DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: NOVEMBER 10 THE NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL NATURE (2) SCRIPTURE: GALATIANS 5: 16

Readers were told the simple ways Christians are engaged in Spiritual Conflict which is in the opposing roles played by the sinful nature of man and the Holy Spirit who are battling for control over mankind. The natural man, that is, the one who is not walking by the Spirit of God, usually allows his/her flesh do everything the sinful nature desires. As Christians, we are not allowed, to habitually, walk in the spirit of the flesh but in the Holy Spirit by seeking Him and being responsive to His guidance. Our becoming Christians never separated us from the influence of the natural nature. The natural nature (the flesh) is always present in mankind until one begins to be listening to the voice of the Spiritual nature.

The sinful spirit or sinful nature or the flesh sees the sinful things of this world so good and attractive always. Satan commissioned the sinful nature-spirit to be telling men and women the good sides of sinful actions. At the end of the stick, the Holy Spirit keeps showing mankind the good rewards that follows doing good things which please God. Satan knows that following the voice of the flesh ends one in death; because his voice points one to sin and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6: 23). Doing the works of the flesh usually ends one in regrets and sorrows. Becoming a criminal comes through messages which carry glorious results, but when crime is committed; regrets and sorrows become tormentors of the mind.There has never been an action propelled by sinful flesh that gives mankind joyful spirit.

We Christians are to embrace doing righteous things as presented to us by the Holy Spirit rather than embracing the dictates of the flesh. The world will always tell us that doing what pleases her gives joy, pleasures, happiness even business successes. Those who turned alcoholic were told how benefitting it is to drink too much alcohol. But Isaiah 5: 11, 22 says heroes of alcohol have woes. Many who wanted to rule the world through spiritual powers live in private agonies, but the righteous live in continuous joy on the earth. Several hard men and women who lived after satanic directions doing brutal things to gain the world mostly regretted their actions and confessed before dying. The beloved in Christ, hold on to the voice of the Holy Spirit in you during any spiritual conflict. The silent voice is that of the Holy Spirit. Refuse to follow the very loud voice. It leads to your destruction.

PRAYER:

LORD JESUS CHRIST, you listened to the voice of God’s Holy Spirit all through your life on the earth. You ended your works gloriously. Help me end my works as glorious as possible. Amen.

bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch