Freedom

On The Edge

By Joe Denbow, June 01, 2025

How do I live a life mastered by the Spirit of God and not mastered by my flesh & desires?

Proverbs 25:28 A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.

Romans 6:12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.

Romans 7:21-25 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? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Romans 8:12-13 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

ON MY OWN I … BUT WITH THE SPIRIT’S HELP… I

Colossians 2:20-23 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

  • Worldly view of discipline:
  • Do enough
  • No pain, no gain
  • Be more passionate
  • Will power
  • Formulaic solutions

Colossians 3:1-11 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.


1. WHO AM I IN ?

  • …For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

You can’t magically begin to behave consistently in a way that is contradictory to the current condition of your heart.

  • We don’t rise to the standards we have when others are watching.
  • We fall to the standards we have when no one is watching.
  • The only work that really matters is the work that no one sees.
  • It shows you who you really are rather than you who say you are.

Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Matthew 23:27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Fruit begins to grow in unseen places…


2. WHAT IS THE LORD DEALING WITH ME ABOUT?

2 ways that we encounter the discipline of the Lord…

  • We seek it out.
  • It seeks us out.

Hebrews 12:10-11 God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Psalm 139:1-2 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.


3. WHAT IS MY CURRENT ?

Heavenly view of discipline:

  • Heart work (Psalm 139)
  • Dependence on Christ (Colossians 3)
  • Spirit’s power (Romans 8:2)
  • Under authority (Romans 8:1)

Define my problem areas

Share it.

James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Plan your attack.

Execute