Run to Win- Part 3
On the last blog post, Run to Win- Part 2, we explored some emotional attacks that the enemy uses in distracting a person from running with their God-given vision and how we need to be ready to fight and defend that vision, until it comes to fruition. As humans, we are spirit beings, that have a soul and live in a body. The soul realm is made of the intellect, will and emotions. Emotional attacks are attacks on the soul.
This week, we will explore attacks focused on the body. This attack is a distraction to either slow down stop a person from running or attaining the prize set before them. Let’s examine what Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:25 & 27, emphasis on verse 27.
25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. 27 But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service]. (Amplified)
This verse shows us the power the body has to disqualify a person from service. Service here means being used as a ready and reliable vessel that can be used by God in fulfilling the vision He has. This is not because God body- shames people but because our body could be a hindrance in us offering ourselves fully to God’s purpose. For example, when a person wakes up in the morning, he/she might desire to spend time with God but the body might not be in agreement. It wants some extra time to sleep and totally ignore that alarm clock. This brings the individual to a point of making a choice to either please the body or resist it.
Let’s look at another example that is a common struggle for most people, fasting! You may have set some time on a specific day to wait on God through fasting for renewal of strength and exploit generation (Isaiah 40:31) but when the day comes, your body becomes an opposition. In fact, as I am writing this blog this very moment, this is a battle I faced with my body this morning. When I woke up, my body was totally not willing to fast, even though it is a day I had set out to wait on God. It ranged from the rumbling tummy to the “feeling of being weak, and throwing a tantrum that it needs food right now and I mean right now”. It kept amplifying its demands to me and if you ask me, was it tempting to just give in? OH YES!!! But I recalled what someone said in the past concerning temptations. She said, “every time you say no to temptation, you weaken its power”. Just like a tree that requires the essentials like water, sunlight, and other right conditions to nourish it, and without these essentials, the roots soon begins to wither, it’s the same with our bodies. Every time we say no to the temptations presented by our bodies, we weaken the power it has over us and as such, we subdue it and put under God’s authority. As such, I stood my ground to God’s glory and after a while, it had to give in to the demands of the spirit. Halleluyah!!!
Remember the bible says that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). There is a constant war between the spirit and flesh but every time you empower the spirit to take charge, you weaken the power of the flesh. This in turn increases the dominion power of your spirit man. However, every time you give in to the demands of your body, you empower the body at the expense of your spirit man. I can liken our body to a bull or wild horse that you need to tame. At the beginning, there is that war and it takes the stronger one to subdue it.
Knowing this, we have a responsibility to constantly discipline the body to align it to fulfill the vision God has ordained for us. However, we can’t do this in our own strength but through the help of the Holy Spirit, who is also our life-coach. Every athlete wanting to go to the Olympics has a coach, who is the voice that provides guidance and encouragement when we want to give up or give in to the temptations of the body. Open up to the Holy Spirit, ask for His help, and allow Him to guide you on this journey of dominating over your body. With Him as your coach, He will lead you and make you fit and effective for God’s service. My prayer for you and I is that we will run our race and finish well. Then on that faithful day when we stand before God to give an account of our lives, God will have a smile on His face and say “Well done, good and faithful servant” in Jesus name, amen!!!
If you don’t have access to the greatest life-coach of all times, today is your day. He is so excited to start this journey with you and all you have to do is simply say this prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, I believe you are the Son of God and I believe You died for me on the cross of Calvary. I know I am a sinner and today, I come to You to forgive me of all my sins and to make me a brand new creation. I accept You as my personal Lord and Saviour. Thank you Lord for forgiving me and making me born again, in Jesus name, Amen.”
Congratulations!!!! You are now born-again! (It simply means a new born baby in Christ and there is a great celebration in heaven right now because of YOU!)
If you made this decision, I would love to hear from you today! Please leave a comment on this post or reach out to me at https://www.cccghq.org/contact/
By: Pastor Ibukun Adewusi