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THE CHRISTIAN’S WARFARE

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”.

In today’s study, we look at an introduction to the Christian’s spiritual warfare. This calls on us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

This particular study spans the whole of Ephesians 6:10-18. It can not be treated or studied from one verse only. We would, therefore go through it in turns to be able to understand and appreciate the whole teaching on being strong in the Lord,

Our key scripture is the foundation or the need for all that followed. He tells us to be strong in the power of His might. The word “strong” means to be endowed with strength. It means do not be moved in your relationship with the Lord. Not to be shaken about anything whatsoever. It also said we must be strong in the power of His might: God is almighty. All power belongs to Him.

Although God is extremely powerful, many of His children fall short of walking in His power to defeat the devil. He shows us how to be strong. The way to be strong is to put on the whole armor of God. Our strength is not within ourselves. His strength to us is His armor. We have no strength of ourselves. Your ability to make use 

of the armor will determine how strong you will become and how effective you will be able to defeat the devil.

The enemy that is the devil is a schemer. He is a trickster. The Bible calls it the wiles of the devil. These wiles are described as cunning arts, deceit, craft, or trickery. Everything Satan does is not the real thing. He is not the truth and has no truth in Him, yet whatever he does appears so real and has been believed by most Christians.

The Bible calls on us to stand or be able to resist all these tricks and strategies of the devil.

Now, get this point very clearly in our context with the enemy. No matter what the devil does, we are those who are STANDING and not those who are on the floor. A look at the entire passage reveals four different places where the word STAND or WITHSTAND is used.
Ephesians 6:11, 13-14. Please, no matter how defeated you appear, don’t ever accept that you are on the floor. STAND, STAND, STAND! Because you are not down but STANDING. The Christian is standing because we represent our Lord on this earth. We do not only represent Him, He is living in us. He has forever defeated Satan. No matter what we experience physically, Jesus in us is the winner, and so we are also winners and must not bow to the enemy in defeat

 CONFESSION

I am strong in the Lord. My strength is in the Armour of the Lord. The devil is a schemer and a trickster. I always win over him as I stand my ground to overcome him.

THOUGHT: KEEP STANDING, BECAUSE JESUS IN YOU HAS DEFEATED THE DEVIL

FURTHER STUDIES:

Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil “.

Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”

BE NOT DECEIVED 2

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:8 KJV “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

In our previous study, we looked at one aspect of the devil’s way of deceiving Christians and the world as a whole. We looked at philosophy as one way He deceives men. He easily succeeds because the meaning of the word ‘philosophy’ in ancient Greek is, that is ‘lover of wisdom’ or better still common sense. Common sense is a Normal human access to issues within the natural realm. This is called sense knowledge.

The knowledge that God communicates to His children is revelation knowledge. This is knowledge outside our three-dimensional world. Until it is revealed, you can’t know it. 

1Co 2:14 KJV “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Any child of God who decides to relate to the things of God from the natural point of view will be lost and will surely end up accepting those things that appeal to his natural sense, yet they are all deceit from God’s point of view. Listen to the advice the Lord gave Thomas. 

John 20:29 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

The next line of deceit, according to our key scripture, is vain deceit. Sadly, this is one of the very strong points or ways Satan uses to deceive most men. Can you believe some people go about saying “Jesus is alien”? Aliens are supposed to be beings who come from other planets with higher superpowers than human beings. This is a vain deceit. The sources of vain deceit are the same as the philosophies. They are traditions of men and the rudiments of this world. It is just strange to hear certain individuals claim Jesus is a myth. In Ghana, we have folk stories about Kwaku Ananse. Kwaku Ananse, Is a myth. 

No human being was ever called Kwaku Ananse who had all those stories spoken about Him. Another such vain deceit is the widely held view that Christianity is a white man’s religion. The original religion of Europe or the white man is idol worshipping. 

Acts 17:16 KJV “ Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry“. 

Athens, a city in Europe was given to idol worship. Rome was the center of idol worship. Europe is a fragment of the old Roman empire. Christianity rather spread to Europe and they accepted it. A million and one vain deceits are making the runs among most people. 

