Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts..." (Mark 2:8) Jesus was perceptive in spirit. This scripture does not say Jesus thought or the Holy Spirit told him it says he knew in his spirit. This is a normal condition for every spiritual person.

The truth revealed to our spirit from God's spirit is revelation. The mind does not know these things or can know these things. Our mind can only rationalize what it can not see. Revelation comes from the spirit not from human wisdom. It is by the grace of God that we perceive in our spirit the spiritual realm. Listen to what John says: "I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen..." (John 3:11) John says we speak of what we know. To know comes from the spirit.

Communicating With God

"However, it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him--" (1 Corinthians 2:9) Spirit communicates with spirit not the senses of the body. The senses of the body can not know what is prepared for us by God. In order for us to communicate with God, we need to be in the spirit. To receive revelation intuitively from God, we need to be born anew. There needs to be a division between soul and spirit and the body needs to be brought under submission under the spirit. The Holy Spirit reveals intuitively to our spirit, to know intuitively the matters of God. The revealing will be followed by an understanding of the gifts bestowed on us by God.

Our spirit is the only place God communicates with us. If we use our will to continue in the matters of the world rather than the matters of God, we will not be perceptive. Some Christians are wrapped up in to what they think is delightful and interesting and tend to miss or even ignore the voice of intuition. It is important to keep the communication open between you and God. Only He can give us revelation of the end times, spiritual warfare and deeper truths. When we come to know the realities of God, it is our responsibility to proclaim them. We are to proclaim what we know by the words of the same Spirit. This is called utterance given by the Holy Spirit. Spiritual truths must be explained by spiritual phrases. This is why Christ spoke in parables, not human wisdom. Illustrations were used by Christ and the apostles. Listen to what Paul says, "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, which we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." (1 Corinthians 2:12,13)

Every Christian has the opportunity to be spiritual and communicate with God. So why are some Christians not having the experience? The reason is, these Christians are still walking by the flesh and the soul. Their carnal mind is still full of wandering thoughts and emotions, carnal interests and desires. They are so preoccupied by the things of this world that they don't have time to listen to the voice of intuition. Their spirit grows dull. The inward voice is very soft and can not be heard unless we are listening attentively, when everything else is quieted. A carnal Christian is a baby stage and it is important to know, you should not remain in this state for very long. A Christian should grow turning knowledge of communicating with God, to experiencing it.

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (Ephesians 1:17) Paul tells us we need the spirit of wisdom and revelation to communicate with God intuitively. We also need the spirit of wisdom and revelation to know the true knowledge of God and to know His righteousness, mercy, and love. The apostles lives were filled with revelation and we can be filled with revelation as well, if we are willing to give God the opportunity.

In the spiritual experience everyone begins at the same point. To advance in our spiritual walk requires intuitive knowledge and faithful obedience. Paul wrote to the Colossians saying, "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you have great endurance, patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." (Colossians 1:9-12)

Conscience Is Spirit Sense

Conscience may appear to be the least important compared to communicating with God. Yet there is no communication with God unless the conscience is cleansed. "The blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" (Hebrews 9:14) The blood of Christ atoned all the sins of the believer, allowing no condemnation in the conscience. "We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10)

The conscience distinguishes between good and evil. When a thought or action is displeasing to the Holy Spirit, it will be known to us. The intuition and the conscience are very closely knit together. In order for us to communicate with God, we can not have any accusation in our conscience. We must believe every sin was atoned by the blood of Jesus Christ. We must continually adhere to the voice of the conscience. If we do not adhere to the voice of the conscience, we will be prohibited from entering into the spiritual realm. The conscience testifies, we are in right standing with God. It will let us know if our thoughts, words and deeds follow the will of God. Why should we listen to our conscience? We should listen to our conscience because it is in complete control of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us, "my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit --" (Romans 9:1)

If our conscience tells us we are wrong, we are indeed wrong. We must stop what we are doing in our wrong immediately. If it condemns us, we are condemned by God. We must repent, confess and reclaim what Christ did for us immediately. We are not to argue with our conscience or give it reason or excuses for our thoughts or actions. The conscience does not know reason, it discerns God's will and condemns anything which is not according to Him. Any explanation we may give may satisfy the mind but will not satisfy the conscience if we are wrong. Our conscience will condemn us.

