Not Today Satan!

Today’s Bishop’s Buzz is a reminder to us sold out believers of Jesus. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit and believer in the redemption of Jesus Christ that occurred on the Cross almost 2000 years ago, then you have to hear me very closely. It is time for Jesus’ power to work through you and you must stand up and tell the devil, “Not Today Satan”. When we get up in the morning you must declare in the atmosphere that you are going to serve Jesus and not going to serve your lust, your flesh or anything else that would separate you from God.

First we can look at a doctrine called the “Carnal Christian”. You have heard me describe this as the meat-head syndrome. This condition is defined as a case where a person places his faith and trust in Jesus for salvation and yet there is no change in his behavior. His mind is still stuck in the past, lustful passions, and isn’t transformed or converted. He or she continues to live in the grip of sin just as they did before and yet it is believed that he is still saved (still debatable).

Secondly there is this other condition we can look at. This is the place we want to be in Christ. A position or a condition of Christian holiness. This would be the case when a person places his faith and trust in Jesus for salvation and he becomes a “new creation” in Jesus Christ. This is full transformation or conversion. This person who is truly converted becomes more and more transformed into the image of Christ and no longer lives in slavery to sin.

Is it possible to live a holy life in a sin saturated world? It is and this is how we do it. We reject the devil, by saying to all his temptations and lustful dainties “NOT TODAY SATAN!”

“ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ”
 James 4:1-8