Do It All In The Name Of The Lord Jesus
Deliverance Is Key To A Changed Life
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Colossians 3:17 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/col.3.17.NKJ
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If we believers are going to portray ourselves as children of God, should we not behave as children of God? That is to say, whatever we do in deed or in every aspect of our lives, must be said or done as representatives of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Colossians 3:12-15 NKJV
What do others see in you? The “old man”, lying, spitting out wrath and malice and the blasphemous filthy language of the flesh, or the “new man” patiently walking in the Spirit in the love of Christ?
Ask yourself, do others see Christ in you? Do they see the “old man” or the “new”? Does your daily lifestyle glorify our Father in heaven?
Who is in control, you or your flesh?
Do you do things that you don’t want to do, or fail to do the things you ought?
Paul said, “So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 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. 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. 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. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. 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. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?”
Romans 7:14-24 NLT
If one operates from the sinful nature of the flesh, he will produce the fruits of the flesh and will give an open door to the devil and sin will live within. But Paul went on to say, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Romans 7:24-25 NKJV
The truth is, deliverance is key to a changed life. With it comes healing, peace of mind, and joy in Christ, which is achieved by being right with God through repentance. We cannot achieve this in our flesh, we must put the things of our flesh to death and walk in the Spirit. We can then cast out the demonic influences from within and undo the bondage that holds us.
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 NKJV
But we must understand, these are unclean spirits and demons that have made one’s flesh their home; they are like squatters and will not leave until they are evicted. It is a legal process that comes from being right with God and dealing with our sinful past in repentance.
They are not going to leave while one continues to operate in sin.
My beloved, we have a choice to walk obediently in the Holy Spirit, sent to us by the Father as a helper (JOHN 14:15-18), or to walk in the sinful nature of the flesh.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
My beloved, whether you are In work, rest, or play, be right with God and do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