Christians who can not follow their conscience wholly are not qualified to walk after the spirit. If you (a believer in Christ) continue in your sin, this action hinders your spiritual life. Your conscience becomes null and your victory is lost. What was the secret to Paul's life during his ministry? "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." (Acts 23:1) "So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." (Acts 24:16) John tells us, "if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him." (1 John 3:21,22) Timothy tells us, he serves God with a clear conscience (2 Timothy 1:3). Paul tells us, "Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's Grace." (2 Corinthians 1:12) This is how we should be conducting ourselves in the world. Our conscience will bear witness for us if we live our life by the Grace of God. Paul's boast was his conscience bears witness of what he has done according to God's grace.

Paul gave Timothy advice for his work in the Lord. "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." (1 Timothy 1:5) "Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." (1 Timothy 1:18,19) Paul shows us in his letter to Timothy that faith and conscience work very closely together. If we do not have a good conscience our faith will be hindered. If we do not work within the dictates of the conscience, we may lose fellowship with God and our faith will be weakened. We can not even pray with faith unless we have a good conscience. It is important that if the conscience condemns us, we must confess immediately and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We must reclaim what Jesus did for us on the cross. Daily, we should seek a good conscience and maintain uninterrupted fellowship with God.

The conscience will only convict us of the sins we are aware of consciously. The more knowledge we gain, the more conscious we become of sin. We are made conscious of sins, we were not aware of before. John tells us, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8,9) The Holy Spirit testifies: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." (Hebrews 10:16) The laws written in our hearts is the knowledge of good and evil. Having the laws written in our minds will give us understanding. As we grow in knowledge, consciously we are made aware of our sins. Our conscience will convict us as a prompting to confess our sins. God says, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17) The standard of our living is Christ. The conscience's role is to testify, we are spending our everyday life pleasing God.

God judges what the conscience judges. We are not to judge others by what our own conscience dictates. We are only to encourage others to listen to their conscience. We do not all have the same knowledge and we can not be judged by what we do not know. God judges us individually not as a whole. We should listen intuitively to our conscience daily.

The Mind Become A Battlefield

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians. 4:4) This scripture tells us Satan can blind the mind from receiving truth. The mind can become cold and hostile towards God. "But their minds were made dull..." (2 Corinthians 3:14), "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior." (Colossians 1:21), "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God." (Romans 8:5-7) The deception in the Garden of Eden is a good example of Satan working through the thought process. Eve was pure in heart, yet she could receive receptive thoughts from Satan. Most communications between the power of darkness and humans occur through the thought process. Every temptation that entices man is presented through the mind. The soul gives consent to temptation by acting out the thought.

The original definition of repentance is changing the mind (Acts 11:18). This is part of the regeneration process of being born anew. No race is excluded from receiving the Holy Spirit, he is a gift of God.

The mind probably suffers more attacks from Satan than any other organ. The powers of darkness attacking the mind is the easiest avenue to accomplish their purpose. This is the snare of the enemy. Let there be no surprise or a mystery how Satan works.

There have been preachers who were at the pulpit one day preaching and the next day their career ended in scandal. Now how is that possible? It is possible because their minds were not renewed. Whether knowingly, or unknowingly Satan penetrated the thought process. The saying, "one thing leads to another" is exactly how Satan works. With your sight he will entice the flesh -- with your mind he will interject thoughts -- and with your will, you can choose to carry out Satan's plan. Entertaining a thought implanted by Satan is a green light for him to seize your will to carry it out. In every working of Satan the thought and the action become sin. How do we escape the snares of the devil, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Romans 12:11)

Satan is alive and well working in the media. Take television for example. Some say, "television is harmless" and others say, "it promotes crime." A reason why our civilization has become so polluted in morals is television. Television commercials, talk shows, movies about sex, drugs and murder do affect the mind. Shows portray messages of what is normal and acceptable today, when in actuality it is abnormal behavior. We have grown into a society of dysfunctional humans and abnormalities acceptable to man, not God. The things we acknowledge or accept can not be in alignment with God's Word, when it is in alignment with the works of Satan. There are no gray areas here, it is either of the one or of the other.

