Why you should put off sin and live a Christ-like life
In military strategy, no grand army can invade a nation from the sea without obtaining a bridgehead. That is why we are told to put off sin to live without grieving the Holy Spirit.
‘And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ EPHESIANS 4:30
‘But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore, he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them‘. ISAIAH 63:10
We can be sure that in times of temptation and attacks from satanic agents, we are safe because the Spirit of the Lord is in control of our lives.
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.’ GALATIANS 5:22
The devastating effect (power) of sin?
Sins of lying, stealing, evil speaking, bitterness, anger, and malice create footholds in the mind, heart, and soul to accommodate the enemy in times of attack. Sin is like an enemy within the gates that throws the gate open for the enemy to enter with ferocious wickedness.
‘Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them‘. ROMANS 1:29-32
Why you should not yield to the works of the flesh
The flesh represents the corrupt nature as it breaks forth into numerous forms of transgression, called the works of the flesh. Please read: (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 7:14, 18, 25; 8:7-8; Galatians 5:13, 16-17; Romans 8:3, 12-13; 1 John 2:15-16; 2 Peter 2:10).
To live continually under the works of the flesh is rebellion; it vexes and grieves the Spirit of God. Peter asked Ananias, ‘Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and keep back part of the price of the land?’ (Acts 5:3). While Stephen said of his killers, ‘Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye’ (Acts 7:51).
No one can please God without putting away the works of the flesh and embracing the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of all your offerings and sacrifices, seeds of faith, and contributions in your community, church, and nations, when you refuse to put off the cloak of sin, you remain in the shackles of bondage on earth.
Ananias and his wife tried it and failed. If you have retired or are about to be retired with an unconverted, stiff-necked, and uncircumcised heart, you can never bribe God to accept you until you put off the works of the flesh and surrender to Jesus. Well-respected senior citizens who sit on the high table without putting away sin have the judgment of God dangling over their heads. Do you not know that men with the nature of sin have no place in the commonwealth of God’s children because they are slaves of Satan?
‘That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world… Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God‘. EPHESIANS 2:12, 19
What is the danger of continuing in sin without repentance?
Here is the thing: long continuance in the sin of the flesh without repentance gets the conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:1-2; Acts 8:23; 2 Peter 2:19; Proverbs 5:22). Get my book: “Confront and Conquer”.
How To Put Off The Works Of The Flesh?
God delights in the triumph of believers
God is pleased when believers overcome the works of the flesh and move forward militantly and triumphantly over the powers of darkness. Senior citizens, pastors, believers, teachers, and elders owe the rest of the people the duty of living victoriously over sin.
What happens when senior citizens live right?
When leaders of the people do away with sins of the flesh and live faithful and holy lives, the rest of the citizens are unconsciously permitted to do the same. God’s problem with society is not the followers but the leaders.
‘Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield you 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. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law but grace‘. ROMANS 6:12-14
‘For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life‘. ROMANS 6:20-22
When sin ceases to reign over your life, and you begin to bear the fruits of the Spirit, you become an inspiration and source of encouragement to others. Therefore, we are called to withdraw our bodies from sin and present them as instruments of righteousness.
Is there anywhere sin is still reigning in your life? Take authority by the blood of Jesus Christ and overpower sin now.
What does God expect from us?
God has called us to yield and surrender our bodies to Him, for He has promised to make our bodies instruments for His righteousness. Bring yourself out from the bondage of sin and submit your whole body to the power of God’s grace. As it is written,
‘But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound’. ROMANS 5:20
‘But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing… Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him… But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed’. JAMES 1:4, 12, 25