Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Are you defending your right to be wrong?

Because you love the Lord, you want to be obedient to His commands and you want to allow the Spirit to control your daily life. Unfortunately, it does not always happen. What is your response? Paul gives clarity for this dilemma in Romans 7 and 8.

Romans 7:15, 24 I’m a mystery to myself, for I want to do what is right, but end up doing what my moral instincts condemn. 24 What an agonizing situation I am in! So who has the power to rescue this miserable man from the unwelcome intruder of sin and death? (The Passion Translation)

Like Paul, there are probably times when you feel like giving up. The devil is always there to point out when you have made a mistake. But this is not the end. Paul gives hope.

Romans 7:25 I give all my thanks to God, for his mighty power has finally provided a way out through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! So if left to myself, the flesh is aligned with the law of sin, but now my renewed mind is fixed on and submitted to God’s righteous principles. (The Passion Translation)

When left to yourself, you give excuses for your behavior. Allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind. Repent and The Father will cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Every time you give an excuse for your sins, you set the stage to repeat that same sin over and over. No matter how many times you need to repent, keep doing it until God delivers you. The devil will criticize you and try to condemn you, but Paul has a posture for you to take.

Romans 8:1-2  So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. For the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated us from the “law” of sin and death. (The Passion Translation)

You are in the same battle as Paul and every other Christian. The same hope is available as well. Like Paul, you can give God glory for the victory. Don’t give in to the tendency to justify wrong actions and behavior because of past experiences and the fact that you are only human. It does not matter what the devil whispers about you in your ear. Stop looking at yourself in the natural and look in the Spirit. All you need to do is submit totally to the Lord. You have already won! Just claim it. If you keep explaining, giving excuses, and telling your side of the story, you won’t claim your victory; and you will never be free.

Please agree with me as I pray:

Father, in the name of Jesus, Thank You for bringing me to the place where I understand I must be totally submitted to You. You can have free reign because I am delivered through Jesus Christ! I will no longer give excuses for my behavior. If I truly allow You to be Lord over my life, I will not do things I don’t want to do because I know You will not be pleased. I will continue to repent when I stumble as I am pursuing and running hard after You. I want to do those things that bring you glory. You have separated me from this body of sin and death, my job is to live like it. I thank You for Your presence, Your spirit, and Your anointing on my life. As I continue to seek Your face and as I continue to spend time in Your presence; You bring my flesh under submission and I thank You. I walk in victory because the enemy is not free to influence my actions. As I stay close to You, I walk in a place where I am not moved by my feelings and fleshly responses, but I am governed by You. I thank You and give You praise…