So what happens when you are attacked by the spirits of darkness. Do you become demon possessed and out from under your own control? There are documented cases, this is possible. But mostly the experience is of milder cases which are uncontrolled thoughts, imaginations, impure pictures, wanderings, confusion, prejudices, obsessions and depressions, to name a few. The mind feels like it has become chained, or powerless and even controlled. If you feel this way, check the origin from where it comes. God never manages the mind or controls the will. If you are not doing it, then it is obviously the powers of darkness. Satan's unholy ones inject their thoughts into a believer's head and induces him in to thinking they are his own. Remember in the instances mentioned, it is not the mind trying to grasp the thought -- but the thought trying to grasp the mind. The mind is not naturally thinking, it is forced to think. This is the way Satan and his powers work. No matter what you do whether it is done moderately or abusively, check the source from which it comes -- God or Satan.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." (Ephesians 2:2) Paul says Satan works in the sons of disobedience. Powers of darkness can work from the outside and also work from the inside. They can squeeze themselves into your thought life and work from within. They start with the mind, stir the emotions and then they move to one's will. Satan entered Judas Iscariot's mind (thought) as well as seizing his will, in the betrayal of Jesus.

Satan can also take away the Word from our hearts. "Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved." (Luke 8:12)

Conditions Of The Mind

Jesus says, "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." (Luke 11:24,25) Jesus went with his twelve disciples and met with a large crowd and cured them from disease and evil spirits. He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

There are many conditions of the mind we can be in, that will allow the workings of Satan. (1) An unrenewed mind. This is when the believer may have a renewed heart but not yet a renewed mind. Operating continually in the flesh allows opportunity for the evil spirit to work through thought. Satan may keep you ignorant of this fact -- the mind needs to be renewed. The powers of darkness may prompt the Christian into thinking their workings are the believer's thoughts. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2)

(2) Improper thoughts. Allowing sin to persist opens doors for Satan's spirits. An unclean heart with sinful thoughts allows the evil spirits to work. You can receive improper thoughts and if you choose to keep them, they will acquire a footing on your mind. Isaiah tells us, we are to abandon our wicked ways and our evil thoughts. "Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." (Isaiah 55:7)

(3) Misunderstanding God's truths. Not knowing God's Word is another door for evil spirits. "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (1 Timothy 4:11) Religious cults would fall under this category. You need to know the power given to you, being born again of Christ. You need to know what are supernatural blessings from God vs. supernatural workings of Satan. 1 Corinthians is explicitly telling us the workings given to all Christians. "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit. To another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (1 Corinthians 2:4-11)

(4) Power of Suggestion. Satan has an endless supply of suggestions his spirits can implant in your mind. Going to fortune tellers about your life is an example. Allowing this type of prophecy to remain in your mind, permits evil spirits to work on your environment, making these things come to pass. This channels your belief toward things of Satan rather than God.

You can think yourself ill. A majority of natural and psychological illnesses are caused by suggestions from evil spirits. If you don't acknowledge the thought it will give them no base to work.

(5) Blankness of the mind. "But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it." (Matthew 13:23) The mind is to be used. God desires us to understand His Word with our intellect. When a blankness of mind occurs, it means emptiness inside. Evil spirits can strip the mind. This condition makes you more accessible to them to receiving thoughts from them. Keep your mind active in the Word. The advantage of this is discernment of evil spirits.

(6) Passivity of the mind. The difference between a passive mind and a blank mind is this. A blank mind is not using the mind at all. The passive mind is one that waits for some external force to activate it. A passive mind reduces man to a machine. A passive mind allows evil spirits to gain entrance and operate the believer's will and body. A passive mind is an invitation for Satan and his evil spirits to invade the mind.