Rev 12:9 KJV ” And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” 

This being as described above is the original deceiver of all people. Satan is still using people to deceive others using vain deceit 

The truth is always available. That is the bible or the word of God. Stick to it

THOUGHT: STAY GLUED TO GOD’S WORD, AND AVOID BEING DECEIVED

FURTHER STUDIES

2Thessalonians 2:11 KJV “And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:“

John 8:44 KJV ” Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.”

DO NOT BE DECEIVED

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ”.

Apostle Paul, in this verse, exposed the root of deception that comes to most children of God. He tells us to beware of these traps of the enemy. To be aware is to be on the alert. It involves knowing who your enemy is and how you could be deceived. Satan is a specialized deceiver. This is even an understatement. He is a natural deceiver. Our key scripture says “ Beware lest any man spoil you…”

We know that the Greek word for man is ‘Anthropos’. In Colossians 2:8, The word used for man is ‘Tis’, But could also be translated as, a thing or anything whatsoever. This implies you could be taken captive, deceived, or spoilt by an event, a situation, a man, an information from the radio. Simply be on the alert against anything the devil may use to spoil (to carry one away as booty, a slave, or lead away from the truth). Many children of God are led away from the truth. Be on the alert.

He tells us the two main (weapons) means by which children of God are deceived.

These are, 

Philosophy

Vain deceit

He also adds the sources of these two weapons of deception. They are:

Traditions of men

The rudiments of this world.

Philosophy means love of wisdom. There are a number of us who, by much learning, are prone to human wisdom, using our minds to analyze whatever we are told. These philosophies are rooted in human traditions, which are the experiences and beliefs of people that have been passed or transmitted from one generation to another. The second source of these philosophies is the rudiments or the basic principles of this life. This could be related to arts, science, and the general physical functions of our world and not faith in Christ.

These things have formed the thinking and worldview of most people. Secularism and its high level of worldliness are rooted in this. No amount of human reasoning can contact God except by accepting God’s revelation about Himself.

1st Corinthians 1:18 reads “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are saved it is the power of God”. According to 1st Corinthians 1:21, the world by wisdom can not and would not know God.

There have arisen these days a lot of motivational preachers. Most of their teachings are human philosophies and not Christ. Be on the alert lest you are carried away as a captive.

Dear one, your surest grounds to keep safe from being deceived is to settle it that the Bible is God’s word, and it is infallible.

CONFESSION

I am committed to Christ, His death, and resurrection that has brought me into the kingdom of God. I am aware of the human philosophies that do not save or bless anyone.

FURTHER STUDIES:

1 Corinthians 1:19 “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent “.

1 Corinthians 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe”

JESUS IS GOD WHO TOOK ON FLESH

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:9 “ For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily ”.

For in Him (Jesus Christ) dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

The word ‘Godhead’ means deity or divinity. The word ‘fullness’ also means completeness, abundance, or filled. This scripture could be said this way, “He is the manifestation of God in a bodily form”. He is not just a representative of the original but the real divine one in a bodily form.

Jesus is God.

Colossians 1:15-19 throws more light on His deity and the fact that He (JESUS) is the creator of all things. Colossians 1:15 says “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature”. This issue of Jesus being the firstborn of every creature has been misunderstood by some people, especially the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They claim Jesus is a creature.

Well, to understand the meaning and import of certain statements you must read further. Colossians 1:16 reads “For by Him were all things created“. The word by is the Greek word “En” which means “IN” in English. It could be translated as follows, “for in Him were all things created”.  He states “…that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him”.

Please consider this, how could He be a creature and all things would be created ”IN” Him and then “FOR” Him, If He is not the ultimate Lord of all things? 

Colossians 1:17 also reads “And He is before all things and by (in) Him all things consist”. 

Jesus is not a creature but the creator. 

Colossians 1:19 also teaches that“For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell”.

 Note: The whole fullness of deity or divinity dwells in Him in bodily form. He is God in a bodily form. Let’s look at 1st Timothy 3:16 ” And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world, received up into glory”.

Beloved, this scripture undoubtedly refers to our Lord Jesus. He is God in bodily form.

CONFESSION

Jesus is God who became man. He died for me and bought me with His blood. This makes me very precious and my salvation the dearest thing or experience on this earth. I would continue to keep faith with Him and live to glorify His name.

FURTHER STUDIES.

John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”.

John 1:1,3 ” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made”

JESUS DEFEATED SATAN FOR US

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 4:9 “Now that he ascended, what it is but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?”

