The world, the flesh, and Satan dwell
around the path I tread;
O save me from the snares of hell,
thou quickener of the dead.
And if I tempted am to sin,
and outward things are strong,
do thou, O Lord, keep watch within,
and save my soul from wrong.
Still let me ever watch and pray,
and feel that I am frail;
that if the tempter cross my way,
yet he may not prevail.
The first verse of this hymn gives us a picture of three things that seek to contend with the believer. I’ll call them the three foes; the world, the flesh and Satan
The world is the influence of culture (i.e., social habits, customs) that are contrary to God’s kingdom.
The flesh is a term used at times to describe the internal resistance to the Christian’s new nature and the indwelling Holy Spirit and His workings. It seeks to bring the believer into a fallen state even after receiving the new life.
We have spoken of the world (that external enemy), and of the flesh (that internal enemy); now we must speak of the third great foe – the devil, that infernal enemy. The term “infernal” is used to describe things related to the realm of the damned or the abode of evil spirits.
Well, there are more better things to speak of. Heard of the substitutionary death?
2 Corinthians 5.21 – For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (NLT)
To enjoy the benefit of being made right with God, the substitutionary death of Christ must be personally applied to each heart the same way that the blood of the Passover had to be personally applied to the door. So once you’re saved, the Victory that came with the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ belongs to you. These things sound so familiar They’re like basic concepts of the Christian faith that you already know.
About a few days ago, I found myself struggling with the desire to go back to an old sinful yet pleasurable habit but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. What stopped me from doing it? My mental strength or grit? Let me show you:
Galatians 4.9 – And now that you have found God (or should I say, now that God has found you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual powers of this world? (NLT)
Romans 7
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
This scripture gives a picture of the struggles of every believer; a battle between the old and new man. Salvation knocked on your door and you opened up to it. Do you think you’d still be bound and defeated by the same things you battled with before you got saved? Does the Word really promise a life of victory or we all have to wait till we get to heaven before we can enjoy victory over these three foes?
Romans 8.37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (NLT)
Victory! Yes, perfected victory is what I have.
Victory over sin, its desires, its passions that lurk within my heart. Why then does my life speak otherwise? What more do I have to do? Christ won it all for me. Shouldn’t that settle it once and for all?
1 John.5.4 – For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. (NLT)
1 John.5.5 – And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (NLT)
You have the first requirement to walk in this victory; believing in Jesus Christ. So when next you’re faced with temptations, oppression from the devil against any area of your life, fight from a place of victory and not in anticipation of victory. All that it requires is that you feed your mind with the realities of Christ made available to you. Whenever your mind wanders into the ocean of impure thoughts, you take authority and bring it into the obedience of Christ by speaking to it.
When your body, without your consent, decides to harbour sickness, you take authority and confess the prosperity of your soul, as won by Christ
This is the life of a victor.
Know this and apply it to all areas where you feel defeated.
MARANATHA!