Walking Victoriously
In our last devotional we discussed that you as a believe in Jesus Christ can live a victorious life. Through God's Spirit, His Word and your own will you can become stronger and able to overcome all obstacles. However, knowing we can be victorious is only part of the struggle. We have to know how to walk in it as well.
We touched on this a bit in the last devotional but we're going to really get into it here. How can YOU, the believer, walk in victory? We listen to people tell us that we can with Scripture all the time. But, why do we not know how?
God says in Hosea that "my people perish for a lack of knowledge." We find ourselves today still facing this issue. Some of us are dying spiritually, physically and emotionally because we don't know HOW to walk in God's victory. We simply know it is possible. In fact the context of the passage from Hosea is that God's people forget His ways.
Hosea 4:6
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."
We see two things in this passage from God speaking. 1.) Lack of knowledge leads to our destruction and 2.) the knowledge is there for us to have. The Bible describes our daily walk as a battle. One man who was very familiar with battles and warfare is King David. David fought in many battles during his lifetime, but the ones he languishes over the most in the Word of God take place in the battlefield of the mind. We've all heard the stories. David was a murderer, adulterer, liar and perpetual sinner at different points in his life. If I were to describe David's failures and traits and not tell you his name you would likely want him jailed!
David, through all these trials, learned a great deal. Serving a God that demands holiness, David desired purity in his life. He gives us the first step in Psalm 119.
Psalm 119:9-10
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
The first key to walking in victory is a common theme found in God's Word. Study to show thyself approved. Get into His Word. Why is this so important? The Bible is our tangible here and now access to God's thoughts and ways. Paul said it this way, "through the law comes knowledge of sin.(Rom 3:20)" In the same way God shows us our sin he also shows us how to overcome that sin. Look at Psalm 119 again. "With my whole heart I seek you".
This mentality is continued in the New Testament. In Romans 12 Paul says, "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." See how this is all beginning to line up? Now not only can we divide right from wrong by knowing God's Word but we can also begin to use it to personally discern each individual situation. Lets take a practical example that many people struggle with today. Pornography.
Pornography starts not on the web page, but on in the mind. Just like David, the initial thought it what takes hold and turns into an imagination. Your brain, in response, releases hormones saying "this imagination is good" which leads to you acting on that imagination. Acting on it releases even more "feel good" hormones and you slowly find yourself heading down a road of struggle and bondage. 2 Corinthians 10:5 commands us to "Take everything captive to obey Christ!".
If you can begin to take control of your thought life, replacing ungodly with Godly, you're on your way to walking in victory.
This is the first major step to walking in victory. There are even more ways God has given us in order to resist the devil so that he will flee from us. We will cover a few more ways in devotionals to follow. I apologize for the length but it was necessary to put the information forward to you the readers! God bless and as always, if you're struggling with anything, feel free to contact myself or any of the writers here at H.E.L.P.!
~Deuce
3/13/2014
In our last devotional we discussed that you as a believe in Jesus Christ can live a victorious life. Through God's Spirit, His Word and your own will you can become stronger and able to overcome all obstacles. However, knowing we can be victorious is only part of the struggle. We have to know how to walk in it as well.
We touched on this a bit in the last devotional but we're going to really get into it here. How can YOU, the believer, walk in victory? We listen to people tell us that we can with Scripture all the time. But, why do we not know how?
God says in Hosea that "my people perish for a lack of knowledge." We find ourselves today still facing this issue. Some of us are dying spiritually, physically and emotionally because we don't know HOW to walk in God's victory. We simply know it is possible. In fact the context of the passage from Hosea is that God's people forget His ways.
Hosea 4:6
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."
We see two things in this passage from God speaking. 1.) Lack of knowledge leads to our destruction and 2.) the knowledge is there for us to have. The Bible describes our daily walk as a battle. One man who was very familiar with battles and warfare is King David. David fought in many battles during his lifetime, but the ones he languishes over the most in the Word of God take place in the battlefield of the mind. We've all heard the stories. David was a murderer, adulterer, liar and perpetual sinner at different points in his life. If I were to describe David's failures and traits and not tell you his name you would likely want him jailed!
David, through all these trials, learned a great deal. Serving a God that demands holiness, David desired purity in his life. He gives us the first step in Psalm 119.
Psalm 119:9-10
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
The first key to walking in victory is a common theme found in God's Word. Study to show thyself approved. Get into His Word. Why is this so important? The Bible is our tangible here and now access to God's thoughts and ways. Paul said it this way, "through the law comes knowledge of sin.(Rom 3:20)" In the same way God shows us our sin he also shows us how to overcome that sin. Look at Psalm 119 again. "With my whole heart I seek you".
This mentality is continued in the New Testament. In Romans 12 Paul says, "do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." See how this is all beginning to line up? Now not only can we divide right from wrong by knowing God's Word but we can also begin to use it to personally discern each individual situation. Lets take a practical example that many people struggle with today. Pornography.
Pornography starts not on the web page, but on in the mind. Just like David, the initial thought it what takes hold and turns into an imagination. Your brain, in response, releases hormones saying "this imagination is good" which leads to you acting on that imagination. Acting on it releases even more "feel good" hormones and you slowly find yourself heading down a road of struggle and bondage. 2 Corinthians 10:5 commands us to "Take everything captive to obey Christ!".
If you can begin to take control of your thought life, replacing ungodly with Godly, you're on your way to walking in victory.
This is the first major step to walking in victory. There are even more ways God has given us in order to resist the devil so that he will flee from us. We will cover a few more ways in devotionals to follow. I apologize for the length but it was necessary to put the information forward to you the readers! God bless and as always, if you're struggling with anything, feel free to contact myself or any of the writers here at H.E.L.P.!
~Deuce
3/13/2014