Our key scripture shows us one of the important events during the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says He ascended, yet before He went up to the heavens he first descended into the lower parts of the earth”.

What did He go doing in these places? Please note that whatever our master Jesus went through during His death, burial, and resurrection, He did all together with us. He did it in our name. He did it because of us. (Note: The Lord did not need to go through all these things for Himself) He had to go into the lower part of the earth, where Satan dwelt, so He could confront him and overpower him. 

Colossians 2:15 “And having spoiled principalities and powers He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it”.

This victory that the Lord had over the enemy was made together with you and me. We were in Him when He achieved that victory.

Hebrews 2:14 also reveals that “the Lord Jesus through death destroyed him who had the power of death, that’s the devil”. 

We understand through these revelations that we are no more subject to the activities of the devil. All these have come to the fore because, the Holy Spirit revealed it to him (Paul) that, and our Lord Jesus went down into the abyss of hell to plunder the enemy. In Revelation 1:18 the Lord iterated this victory one more time, saying 

“I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen, and have the keys of hell and death”.

We give praise to our master Jesus for this great victory that He has worn for us.

Satan does not have the keys to hell and death. Keys stand for authority. He does not have the right to put people into hell. We must know that if we do nothing about the souls of men the enemy would enslave them and finally take them into hell. The church must intercede for these souls and also preach the gospel to them. If the Lord has the keys then we have the great responsibility to stop Satan from running rampage over the souls of men. The church of God through the understanding gained from these revelations must not give place to the devil to exercise his works over us.

Remember the keys of death are not in Satan’s hands, it is in our Lord Jesus’ hands. Don’t allow the devil to mess up your life.

 CONFESSION

Thank you Jesus that you died for me. In your death, you overpowered Satan and his demons together with me. You destroyed him who had the power of death. Thank you, Lord that l am free from the control and manipulations of the devil and His demons.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Hebrews 2:14 ” Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”

Luke 10:19 ” Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

WE ARE FILLED WITH HIS LOVE

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us”.

Our key scripture reveals a very important truth about the Christian. It says the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. It explains a very important truth in our experience under the new creation.

In John 13:34, the Lord Jesus instructed His disciples about a new commandment to love. It reads “A new commandment I give unto you. That you also love one another”. In all the periods prior to our Lord’s death and resurrection, it was a commandment to obey certain laws. After His death and resurrection, the laws were fulfilled in us.

Romans 8:3,4 reads “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit”.

In the new creation, the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us. We are no longer trying to obey. We are doers of the word. Our key scripture states that “…..the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us”. Until the Lord died and was resurrected, the Holy Spirit had not come. Now, the Holy Spirit lives in us. All the perfections of God live in us. We are born lovers.

 1st John 4:7, 8 reads “Beloved let us love one another for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God”.

 Now, we do not just see these commands as external instructions to be obeyed but as part and parcel of our very being. We are born that way. Love is shed abroad in our hearts.

We no more walk in hatred. To hate is to abide in death. That is the nature of the enemy, and we have passed from death to life. We don’t hate. We can only love. Well, we must hate evil and wrong things, but we don’t hate our fellow humans, our relations, our friends, and our neighbors. No, it is not part of us.

If you are living in bitterness, please stop it from this moment. You are importing something strange to your very nature, into your being.

 CONFESSION

The love of God is shed abroad in my heart. I reflect God’s love to all persons I relate to. I do not have hatred and bitterness towards any man. It is very natural for me to love

THOUGHT: LOVE FOR ALL IS OUR IDENTIFICATION MARK

FURTHER STUDIES

Galatians 5:22” But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith”,

1 John 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us his Spirit.

APOSTLE PAUL RECEIVED HIS MESSAGE BY REVELATION

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 3:3 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,)”

Some have argued that the Epistles are not words directly spoken by our Lord Jesus but mostly by Apostle Paul, and so are not very reliable. This is rather unfortunate. Apostle Paul wrote in our key scripture that, whatever he wrote were revelations given to him by the Holy Spirit, to be given to the church body as a whole. He writes in Ephesians 3:3 & 4 the following

 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (as I wrote afore in a few words, where when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).“

The impact of the death, resurrection of our Lord, and other mysteries of the Christian life was to be made known to all Christians. The Lord used Apostle Paul greatly in that light.

