A TUTORIAL ON EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Teaching, Training & Commissioning
Chapter 12 Episode 2
We are told by the Bible, in Romans 12:2 that, as disciples of Jesus, you are not to be conformed to this world, but you are to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is: that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
There are obstacles to being transformed into a Child of God and becoming a disciple of Jesus and entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Galatians 5:19-21 tells us of these obstacles and that those who practice these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
For our convenience, I have coded the Obstacle in green, the penalty in purple and the Remedy in Blue.
Episode 2: Removing the Obstacle of anger requires Reconciliation
Matthew 5:27 says “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you;
for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
“If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you;
for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.”
God considers lust an offense worthy of death. Leviticus 20:10 says “If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”
Jesus uses an extreme figure of speech when He says to pluck out your eye or to cut off your hand in order to illustrate the serious consequential reality of lust, “your whole body will go to hell”.
- Lust is destructive. Proverbs 6:32 says “The one who commits adultery with a woman is
lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it.” - Lust is a sin that spreads like a virus. Matthew 5:32 says “but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of un-chastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
- Lust is powerfully seductive and fatally addictive.
James 1:14-15 says, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
- Lust leads to corruption of the soul, debauchery and a reprobate mind.
James 4:2 says, “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.
A true disciple, a true Christian, must avoid lust at all costs. But, when we find ourselves caught in the vortex of strong delusions and web of sin, we must start by admitting it and begin the long and difficult journey back to freedom and ridding ourselves of this obstacle.
1 John 1:8-9 says , “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
God will set you free and strengthen you, and He will reward you. But, as we have already seen, the cost of discipleship is high and the process of sanctification is difficult. His reward is more than just worth the cost; it is everything.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Please remember to click the blue italicized links in each chapter, in order to get the important details on these Bible teachings)
Please bookmark this page and watch for our next chapter,
“Removing the Obstacle of Divorce”
(The previous episode can be found at “Removing the Obstacles to Transformation”)
(Please also notice, you can listen by podcast as you read along. You can pause the audio in order to click the links for details and references which are necessary for the entire teaching)
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