Proverbs of a 41 yr old man

You must kill the flesh so you can control it. I want to share about what it means to crucify, die, or even kill the flesh. Let me give you some Scriptures for context. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Gal. 2:20. So, put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Col. 3:5. Amen. Powerful verses about killing the flesh, easier said than done. But the LORD Jesus gave us a blueprint to follow and we have His Victorious Life to live in the Spirit and kill the flesh. So, I was watching this scene in a movie called Thunderbolts and it blew me away. It it was a man who all his life struggled with identity and depression. He signed up for a free trial with a mad scientist and politician to better himself. Long story short and for the message I feel the LORD is bringing us. This man become all powerful but his weakness was his mentality. He became dark in his thinking and literally a dark image of himself was created after awhile which was creepy lol. Not giving too much in case you want to see this movie. This man has all the power in the world but the darkness in him locked him and others around him to suffering and destruction. Not until he confronted his dark self which literally became another person, hard to explain, did he become free. The main thing I noticed actually, he was trying to kill his dark self in the scene punching the dark self that he called the void and darkness. Interesting words right? Good writing for this movie I think. The more he tried to kill the dark void of self the more destruction he caused on himself and to others. But it was when he stop trying to kill the dark self and learn to control the dark self that he began to be free. This is just a movie here, but I am taking about real life and death. The things of the flesh we struggle with can kill us and destroy us. The enemy of our souls is their everyday trying to kill,steal, and destroy us. Thanks to be to God, God sent His Son to destroy the works of the devil. And Jesus calls us to crucify these desires to the Cross. Amen. Killing the flesh. There is so much more to it. It's not just killing it. In killing it, you kill yourself while trying. No, you kill the flesh so that you can learn to control it with the power of Holy Spirit. Jesus came into this world in the Spirit but bearing our sinful flesh. He knew no sin but become sin for us. He bore the curse of death and the flesh on the Cross. He physically died so that we could spiritually live. Live even though we will die, but live again like Jesus is, alive with Him. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 1 Cor. 15:45. Amen. The Apostle Paul talks about the flesh saying I beat my body. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Cor. 9:27. Training for righteousness and godliness is harder than physical labor. It's like Samson bald without Holy Spirit, God restored him and strengthened Him. Notice in Samsons story, they plucked out his eyes in prison. All he could do is hear by faith The word of God in his heart. He could have given up in that dungeon of guilt and shame. But God was with him. Samson was able to defeat his enemies and the LORDs enemies even in death. Is that not us in this life, left for dead in our sins by the enemy and our pride. Christ came and grew relationship with us. Putting His Spirit in us. We were blind in our sins but with new eyes of faith we are now living sacrifices overcoming this world. We live because He lives and if we die we die in Him. In our spiritual death may we destroy as many works of the devil and in our living may we glorify God in every way. Imagine the strength of Samson but in the inner man! Living sacrifices strong and full in faith and hope and love. Part 2 to be continued......