Hey brother theopenlife,
We think sometimes how hard it is to live a Christian life. I have found that it is not just difficult, it is impossible to live the Christian life. What man can live without sin? The only one who ever lived without sin is Jesus. Paul reveals to us the victorious Christian life is Christ living His Life in us. He says I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. This is a great truth to be discovered.
Brother I have found that the promise of the Holy Spirit is most valuable to our Christian walk and the power of God within to live the Christian life of Christ living in us. The bible tells us to be filled with the Spirit. It is not by might nor by power or anything we can do of ourselves but it is by the Spirit of the Lord.
Brother I have also found that in the darkest times and most difficult times is Gods way of the cross and to get us to cast our all on Christ. We think sometimes we are trusting in Christ but God is letting us know that we are not totally trusting in Him as He would like us to. We must learn to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. Sometimes we hold to tightly to what we believe and God comes along and knocks the props away and we struggle and wonder why we dont have victory in this certain area and then we have to let go of every thing but Christ. We begin to refocus and start crying out to God which can be a good thing. We find that Christ is all in all and to continually being in pursuit of Him because He is our victory. Paul said it so well in Phillipians 3:7-14
Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
I encourage you if you have not read the book by Watchman Knee called The normal Christian life you can find it on the internet. Just Google it and read it to discover the greatness of Christ living in us. I have discovered that trying to get victory is not the way. Christ is our victory. I encourage you to read Romans Chapter 6-8 over and over again. It is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that frees us from the Law of sin and death. Also read Galatians chapter 5 over and over concern walking in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Blessings to you my brother as God takes you deeper in Him to that spiritual level He has for you.
I read these scriptures a lot and have decided to list a few of the scriptures even though all need to be read.
Ro 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Ro 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Ro 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Ro 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Ro 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Ro 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Ro 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Ro 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Ro 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Ro 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Ro 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Ro 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Ro 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Ro 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Ro 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Ro 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Ro 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Ga 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Ga 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Ga 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Ga 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Ga 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Ga 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ga 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Ga 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Ga 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Ga 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
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