God does not wish us to be passive. We as believers are to be cooperating actively with Him. The principle of God is for us to be in control of our whole being. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance." (1 Peter 1:13,14) We are suppose to apply our whole being to working with God. It is a misconception if you think you are suppose to become completely dead to yourself and awaiting to obey any notion that comes to mind. Assuming that these notions only come from God is deceptive. Deception comes from Satan. Obedience to the Holy Spirit does not mean letting your brain seize to function. This will cause it to function chaotically and hinder spiritual life. The thought in the mind does not come from God. God speaks to us through our intuition. The purpose of the mind is to assist the intuition. We need to use our mind so we do not err. "Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:7,8) We must be able to examine what we receive to knowing if it is from God. We need to use the mind to probe the authenticity of what we receive. "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." (Ephesians 5:17)

There are distinctions between the working of the Holy Spirit and Satan. Any supernatural revelation that comes when the mind was inactive are most likely not from God. It is important that the mind is active so the functions of the mind can apprehend visions from God. Anything that we receive must agree with God's nature and the Bible. To receive revelation the mind needs to be functioning and you must have the ability of controlling the body.

Speaking in tongues is one of the many manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Using this as an example the speaker has both control and consciousness of himself. The members of the church of Corinth could control themselves speaking in turn and they could be silent when there was no interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 14).

When the spirits of darkness operate, they invade the mind. When the Holy Spirit operates, he comes from within and is received as intuition. The forces of evil pushes a believer to act immediately. They confuse and paralyze the mind. Guidance and revelation from the Holy Spirit are not confusing or compulsory. God allows us to examine what we receive from Him. Peter wrote the following for encouragement, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resisting him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8,9)

Battle For Recovery

The last chapter was to make you aware of the wiles of the devil. It is important to understand you are really being attacked by the powers of darkness. It is time to take another look at yourself and reevaluate what damage (knowingly or unknowingly) has been done. As a Christian it is important to evaluate whether you have fallen from your normal state. You can (with Satan's help) find an excuse for every abnormal condition. If any abnormal condition is present the bottom line is, you are being attacked by Satan or his unholy host. The sooner you see this fact; the sooner you can seek deliverance from Satan.

The reason why Satan can work is because the Christian has not yet been completely liberated from his carnal mind. "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." (Romans 6:12) Therefore we ought to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) The result of not going through the renewal process is this. "So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." (Ephesians 4:17-19) With regard of renewing the mind we are told, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) We are told if we are under attack by Satan and his unholy ones, we are suppose to, "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:17,18) The scriptures tell us, we must practice denying carnal thoughts daily. We must examine every thought. Everything must be looked at in the light of God. Light dispels darkness. Therefore, we must possess His truths. We need to know God's Word concerning ourselves. Light and truth removes the ground in which Satan works.

It is not in God's creation that we should be imperfect human beings. We need to look at what is imperfect in us as a lie from Satan. We need to pray and use our will to resist against all lies in whatever form it may take. Jesus says, "You are the light of the world." (Matthew 5:14) This is our true condition according to God.

It may take a day or it may take months to discern each lie we have accepted from Satan. We need to be restored to our original state. How far we have fallen is our measuring tool, we use to bring ourselves back to our normal state. To know this, compare when your spirit was the strongest operating in your life to how you are now. You need to exercise your will to resist your present abnormal state and strive to restore yourself to your normal condition. You have been redeemed to have a better life, not a poorer condition.

So how do we recover from this abnormal state back to our original state? "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:10,11) Why? "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

There are laws in the physical realm and there are laws in the spiritual realm. In the spiritual realm is where we fight our battles and recover what we have lost. The laws of the spiritual realm pertaining to man, is man's will. Nothing can be accomplished without the consent of our will. Evil spirits can not violate this law. Victory comes from wielding the Sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word. Before we initiate an act from any suggestion we receive, first go to God's Word. If it does not correlate with God's Word, it is a thought or a lie from Satan and no action should be taken.

When you are filled with doubt, read scriptures of faith. When you have feelings of despair, read scriptures of hope. If you don't know what scriptures to read or what is appropriate for your situation, then pray for direction. You must stand on Romans 6:11, "Count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." If a Christian stands on the foundation of the cross and exercises his mind, he will be delivered completely. This is called restoration. Once this victory becomes yours than God wants you to renew your mind, becoming wholly self-controlled. God wants us to be in complete cooperation with the Holy Spirit. According to Colossians 1:9, God desires the mind to be full of wisdom and understanding. We are to live a life worthy of the Lord.

