Light expels darkness. “Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
We cannot follow Jesus until we deny ourselves. Our abilities, talents, intellect, etc. cannot lay claim to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit alone is commissioned to superintend the work of God in our hearts and lives when we deny ourselves and place our faith exclusively in the Cross of Christ for all the we need.
Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, we are able to pick up our cross and partake in His Divine Nature.
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4
Picking up our cross is not self abasement nor an unfortunate circumstance that may occur. No. Our cross is picking up the Promises of God afforded us by the Blood of Christ; partaking in His Divine Nature and following Him. Sinners are called to believe and Believers are called to follow.
“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
The hardest part about following the Lord is denying ourselves. Our flesh, which has been bent the sin nature that we are all born with, wants to continue in IT’s lustful ways. Much of what we blame on our sin nature is our flesh warring against a law in our mind that we have accepted as “good”.
“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Romans 7:22-23
The warring of our flesh, the flesh that has been dominated by sin for so long is real. Our intellect and will power cannot subdue the lusts of the flesh. We can’t “just say no” to our fleshly lusts and yes to a rule (law) we believe we can obey to overcome that lust. HOWEVER, we CAN say no to our vain efforts to overcome that evil desire and YES to the Cross of Christ’s dominion over sin (Romans 6:14) and choose this day to partake in God’s Divine Nature. The devil must flee when we are submitted unto God and His Prescribed Order of Victory; Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
Following Jesus, the Light of the World, expels evil desires in our hearts and lives. Darkness cannot stand but will flee when we are submitted unto God.
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 