Trials By The Flesh
See also: TRIALS OF FAITH (Trials Against Faith)
When we come close to the Lord and develop our relationship
with Him, we tend to feel like more and more hardships are hitting us--we feel
physical pains, anger, frustration, sadness, and the lack of control in our
life. And because of it, we tend to think God is trying our faith (trying who
we are). But God is never the one trying and testing (trying) us - even though
that's what it feels like:
James 1:2-3 and 12-14
My brethren, count it all joy
when you fall into divers trials; knowing this, that the trying of your faith
works patience. Blessed is the man that endures trials: for when he is tried,
he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that
love him. Let no man say when he is tried, I am tried of God: for God cannot be
tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: but every man is tried, when he
is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
What is being tested is our belief (reality) in who God says we are BY
our flesh. It's our flesh that is fighting against who God says we are and the
faith we have in that Truth. Our flesh is our own enemy to the Lord. And every
time we stand in believing who we are in Christ Jesus, our flesh rebels.
It rebels in that it has had its own way our whole life,
getting what it wants, when it wants, and itself believes it is the truth. But
Christ Jesus came and said, nope flesh, the Real Truth is that Christ has made
us Holy in our Spirit, and our Holy Spirit is who we are.
This is completely opposite to our flesh and our five
senses. And because of that, it rebels because it no longer then is getting
what it wants, when it wants, and without hindrance.
But now, we walk, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit (Romans
8:9). Because who we are is that Spirit person.
So since we ARE the Spirit, we face trials from the flesh to
try and keep us from that revelation and walk in life. It tries in every aspect
of life to keep control of our lives. And when it doesn't, that's when we feel
the pains, the anger, the sadness, and all those things that do not make sense
to us. These are growing-out-from-the-flesh pains. And we feel the anger of the
flesh no longer being in control; or we feel the sadness of the flesh as
withdrawal symptoms of it no longer having its own way.
So what is the flesh? It is our mind, body, and emotions
that are contrary to who we are in the Spirit and contrary to everything that
is the Lord. A product of this existing world which we have learned--the unhealthy things programmed in us by our upbringing and environments around us.
But we don't have to submit to the flesh. God gave us
through His Spirit in us the free-will capacity to choose NOT to let our flesh
make our decisions in life. Instead, He gave us that strength and ability to
make a choice that is of our Spirit and not of our flesh:
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through
Christ which strengthens me.
Does this make it easy? Not always, because we have often
lived so long in the flesh (unhealthy defaults), we don't always know to change. But the Holy Spirit
does, and He changes us as our relationship with Him develops. And He works
that changing in us:
Romans 8:26-27
Likewise the Spirit also helps
our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the
Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of
God.
This is why we don't always understand why we feel the
things we feel. So all we need to know then is that He is working out of us the "old man" flesh (programming) and renewing us to who we are in the Spirit. And when we
"don't feel ourselves", it's not God making us feel that way, it's
just our flesh rebelling against God.
So let's not avoid God when we feel tried, because it is not
God that's trying us, it's actually Him that's revealing Himself in us and in
our actions, behaviours, attitudes, and being. He is revealing to us right now
His glory in us.
Romans 8:18
For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall
be revealed in us.
Praise the Lord that I face this renewing and the pains
(sufferings) of that renewal. because I am being transformed from the Glory of
my Holy Spirit into changing my body and flesh into that same Glory.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and
where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Our flesh are the strongholds that bind us. But He is the
one that sets us free, because where the spirit is, there is freedom from the
flesh!
Amen.
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