This Is The Way Of The Light

"There are two ways of doctrine and power; the one of light, the other of darkness." (Barnabas XIV:3) The difference between the two are "the one is of the Lord everlasting to everlasting; the other is the prince of the time of unrighteousness." (Barnabas XIV:4)

God gives us the knowledge for walking in the light. He tells us "Thou shalt love him that made thee: Thou shalt glorify him that hath redeemed thee from death." (Barnabas XIV:5)

"Thou shalt be simple in heart, and rich in the spirit. Thou shalt not cleave to those that walk in the way of death. Thou shalt hate to do anything that is not pleasing unto God. Thou shalt abhor all dissimulation. Thou shalt not neglect any of the commands of the Lord." (v.6)

"Thou shalt not exalt thyself, but shalt be humble. Thou shalt not take honour to thyself. Thou shalt not enter into any wicked counsel against thy neighbour, Thou shalt not be over-confident in thy heart." (v.7)

"Thou shalt not commit fornication, nor adultery. Neither shalt thou corrupt thyself with mankind. Thou shalt not make use of the word of God, to any impurity." (v.8)

"Thou shalt not accept any man's person, when thou reprovest any one's faults. Thou shalt be gentle. Thou shalt be quiet. Thou shalt tremble at the words which thou has heard. Thou shalt not keep any hatred in thy heart against thy brother. Thou shalt not entertain any doubt whether it shall be or not." (v.9)

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. Thou shalt love thy neighbour above thy own soul." (v.10)

"Thou shalt not destroy thy conceptions before they are brought forth; nor kill them after they are born." (v.11)

"Thou shalt not withdraw thy hand from thy son, or from thy daughter; but shall teach them from their youth the fear of the Lord." (v.12)

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods neither shalt thou be an extortioner. Neither shall thy heart be joined to proud men; but thou shalt be numbered among the righteous and the lowly. Whatever events shall happen unto thee, thou shalt receive them as good. (v.13)

Thou shalt not be double-minded, or double-tongued; for a double tongue is the snare of death. Thou shalt be subject unto the Lord and to inferior masters as to the representatives of God, in fear and reverence. (v.14)

"Thou shalt not be bitter in thy commands towards any of thy servants that trust in God; lest thou chance not to fear him who is over both; because he came not to call any with respect of persons, but whomsoever the spirit had prepared." (v.15)

"Thou shalt communicate to thy neighbour of all thou hast; thou shalt not call anything thine own: for if ye partake in such things as are incorruptible, how much more should you do it in those that are corruptible?" (v.16)

"Thou shalt not be forward to speak; for the mouth is the snare of death. Strive for thy soul with all thy might. Reach not out thine hand to receive, and withhold it not when thou shouldest give." (v.17)

"Thou shalt love, as the apple of thine eye, every one that speaketh unto thee the Word of the Lord. Call to thy remembrance, day and night, the future judgment." (v18)

"Thou shalt seek out every day the persons of the righteous; and both consider and go about to exhort others by the word, and meditate how thou mayest save a soul." (v.19)

"Thou shalt also labour with thy hands to give to the poor, that thy sins may be forgiven thee. Thou shalt not deliberate whether thou shouldst give; nor, having given, murmur at it." (v.20)

"Give to every one that asks; so shalt thou know who is the good rewarder of thy gifts." (v.21)

"Keep what thou hast received; thou shalt neither add to it nor take from it." (v.22)

"Let the wicked be always thy aversion. Thou shalt judge righteous judgment. Thou shalt never cause divisions; but shalt make peace between those that are at variance, and bring them together." (v.23)

"Thou shalt confess thy sins; and not come to thy prayer with an evil conscience." (v.24)

"This is the way of light." (v.25)

The end times are near and Satan knows he has but a short time left, to be the ruler of this world. Do not be naive to this fact, Satan and his unholy ones are working day and night to destroy Christians. There is no reason for him to attack non-Christians because they are already his.

