August 24 Daily Discovery
August 24 Daily Discovery - Read James Chapter 4
Scroll down this page to read this passage from the King James Version (ekjv.org).
The Battle of the Heart
Whenever I look in the mirror, I see one of my biggest problems. I became a follower of Jesus Christ in 1976 or 1977 I don't remember exactly. I remember the experience of when I kneeled on my knees and submitted my life to Jesus Christ, calling upon him for salvation. I was born from above at that moment. the Spirit of God quickened my dead spirit and made me alive. My spirit and my eternal destiny was secured that day, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. My spirit was saved that day. but I am more than a spirit. I have a soul and I have a body. T he way I see things: I see the soul in the middle. M y soul can either yield to the Holy Spirit of God that indwells me or it can yield to my dead flesh that I have not yet escaped.
I believe that the Scripture teaches us that our salvation is progressive and ongoing. Salvation was ours in the past; it is still ours in the present; and it shall be fully ours in the future.
This causes us to cry out as did the Apostle Paul: "Who shall deliver me from this body of death? (Rom. 7:24) It is Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit that is the deliverer. We need to continually call upon him for deliverance!
2 Cor. 1:1-10
[1] Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
[2] Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
[3] Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
[4] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
[5] For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
[6] And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
[7] And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
[8] For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
[9] But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
[10] Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
The Source for most of our Conflicts come from Within
James asks the question, "Where do all of these conflicts that we experience come from?" He answers his rhetorical question and explains the source is not without, but within! It is our own fleshly desires that we are battling from within our own hearts. Our flesh is not subject to the law of God and it's not naturally subject to the Holy Spirit. We have to force this by dying to ourselves and yielding on purpose our hearts minds and bodies to the Holy Spirit. This is a day by day, moment by moment necessity for us if we want to maintain walking in the Spirit, thus preventing the breaking of our fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
Carefully read the following passages.
Rom. 8:1-9
[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
[2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
[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:
[4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
[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.
[6] For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
[7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
[8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
[9] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
1 Cor. 9:24-27
[24] Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
[25] And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
[26] I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
[27] But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Gal.2:20
[20] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
1 Cor. 15:31
[31] I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Submit and Resist
The act of submitting to one is at the same time the act of resisting the other! I f we submit to the enemy then we are resisting God. This is why we are told in the scriptures that being a friend of the world makes you an enemy of God. (James 4:4) Submit to God. Resist the devil. Submit to God and He gives you grace. Resist the enemy and he runs from you!
The only power that the enemy has in your life or over you is power that you have yielded to him. A ll power has been given to Jesus in heaven and earth and you belong to Him.
Live Today with a Clear Conscience
James cautions believers about making plans for the future without inquiring of God.
He explains life is so short we never know when we are going to die. That's why I say we need to live today. We spend so much time fretting over yesterday or worrying about tomorrow that we become distracted from focusing upon the time when we are actually living, which is today. W hich is right now. The most important part of your life is now. Live now.
[1] From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
[2] Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
[3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
[4] Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
[5] Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
[6] But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
[7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
[8] Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
[9] Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
[10] Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
[11] Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
[12] There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
[13] Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
[14] Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
[15] For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
[16] But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
[17] Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
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