7-8-26 1.4 Victory through the Spirit FOCUS VERSE Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. LESSON TEXT Romans 7:14–8:8 Rom 7:14 We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not. I am so human. Sin rules me as if I were its slave. Rom 7:15 I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do the good I want to do, and I do the evil I hate. Rom 7:16 And if I don't want to do what I do, that means I agree that the law is good. Rom 7:17 But I am not really the one doing the evil. It is sin living in me that does it. Rom 7:18 Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me—I mean nothing good lives in the part of me that is not spiritual. I want to do what is good, but I don't do it. Rom 7:19 I don't do the good that I want to do. I do the evil that I don't want to do. Rom 7:20 So if I do what I don't want to do, then I am not really the one doing it. It is the sin living in me that does it. Rom 7:21 So I have learned this rule: When I want to do good, evil is there with me. Rom 7:22 In my mind I am happy with God's law. Rom 7:23 But I see another law working in my body. That law makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and that law makes me its prisoner. Rom 7:24 What a miserable person I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? Rom 7:25 I thank God for his salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord! So in my mind I am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful self I am a slave to the law of sin. Rom 8:1 So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. Rom 8:2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. Rom 8:3 The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin. Rom 8:4 He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don't live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit. Rom 8:5 People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about what the Spirit wants them to do. Rom 8:6 If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. Rom 8:7 Why is this true? Because anyone whose thinking is controlled by their sinful self is against God. They refuse to obey God's law. And really they are not able to obey it. Rom 8:8 Those who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God. TRUTH ABOUT GOD Only God’s Spirit can produce lasting victory in our lives. TRUTH FOR MY LIFE I will live in victory through the power of the Spirit. Icebreaker: How many steps do you get in each day? Prayer Focus Lead the group in prayer and consider the following topics of focus: • Committing to God to walk daily with Him • For God to give us the power we need to overcome temptation LESSON CONNECTION It was the least likely day for an attack, which is probably why the coalition of Arab nations chose it. October 6, 1973, was the Jewish Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur), the holiest day on Israel’s calendar. Since this was also during Ramadan, a holy month in Islam, there was no reason for the nation of Israel to expect any military action against them. Certainly, in the twenty-five years since Israel became a formal state in 1948, there had been a few seasons of armed conflict just to maintain their existence. Israel had already survived the Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War, and what was commonly called the War of Attrition. The idea of defending herself against her enemies was regrettably familiar, but no one expected it on that October morning in 1973. But it came anyway. Forces from Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco descended on Israel in the early morning hours. They were even supplemented by forces from Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Their primary targets were the Sinai Peninsula in the south near Egypt and the Golan Heights in the north near Syria. Collectively, the attacking forces outnumbered the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) by three to one. Plus, Israel’s enemies were armed with the latest in Soviet military equipment, including double the tanks and artillery pieces. The outcome seemed to be a foregone conclusion to the aggressors and to the rest of the world watching with grave concern. But God had other plans for His special people. The IDF launched counterattacks, and just seven days later, they had pushed the enemy forces in the north back far enough that the Israelis were lobbing artillery shells into the Syrian capital of Damascus. By the time the United Nations brokered a ceasefire on October 25, just nineteen days after the surprise attack, the IDF was within approximately sixty miles of the Egyptian capital of Cairo. Many consider this to be one of the top five most surprising military victories in history. There can be very little question that God intervened on behalf of His people in that 1973 conflict, and this should come as no surprise. Every child of God who has lived for Him for any significant length of time has seen Him do the same. By the power of His Spirit that lives within us, we have seen Him snatch victory from the jaws of defeat time after time. Just when a situation looks hopeless, a victorious outcome is affected by the moving of His Spirit. Born-again believers have a resident powerful source of victory producing miracles more spectacular than the Yom Kippur War. Humanity is able to triumph over flesh, sin, and death by the might of the Holy Spirit. **Bible Lesson SUBMITTING TO THE SPIRIT IS THE ONLY WAY TO OVERCOME THE FLESH ** We are held hostage by our flesh (our carnal selfish instinct). The truth of that shocking statement is self-evident with even a cursory examination of our lives. Our spiritual nature brought to life by new birth exists in a vehicle of temporal existence, which consistently gravitates away from obedience to God. It is not just that our flesh struggles in pleasing God; it cannot do so. “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). Even after we are born again and receive the Spirit of God, our flesh is still not able to be in harmony with our spirit “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17). This condition seems dire. Since the carnal mind cannot be subject to God and the flesh is completely contrary to the Spirit, and since our earthly