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:22-26)

Narrow And Wide Gates

Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13,14) What are the narrow and wide gates? The narrow gate is when our will becomes in alignment with God's will. The wide gate is man's self-will. When we transfer self-will to God's will we enter through the small gate. As a Christian, we are to put our whole trust in God in every matter. We are to look to Him for our strength, wisdom and guidance.

Adam and Eve's first two sons were named Cain and Abel. The Lord looked favorably towards Abel because of the goodness in his heart and his willingness to please God. In Cain's heart was pride. He was jealous and angry towards his brother. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:6,7) God saw what was in Cain's heart and warned him. He did not heed the warning, he lured his brother to the field and killed him. Anger is a demon seed. Alluring with intent to harm is the thought which planted the seed to kill. Satan consumed Cain's thought and proceeded to seize his will. Cain carried out the thought to a point of action and he killed his brother. God knowing what was in Cain's heart intervened with correction and Cain did not listen.

Abel's willingness to please God found the narrow road that leads to eternal life. Cain entered the wide road of destruction allowing sin to consume him.

We must regulate our thoughts. Evil thoughts are sin. An action from an evil thought is also sin. God says sin desires us. Therefore, we must take every thought captive to obey Christ. Every thought must be examined and controlled. Do not allow the mind to become lazy or drift off. This leaves an open door for the workings of evil spirits. Any thought that centers on self is not of God.

It is important to keep your mind at peace with God at all times. "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." (Isaiah 26:3) A mind that is not peaceful can not operate normally. God's peace transcends all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) Paul tells us to keep our mind active and to think about, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

Paul writes a letter to Timothy and tells him, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7) A sound mind rests calmly in God and works by faith. The mind should not be ruled by emotions. The mind should adhere to the teachings of the Holy Spirit.

The narrow gate requires one provision -- God's Way. The reward is eternal life. Eternal life is a greater reward than any reward we could receive of this world. Jesus says only a few find it. As Christians, we all know the right path to take. Going through the narrow gate seems hard because we have grown so accustomed to the ways of the world. Even though it seems hard it is not impossible. The narrow gate is God's gate and God's way.

God created the world and he created man and he said "it was good". Satan, an angel of God fell from his first estate because of pride and jealousy. Satan became prince of the air and ruler of this world. The angels that followed him became his unholy host. Man fell from his first estate and was banned from Paradise to live in this world. Satan is evil and his plan is destruction. Satan operates with man's consent to carry out physical destruction in this world. The prophets have prophesied the world will be destroyed by fire. Man without God is very destructive. He is destructive to others, destructive to himself and his outlook for the future is gloomy.

When you are of the world, everything becomes (me) an obsession and (mine) a possession. I am sure you have heard people say, "this is my house, my car, my job, my pleasures and my life" or, "I have these things because of what I have done." Accumulation of worldly things for self and sense gratification is the wide gate. Wide is the gate that leads to destruction. The path through this gate leads to death. Little to no effort is spent on the preparation for eternal life.

You may think and are confident you are doing the Lord's will. But are you? To follow the Lord's will, our spiritual inner being and the outer carnal being need to be of one accord. Take for example the day Lot and his family left Sodom and Gomorrah. God sent two angels to escort Lot's family out of the area before the destruction. They obeyed God's will. God commanded not to look back upon the city as they were leaving. Even though Lot's wife obeyed and followed the angels out of Sodom and Gomorrah, she had an inward desire to look back to where the pleasures of her heart were. Her disobedience turned her into a pillar of salt. Her duty was one with God but her heart was not.

We may feel our will is in alignment with God's will and say we do not care of the things of this world. When a circumstance arises whereas we may lose these things we have, suddenly we see how we want to hold on to them. So for the most part and on most occasions, we may find we are in agreement with God's will. In order to be fully in agreement with God's will, we must allow grace to do it's fullest work. Our footsteps may be correct but if our heart differs with God, we will fall. To fall is falling short from entering through the small gate.

