You, Christian believer, are shown in the Bible to be in a war with Satan (Eph. 6:10-18). At issue is your very life. The battle field is your mind. The enemy is Satan. His weapons are fiery darts that can destroy right thinking and right attitude of faith. Anyone not aware of the battle that comes and perhaps is going on this very moment is most likely already down and out.

The road way Satan uses to get at us is our fleshly desires. To win in the matter of our own flesh is the subject this week. Next week, hopefully, we will have a brief look at dealing with Satan’s fiery darts themselves in practical faith.

We read in Rom. 7:25 “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”. The chapter ends there by man’s invention but thank God His promise does not end there. If it did we would never be on our feet long enough to be much use in Christ’s kingdom. His Word goes on, Rom.8:1-2, “There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT”. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”. Our natural way of life is to strive to do our best to make our way in life , overcome illness, provide for our responsibilities; which is as it should be in certain areas; but in spiritual matters it is a recipe for death. It will not work because in this issue the flesh is our enemy. We belong to the fallen race of humanity. Sin clings closely. One old song says, as to temptation, “Strive manfully onward”. To do so is a sure way to get knocked down. We are so weak compared to our spiritual enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil, it is as we had no strength at all. But, thank God we have His Spirit indwelling us who are believers and ” Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the World” (1John 4:4). The Spirit is more powerful beyond measure than any of your spiritual foes. Jesus nailed them to His cross (Col. 2:14-15).

Here is what has worked for me. Turn the temptation, craving, whatever, over to Him who is in you. Keep your “hands off”. Do not dress it up, or tamp it down. That is going back to law principles. Simply turn it as raw as it is over to His Spirit in you. At once the temptation disappears and goes away. In the future treat the matter in the same way and soon the temptation will let you alone as you walk in the Spirit. Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”(John 8:36).