My friend, regardless of where you are in your Christian journey — whether you have just started down the path or you’ve been a Christian for some time — this series is designed to help with how you approach your life in Jesus.
One of the major questions that confronts each Christian centers on control. Who is ultimately in control of your Christian life — God or you? The first lesson of my new series “The Next Step — Living Your Life through Jesus” will show you how trying to live your Christian life through your own efforts just won’t work.
In my last series “Who Am I Really?” I explained that before you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord your life was owned by Satan.
“2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” Ephesians 2:2 (NLT) You were separated from the love of God because of Satan’s lies and deception. “23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 (NLT)
Your Old Nature — Satan Call the Shots
Beginning at birth, we are all hardwired to sin and to lead a sinful life. It is natural for us to be prideful, self-centered, rebellious, and to want things this world has to offer. This is what the Bible refers to as “the Flesh or Old Nature”. Satan, the god of this world, has designed and filled this earth with all of the desires of your sinful heart, including his false self-centered religions and cults.
God’s Word has this to say:
16 for all these worldly things, these evil desires—the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance—these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself. 1 John 2:16 (TLB)
Let’s dig a little deeper and review some of the things that make up your Old Nature controlled by Satan.
“19 But when you follow your own wrong inclinations, your lives will produce these evil results: impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group—and there will be wrong doctrine, 21 envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing.” Galatians 5:19-21 (TLB)
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
You might think that once you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord that these feelings and desires of your Old Nature would be forgiven and removed. But that is not correct!
Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose for the forgiveness of your sins so you could be reconciled with God the Father. God’s Word tells us
“23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NLT)
Even though your sins have been forgiven, you are still and always will be a sinner. Your Old Nature cannot be removed; it will remain part of you until you die.
Your New Nature — The Holy Spirit Joins You
Once you were saved, God placed a New Nature in you and His name is the Holy Spirit.
17 When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (TLB)
The key phrase in the above verse is “A new life has begun.” You are not automatically changed — your new life has just begun. Your new journey to live your life through Jesus began the day you received Him as your Savior and Lord. So go easy on yourself, my friend, your journey is just beginning. He is far from finished with you.
Old Nature Vs. New Nature — A Tug-Of-War Begins
Your Old Nature remains inside of you with your New Nature. But just as God is not finished with you, Satan and his demonic minions, all sworn enemies of God, are not done with you either. Your Old Nature belongs to Satan, and he has every intention of fighting your New Nature to keep you in sin even after you’ve become a Christian.
For Satan, it’s better to have a Christian holding on to their old desires and continuing to live in sin (yes, my friend, you will still sin, and I will discuss this later) so they remain under his influence. How does this work? Let’s turn to Jesus for that answer.
“14 You are the world’s light—a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see. 15-16 Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16 (TLB)
This is important, my friend. If you’re still living your Christian life through your own efforts, then the world, your friends, and family won’t see much of a change. You are doing exactly what Jesus said not to do. You’re hiding your light, and doing exactly what Satan wants you to do.
The Apostle Paul admitted to this very struggle in Romans:
“18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t. 19 When I want to do good, I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 20 Now if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.\” Romans 7:18-20 (TLB)
As you can see, living your Christian life through your own efforts plays right into Satan’s hands, and all of the cards are stacked against you. So what do you need to do to change? What’s the next step? Join me next month as I continue my series “The Next Step — Living My Life Through Jesus” where I’ll talk about how to be “Rewired to Love.”
Until next time, my friend, may Mercy, Peace, and Love be multiplied to you.