Truth Will Set You Free

You may have pure motives and spiritual experiences and still be deceived by evil spirits. We need knowledge in order to distinguish the workings of God from that of Satan. Knowledge guards us from the powers of darkness. Satan's presentation of any matter is accompanied with a lie. We must be able to counteract every lie with the light of truth. Satan knows God's truth and will use it to deceive you into thinking it comes from God. No truth is found in Satan, the truth he uses is distorted or exaggerated. If you do not know God's Word, you can be deceived.

Jesus says, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31,32) The first basic truth for mankind is Jesus is our mediator. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,... (1 Timothy 2:5) Knowing this truth alone brings upon us a ray of light. Accepting this truth is a step towards freedom. Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

We must stand on God's Word. For sin shall not be your master because you are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14) For God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13,14) If we would claim this truth there would be no sin, hate, violence and immoral actions. We would be walking in love and not bound by Satan.

Bondage comes from Satan. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 16:15) What seems right to man should not be carried out unless it is right by God.

When you confess your sins to the Lord and resist the devil -- from that point on we must submit ourselves to God in all matters. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith..." (1 Peter 5:8,9)

When we receive the Holy Spirit our will becomes renewed. It is energized by a new life and not the old self. God rules our spirit through the Holy Spirit and it is our spirit in turn which rules over our soul and body. The Holy Spirit does not control our soul or body directly. The Holy Spirit does not think through our mind, feel through our emotion or decide our will. God nor the Holy Spirit forces man to do anything. The Holy Spirit never interferes with our freedom of will. The Holy Spirit works in us to make us obedient to God. He does not take control of our whole being. This point alone will let us know what spirit is operating in us, the Holy Spirit or evil spirits. God's Spirit asks for cooperation. Evil spirits seek direct control.

The result of Satan's workings is, he will reduce you to a puppet, destroying your personality, subduing your soul and body, leaving you bound and oppressed. God does not compel us to act void of decision. We are given free will to act or not to act on every matter. Every choice is ours to make whether it is to do God's will or Satan's will. Even when we choose to do nothing, we are executing God's or Satan's will. If you choose not to cooperate with God, you will only open the door wider for Satan to establish a stronger hold over you. If you resist Satan, he will flee from you. Give Satan the opportunity, he will manipulate and assault you.

Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) God wishes us to deny living by our natural power and instead lean on Him. We are to rely on His vitality and His divine energy.

The Body Becomes Changed

If the body was not important God would not have created it. God pays special attention to the body. Christ is the Word which became flesh. Christ died on the cross, but he did not parish. His body did not return to dust, the body was changed. He was raised in the body after his death and in the body he ascended to heaven. Enoch and Elijah were both taken to heaven in a changed body. (Nicodemus XX:3) Listen to the account of Jesus' death in Matthew. "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people." (Matthew 27:51-53) Not only Jesus was seen in the body after his death, but many who were dead in tombs were seen in the city. Jesus and all those in the above scripture, died in the body and were raised in the body. Two of those who came from the tombs and were in the holy city were Simeon's sons. Simeon was the high priest who held Jesus in his arms as an infant. At that time of Jesus' life Simeon had an anointing of the Holy Spirit and announced Jesus is the salvation of the world. Simeon's two sons Charinus and Lenthius rose from the dead and remained in the city for three days. They were made dumb and not allowed to talk with any man. They were allowed to write an account of the mysteries that took place when Jesus descended into hell. They each wrote on separate pieces of paper and then it was compared by witnesses and documented. Pilate wrote down these transactions and placed them for public record. They revealed in writing the mysteries of the account written in Matthew 27:51-53, in great detail. This can be found in the book of Nicodemus, in chapters XII through XXI. "And after they had made an end of writing and had wrote in two distinct pieces of paper, Charinus gave what he wrote in to the hands of Annas and Caiaphas, and Gamaliel. Lenthius likewise gave what he wrote into the hands of Nicodemus and Joseph; and immediately they were changed into exceeding white forms and were seen no more." (Nicodemus XXI:7-9) Considering these examples, we also can look forward to a changed body. As believers in Christ, we no longer need to look to the day we will die. We can look to a day we will be raptured. Paul tells us he does not want us to be ignorant that according to the Lord's own Word, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." (1 Thes