Watch Yourself!

We know absolutely that anyone born of God does not deliberately and knowingly practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects himself; Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil, and the wicked one does not lay hold, get a grip on him or touch him (1 John 5:18- Amplified). But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed (James 1:14).

We are responsible to keep ourselves from the pollutions of the world, and to maintain our spiritual life. In the New Birth there is deposited within us the very life of the Father. It’s a precious deposit that is designed to navigate us through the treacherous waters of life on this fallen planet and keep us on the straight and narrow path that ends in heaven!

We often think that our biggest enemy is Satan and that may be true. But next in line to him is you. You can be your most formidable enemy. Let me explain.

Before Christ the indwelling presence of sin produced sinful acts and desires in our minds, emotions, will, and in our bodies. When we are born again, the old man called sin is kicked out of our spirit, but his reside is left in our minds, emotions, will, and bodies.

This verse in James mentions that every believer is tempted to sin when he is drawn away by his own desires. Your own desires are the things that you allowed to be deposited in your mind, emotions, will, and body before you came to Jesus. The old man may leave your spirit, but his residue remains embedded in your soul (mind, emotions, and will) and body.

Satan knows what has been deposited in you in your past. His familiar spirits are sent to play on those embedded items. Remember, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. That’s the reason mind renewal is essential in living the abundant, overcoming, resurrection life that God has called you to live. Without mind renewal and daily putting the body under, the enemy will play on the residue of your past that lies latent in your soul and body.

Three things must be practiced daily to keep you strong spiritually. First, there must be daily communion with God in the Word and in prayer. The Word is to your spirit what food is to your body, nourishment. Without it you will just waste away spiritually. Prayer is just like breathing. You can only survive physically a few minutes without breathing. You cannot survive spiritually without constant communion with the Father in prayer. It’s an attitude of constant fellowship and dependence that puts us over.

Secondly, we must choose our close friendships wisely. We become like those we associate with and unconsciously assume some of their habits and mannerisms. If you compromise in this area, you will lose ground spiritually and open the door for the residue from the past to rise up in your soul and body.

Thirdly, you must draw the line of demarcation in your life. There may be things that you could participate in that are not sinful in themselves, but you choose not to do it because of the residue in your soul and body that you must keep in submission to the life of God in your spirit. An example would be an alcoholic hat will never again touch a drink, or the formerly immoral person who refuse to be entertained by impurity on T.V. in any form.

The overcoming, victorious life in Christ is one of watchfulness and constant dependency on the Father. Watch yourself today!