* God's plan for delivering HIS people

In the Old Testament, when the people of God sinned and when they were brought into the bondage of the various nations of the world, they would finally "come to their senses" and cry out to God for His help and when they did this God would raise up "a deliverer" (a judge) to deal with the world and to free HIS people.

The book of "Judges" in the Old Testament tells of this.

God set lands whereby HIS people would gain inheritance.  But they had to overcome the people who were living in those lands at that time.

We have been chosen by God as HIS people, but we have to overcome "the old man" by whom we once lived.  

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft (superstitions), hatred, variance (to vary: fighting and arguing), emulations (exalting ourselves above others), wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

We once did these sins of the flesh, but now we are born again by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.

The remainder of our life on this earth, when our flesh tries to rise up, we keep our flesh under the control God though asking God for HIS help which He gives us so that we can overcome in the battles.

I Corinthians 10:13   There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God always makes a way for us to escape when we want to escape.

But if we want to commit adultery or fornication, our flesh will find a way to do so.  If we want to exalt ourselves over others, our flesh will find a way to allow us to exalt ourselves.  If we want to tell people off, our flesh will encourage us to do this.  In all evils, the flesh (and devils) will accommodate us to help us to accomplish our purpose.

Therefore we must be sober, alert ... for the flesh is just waiting for a chance to rise up in us and do it's own works.

Jesus warned us as follows:

Luke 21:36  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

(surfeiting is over indulgence)

We deal with each of these areas by first recognizing we are in danger and then by stopping and turning to God, asking God for help.

Sometimes we try to do too much that day and we wear ourselves out and the flesh takes over and various sins of the flesh surface.  Discipline is important.  Rest is important.

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Paul certainly knew this concerning himself.

I Corinthians 9:27    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.

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And Paul warned us against dwelling on memories of the past.

Philippians 3:13-15   Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: 

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Often our flesh has built "strongholds" through repeated use!

II Corinthians 10:3-5    For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

"Not my will ... but THY will be done."

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It is such a simple matter for us today.

We recognize the danger and we call on God through prayer for HIS help.

In each battle, when we choose the way of God, we are recreated in the image of Christ.

We go from strength to strength, overcoming through God, one problem after another.  This continues as long as we live on this earth in this current body!

But we can be assured that God will cause us to overcome our own flesh when we desire to do such.

We keep our flesh crucified with Christ by calling on God in the problem and by choosing the way shown us by the Spirit of God who dwells in us.

We put on the Lord, Jesus Christ, each time we do that Word of God, crucifying what our flesh wants to do, submitting to that Word, causing our flesh to suffer because it no longer reigns for we have chosen to allow the Word to reign over our flesh.

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