existence is constrained to flesh, how are we supposed to succeed in living for God? The answer is found in Romans 8:9: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.” Those who have been born again by Spirit baptism have power whereby we live a new life. Our old nature dies in repentance, is buried in baptism, and we rise to enjoy a new life. (See Romans 6:4.) Nothing else empowers us to overcome the flesh except the Spirit of God. We cannot rely on willpower, resolutions, good ideas, or self-help books. We can mortify our flesh and live after the Spirit only when we submit to God’s influence and leadership in our lives. Absent that, our flesh will consistently overcome our best intentions and rule over our lives. Why do you believe it is so difficult for us to overcome our flesh? Sis Beckie will Read: Ezek 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Jesus’ Humanity Submitted to God’s Plan in Gethsemane Jesus is the perfect example of this principle. He had already warned His disciples that He was about to be executed. “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21). Because Jesus knew what was ahead of Him, it is reasonable that His flesh would recoil from the terrors He was soon to face. The scourge, thorns, and nails all deposited their agony on Him just as they would on any other human. He was exempt neither from the pain nor the fear that its impending arrival produced. His flesh passionately desired to be delivered from this suffering. If Jesus had chosen to yield to His flesh and reject the will of God, redemption would never have occurred. We are allowed to see the moment when this submission occurred in the Gospels as they record His nighttime journey to an olive grove known as Gethsemane. In that quiet place, Jesus waged the war between flesh and Spirit. “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:41–42). Can you think of a time when you prayed this prayer of Jesus regarding your will and His? Share the story and the outcome with the group. Sis Beckie will read: Mark 1:35 (One of the strongest examples) Mark 1:35 (KJV): “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Luke 5:16 (Very clear statement) Luke 5:16 (KJV): “But he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” This verse shows it was His regular habit — He often withdrew to lonely places to pray. Matthew 14:23 (After ministering to the crowds) Matthew 14:23 (KJV): “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” Luke 6:12 (Prayed all night alone) Luke 6:12 (KJV): “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Other Supporting Verses Mark 6:46 (KJV): “And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.” Luke 9:18 (KJV): “And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him…” B. I Will Submit to the Spirit through Prayer Within the final words of Luke 22:42 we find the answer for our daily struggle with our flesh: “Not my will, but thine, be done.” That prayer is the key. We can live a life of victory over our flesh by the power of the Spirit if we consciously and soberly choose to follow God’s will, not our own. The will of God is not only concerned with major life choices that might come along every couple of years; God’s will is invested in the hundreds of small choices we make each day that affect our spiritual direction. Years ago, WWJD was a growing trend. People were asking, “What would Jesus do?” The focus on WWJD of recent years is good, but it may not be the best question. Perhaps we would be better to ask, “WWJHMD?” Instead of what would Jesus do, perhaps we should ask, “What would Jesus have me do?” The answer to that question should guide our decisions. II. I HAVE VICTORY THROUGH THE SPIRIT The spiritual battle in which we are engaged is fierce. The enemy of our souls does not play by any set of rules. There is no Geneva Convention that governs the conduct of the warriors in this battle. Since we know this, we should take this matter seriously. We should not cross over the threshold to new life through the salvation message with any false expectation that there is only tranquility on the other side. Instead, we enter into a war. Paul said, “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23). From the first moment of our new life as a born-again Christian, there will be a conflict raging in us and around us. Living full of the Holy Ghost and under His direction and lordship are the keys to experiencing ongoing victory as we journey through this world. Every foe, whether demonic or fleshly, must bow to the power of the Spirit. In myself, I am destined to be conquered; in the power of the Spirit, I am assured of abundant victory. “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13). A. Free from Condemnation and the Law of Sin and Death Paul expressed his solidarity with every Christian of all ages when he identified with our common struggle. The things we know we should do seem to be a struggle to actually do. Things we know we should not do are very easy to do. The apostle expressed it this way, “For to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Romans 7:18–19). How can we keep this law of sin in our members from becoming an excuse for giving in to temptation? Sis Beckie will Read: Romans 8:12-13 (KJV): “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” James 1:13-14 (KJV): “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God… But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” Galatians 5:16 (KJV): “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Titus 2:11-12 (KJV): “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” ====== Consider the enemy’s playbook. He tempts a believer to sin, the believer gives in to temptation, and Satan points his finger in the believer’s face. The enemy of our soul declares the believer guilty, dirty, and worthless, hoping for punishment against the believer for the very action Satan suggested in the first place. As children of God, if we embrace these lies, we can quickly feel isolated from the Savior who only longs for repentance so He may forgive and restore us to pure fellowship. What do you see as the primary differences between conviction and condemnation? This inclination toward sin found in our flesh and the resulting condemnation it can produce are not weak foes. They may only be overcome by the power of the Holy Ghost, but they can be overcome. Consider the testimony of the Scriptures. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this 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). Jesus Christ delivers us from the death waiting in our flesh when we disobey God’s Word. His Spirit gives us victory over the practice, the power, and the penalty of sin. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). When we walk after the Spirit, condemnation is not our spiritual heritage. God’s Spirit leads us to repentance and the resultant communion with God. We are convicted of our sin so we may repent, but we are not judged worthless or dirty when we repent. John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). B. I Will Live in the Freedom Granted by the Spirit In many ways, how we live is a choice. We can accept the devil’s lies and live in continued bondage to sin and the condemnation that comes from sin, or we can believe the Word of God and live in victory over sin with the freedom that comes from obedience. The devil will lie to us, but God will call to us. We must decide to which voice we will submit. Victory is not something we must win; victory is a reality of our spiritual inheritance. The apostle Paul triumphantly wrote, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). Victory is part of our kingdom identity woven into our spiritual DNA. It is who we are, not merely something we do. Therefore, we will overcome if we stay submitted to God’s Spirit. At times we may feel weak, condemned, and defeated, but in Christ, we are strong, free, and victorious. What we feel does not dictate what is true. As a noted political commentator often says, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.” III. WALKING IN THE SPIRIT Our life in the Spirit is not an intermittent encounter with Him; it is a moment-by-moment existence in Him. Walking speaks of our daily connection with Jesus Christ by His Spirit. For every person who does not have some type of impairment that prevents it, walking is second nature. It is just a natural function of living life. No one marvels or cheers when we walk. Walking is normal for a human. Walking in the Spirit should be normal for a Christian. There is no fanfare or expectation that we will be recognized for our efforts. A child of God simply walks. We yield to the leading of God’s Spirit as we conduct the journey from here to Heaven with a consistent, patient walk in Christ. What is your definition of walking in the Spirit? How should walking with Him affect our daily lives? Sis Beckie will read: Matthew 6:24 (KJV): “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” A. Experiencing Life and Peace through the Spirit Living such a life not only guarantees our safe passage to eternal life but also provides rich blessings and benefits here. The world through which we walk is one of confusion and chaos. An ever-growing percentage of the populace depends on pharmaceuticals to find calmness and stillness in their lives. Certainly there are cases where these are medically necessary, but many others are unknowingly trying to remedy a spiritual void with a chemical solution. God has offered us a better way. When the Holy Spirit is the guiding force in our thinking, the result is life and peace. Victory over depression, discouragement, and anxiety is available to us through the baptism of the Spirit. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). B. I Will Live in Victory through the Power of the Spirit The choice is ours. We can live in defeat, or we can decide to live in victory. Since we are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17), we get to partake in the inheritance of our heavenly Father. He has promised us life and peace by His Spirit. No child of God must live in persistent darkness. We have victory over darkness by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. Internalizing the Message On a cool evening in the spring of 1909, two heavyweight boxers entered the ring in Paris, France, to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship. On one side stood Joe Jennette at 185 pounds. Across the ring was Sam McVey at 205 pounds. Not only was the championship on the line, but so was a purse of $6,000—roughly $175,000 today. Such events in that era were often billed as a fight to the finish. In other words, these were not ten- or fifteen-round affairs. There would be no judges’ decision if both men were still standing at a predefined end. No, these two combatants would continue until one of them simply could not go on. On that night in Paris, this fight proved to be quite the contest of wills and stamina. Ultimately, Jennette won the fight when McVey refused to come out from his corner—for the forty-ninth round. Beyond the sheer length of the match and the physical stamina required to endure it, spectators were amazed at the outcome because Jennette had been knocked down twenty-seven times prior to winning the victory. We, too, are in a conflict. It is obviously a spiritual one, not physical. Still the parameters are the same: the one who endures to the end will be the one crowned. (See Matthew 10:22.) We will be knocked down by the blows that Hell and life bring. But if we are willing to continue fighting, the outcome is foreordained. We will win. Jennette had only his own willpower to rely on to rise each time he was leveled, but we have the strength of the Lord to help us back to our feet to try again. God’s Holy Spirit will enable us to continue far beyond where our own power can carry us. As we look around the church, we will see scores of people whose lives have been fiercely and mercilessly battered, but they still populate the pews because they have gotten back up again and again. You can make it. If you keep walking with Jesus, keep fighting the good fight of faith, you will win. You may suffer blows, but you can get up again. God’s Spirit living in you is the ultimate source of victory. No matter how long it takes, and no matter how many bruises you may bear, look up from the mat and say with firm resolve, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8).