 The Lord made the following statement before He died in

John 16:12, 13 “I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth”.

The Lord Jesus could not tell them a lot of things, especially those things that concerned the salvation of the Gentiles and the subsequent inheritance of their blessings in Christ.

The Holy Spirit revealed these mysteries to all the apostles. Apostle Paul had the greater share of the revelations because he was called to minister to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7). Apostle Paul commented in Ephesians 3:5 as follows 

“Which in other ages was not made known unto men as it is now revealed to his Holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, That the gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel”.

 It was the Holy Spirit who revealed these things to the apostles. These revelations mainly concerned the one who is not a Jew by birth). It also revealed that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs with the Jews and should become joint heirs to God’s heritage in Christ. Every promise in Christ was the right of everyone who believed, both Jews and Gentiles.

All these things, which are described as the unsearchable riches in Christ Jesus, are what Apostle Paul had a great insight by revelation through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Anytime you read the letters of Paul, be patient to discover a number of these mysteries that have not been taught or revealed in earlier aspects of the Bible.

 CONFESSION

Through the revelations given to Apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit, my eyes have been opened to who I am and my position in Christ. My life is richer and better as I gain insight into these truths.

THOUGHT: CHRIST KEPT SPEAKING BY THE SPIRIT EVEN AFTER HIS PHYSICAL DEPARTURE

FURTHER STUDIES.

Galatians 1:12-13 ”For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:”

Ephesians 3:8 ”Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ”;

YOU HAVE PUT ON CHRIST JESUS

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Apostle Paul was loaded with an abundance of revelations. It was because of these great numbers of insight and revelations given to him that a messenger of the devil was allowed to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure (2nd Corinthians 12:7). This messenger was defined as a ‘thorn in his flesh’. (Note: This is seen in the many persecutions he faced and not sickness as some may teach)

One such revelation and insight was that anyone baptised into Christ has put on Christ Jesus. The term baptized into Christ, which symbolised an outward dipping of one into water, had a more spiritual act; where the Holy Spirit places the man who acknowledges Jesus as Lord into Christ Jesus. To be placed in Christ sets you in a very glorious atmosphere. It is an escape from the dominance of darkness. You live in the presence of the Father. It is an atmosphere of heaven yet on earth. This is the reason the Lord remarked,ye are in the world, but you are not of the world. John 17:16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”

To put on Christ Jesus is slightly different. To put on Christ Jesus is to have Him on you as wearing a jacket.  This one is not just an outside influence but a total change of your personality to Christ’s. The Christian of his former self died with Jesus (Galatians 2:20). To be baptised into Him in the light of Galatians 3:27 makes you just like him. Dear child of God, God’s plan and intention for allowing Jesus into this world is to raise a people just like Him. Romans 8:29 “For whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His son, that He might be the first born among many brethren”. This glorious Jesus is our big brother. It is God’s family. We have become God and His sons incorporated. Jesus is the firstborn.

Our key scripture gives a more vivid presentation of the whole idea. In this instant, it is not just conforming to Him but the very person of Christ taking over your being and being like Him in all things. You only have your name to answer to, but it is His being and Spirit that has taken over. You have put on Christ Jesus. Please don’t look at yourself as an ordinary being. Face Satan with the boldness and assurance that the Lord Jesus would have faced him. Check out diseases from your body as He would.

Overcome the promptings of the flesh to sin as he would.

You have put Him on.

 CONFESSION

I have put on Christ Jesus. It is Him who has taken over my being. I carry everything He had. I win like Him, oh what a glorious life.

THOUGHT: LET YOUR PLACE IN CHRIST REVOLUTIONALIZE YOUR WHOLE PERSPECTIVE ABOUT LIFE

FURTHER STUDIES.

Colossians 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

Hebrews 2:10 ” For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering

FURTHER STUDIES ON OUR NEW NATURE IN CHRIST

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 4:22 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”

We continue with further studies concerning our new nature or new man

From our previous study, we learned that we have only one nature. This is the new man or the righteous nature. I would like to bring our awareness to understand that we do not have the old man functioning in us. As Christians, we must open up for a completely upright lifestyle. We must know also that we are no longer weak and susceptible to any wrong actions. Our Lord Jesus has achieved a great victory for us and must take advantage of it. We have to always say with Paul

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”.

