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[Thinker]

I used to think that I had to really work at living like a Christian should. In fact, I tried hard to do so but kept failing and I became discouraged and figured it was impossible. I finally learned that, in our fleshly self-effort, it is impossible. As we pointed out yesterday, Jesus is the only One, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, who can live the Christian life. How does He do it? Let me back up a little. Before we are saved, Satan has occupied much of our experience. Among other things, he has tempted, deceived, discouraged, distracted and blinded us. "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (II Corinthians 4:4). Satan has had a huge amount of control in our inner being. That enemy territory has to be recaptured. Permit me to extract a phrase from I Samuel 17:47: ....the battle is the Lord's...."He has weapons for the battle. It is for us to be trained to use them and then to use them. Proverbs 23:7 shows us how this works: "For as he ( a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he...." Filling our hearts and minds with the Truths of Scripture causes enemy strongholds to fall. Good solid Christian books and music help defeat the enemy, as do Biblically solid tapes, DVDs and CDs. Godly counsel is valuable. However, all of these must align with and help us to understand the Word of God. As we become saturated with Bible Truths, applying and obeying, we reclaim, in God's strength, more and more of our lives in which for Him to reign. Godly input drives out the enemy! "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (II Corinthians 10:4-5). Selah! if you haven't done so, it's time to report for active duty! Thinker (Ron)