Who Is Hindering Us From Obeying The Truth? Part 3 9-Ways To Win The War Repenting and Making Jesus Lord

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 1Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)

We are looking at a devotional series titled, "Who Is Hindering Us From Obeying The Truth."   In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how we can be hindered when Satan tempts us into believing our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is not enough to be saved.  It's when we believe his lie leading us to believe we must add something else to what Jesus has done on the cross.  

In Part 2, we learned we could be hindered when the enemy deceives us through distractions and diversions.  It's those times when the enemy can get us to take our eyes off of God, and put them on something else - things distracting us, taking our time, and causing strongholds in our Christian walk. 

In Part 3, we will look at 9-ways to win this war against the enemies temptations, distractions, and strongholds. The 1st thing we must do to win this war on Temptations, distractions, and strongholds is,

1.    Make Jesus your Lord (Lk. 6:46; Rom. 6:5-14).

We may have made a profession of faith in Jesus and accepted Him as our Savior, but we need to make Him Lord of our life!  
This means we need to make a commitment to submitting to Him, and to follow Him.  To following His Ways, verses simply doing what we feel like doingthose things pleasing to the flesh.

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? Luke 6:46 (NKJV)

When we accepted Jesus' payment for our sin, we gave our life to Him - lock, stock and barrel!  We don't own our lives anymore - God does! (1Cor 6:19-20)  And since He owns them, we ought to be talking (Praying) to Him constantly and asking Him, "What do You want to do through me today Lord?"  We stop obsessing about all the things we want, and we are continually looking for opportunities to be used by God.  

The 2nd thing we must do to win this war on Temptations, distractions and strongholds-

2.    We need to Repent (Turn around) (Acts 2:38)

We need to stop doing those things that unbelievers do, we need to put off those evil deeds.  We are told this in Ephesians, chapter 4. 

if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:21-24 (NKJV)

So we are to stop doing those things we use to do when we were unsaved - when we we're in bondage to sin.  Were not in bondage to sin anymore! (Rom 6:6-7)  God has given us a complete and easy solution to those things we find ourselves addicted to.  It requires us to,
 

• We need to come to God humbly.
• We need to repent of those things we find ourselves in bondage to.
• We need to make Jesus our Lord and Savior.   (Rom 6:5-14)

When we repent we will be staring face-to-face into God's Grace - because this is where His grace meets us - at the point where we repent and turn around.

When we are unsaved we are in bondage to sin, and therefore we will always be vulnerable to the enemy's attacks.  But once we have accepted Jesus, we are regenerated and we can choose to repent (turn from) our sinful ways because we have God's power within our lives.  We need to identify with this truth and say, "I am not the old man anymore; I am a new creation in Christ Jesus." Remember, the old things have passed away once we have made our profession of faith, and ALL things have become new (2Cor 5:17). 

Hey Christian, I want to encourage you today.  If there is anything in your life you know to be wrong - lay it down now!  To continue to sin willfully is like playing with fire.  We are only fooling ourselves, as we are not getting away with anything.   In fact, the enemy is playing us like a 2-dollar guitar, and he plans on throwing it away when he is done.  If we have known ongoing sin in our life, we need to repent of it and walk in newness of life.  

STUDY QUESTION: According to Ephesians 4:21-24, what are we to put off as Christians, and what are we to put off? 

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you putting off the old ways of doing things, and putting on the new nature in Christ Jesus?

APPLICATION: Make an inventory of things you use to do before you made Jesus your Lord, and then see if you are still doing any of them.  Make it a point to lay these things down today and repent of them.