On the flip side, there are many who, because of their experiences of failure, would be asking, why do I keep struggling to do the right things? Some have also been taught that they have the old man and the new man in their bodies as Christians. They say so because they have always failed in their attempt to live right.

Please dearly beloved one, listen very attentively. Never make doctrines out of the experiences of people. No matter how much some experiences have been prevalent with any man or several persons, so long as it does not agree with the Bible, don’t accept and make a doctrine out of it. The Bible clearly states that because our Lord Jesus died on the cross, the old man and subsequently the body of sin has been destroyed. If it is destroyed, it is no more in us.

Now why do you then feel tempted at times? Please answer this question for me. Was Jesus having the sinful Adamic nature or the old man of sin in Him? The answer is no. He had no human father, and therefore could not have had an adamic nature.

 My second question is, was our Lord Jesus tempted or not? Yes, he was tempted (Matthew 4:1-9). The devil came and tempted Him, although He did not have the sinful nature. He decided not to yield to any of these temptations.

It is up to every Christian to refuse the temptations that the spirit of the power of the air may bring to us( Eph 2:2)

Please note that our very atmosphere is saturated with an abundance of evil spirits. This is why every Christian must constantly attend to God’s word, pray very often, and spend time meditating on the scriptures so that you may not yield to these suggestions of devils.

Please note: This teaching of having a dual nature of the old man of sin and the new man of absolute righteousness, has produced a lot of weak and defeated children of God. The death of our Lord fully settled that problem. The old man is circumcised, never to live in us. If you refuse to believe the truth, you will settle for error and would be struggling with all kinds of sins.

 CONFESSION

I have the new man, with the old man made away. I do not yield to suggestions of devils but maintain my grounds to serve my Father in true holiness. Now, just as the body of sin was dealt with on the cross, so have sicknesses been dealt with by the stripes of Jesus, and I will not give any place to them in Jesus’ name

FURTHER STUDIES.

Ephesians 2:2. ” Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience“

Romans 12:2 ” And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

THE CRUCIFIXION OF THE OLD MAN

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin”.

Apostle Paul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, taught many things that were new to the body of Christ then. Among these things was the exposition of the old man.

Who or what is the old man? The Bible gives several descriptions for this term called the ‘Old Man’ Romans 7:24 it is called the body of this death. It is also called the body of sin in Romans 6:6. Colossians 2:11 describes it as the body or the sins of the flesh.

Comparing these descriptions of the old man we can describe it as the sinful or Adamic nature inherited from our first parents Adam and Eve(Rom 5:12). The death of our Lord Jesus,  completely destroyed this nature. Col.2:11, reports it this way, “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ”:

Our being, before our new birth in Christ, was the old man. Within this nature is the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2” For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”. This nature was hell-bound as well as fully Satan-dominated.

The main point I would want us to see is that, through the Lord’s death, this nature of sin has been put away, crucified, or destroyed. It no longer lives in us, this makes it clear that the Christian does not have two natures (i.e. the nature of sin and the nature of righteousness). In another sense, we do not have the old man and the new man living together in the body of the child of God.

I am very much aware that several bible teachers hold to the view that, the Christian has a dual nature. That is the old man and the new man living together. I think the scriptures speak for itself. One may ask why Christians sin. What we must know is that the old man or body of sin is a supernatural power that rules us, while we have the appetites of the body, which is natural and must be controlled. The appetites of the body are not evil. It is when we fail to control them, that makes them evil. Jesus did not crucify the appetite but crucified the body of sin or the old man. We must now put to death( control) these appetites described in Col 3:5 as our members.

When Apostle Paul said in Gal 2:20, “that I am crucified with Christ yet I live but not I . The life that I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of Him who loved me and gave Himself for me”. He was just affirming that the old man was crucified and that it does not live in Him again.

Dear child of God, let it be fully settled in your mind that, the Christian does not have two natures. If it was so, then the Lord Jesus’ death on the cross would not have been complete to save us.

CONFESSION

My Lord Jesus did a perfect work to completely save me. I do not have two natures. I live victoriously every day.

THOUGHT: ACKNOWLEDGING THE DEMISE OF THE OLD MAN, MAKES VICTORY OVER SIN MORE SIMPLE.

FURTHER STUDIES

Colossians 2:11 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ”:

Romans 8:3  “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”.