Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Sometimes when our flesh tries to rise up, the Spirit will rise up and overcome our flesh.
There is another way we overcome the flesh by the Spirit. We overcome by that "treasure" we store up in us as we meditate daily on the word of God.
Paul said ... 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. I Cor. 9
The flesh is always there ... just waiting for the opportunity to take over ...
Gal. 5 ... 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:
But we who are of God "exercise" ourselves unto godliness daily as we think upon specific scripture, living that scripture as we make choices on this present earth.
And we are inwardly changed by such exercises ... And those things we once watched on TV and enjoyed we cannot stand ... and the people we once craved to be around are now trouble to us ... and our desires are held in check where they once reigned over us.
We keep our bodies "under" by daily exercise of the word of God as we think upon specific scriptures and do those scriptures ... this is exercising ourselves unto godliness as Paul spoke of in I Tim. 4. 7 But refuse profane and old wives 'fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profiteth little:but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
As we meditate on specific scripture daily, we "exercise" in a spiritual way ... unto godliness. Thus we grow stronger in the way of God and choose to do that over the way of our flesh, keeping our flesh under the control of the word of God.
And as we do this, a change also happens inside us. I am very surprised at this change.
Examples: Last week at Walmart, I was trying to pay my bill and the credit card machine was not accepting the credit card. The cashier said it was because my card is attached to my key ring. She began complaining to me because I had put a hole in the card and had attached it to my keys. I've done it this way for more than 10 years because I kept leaving my purse in the stores and can't keep up with a purse. So it was necessary for me to make a change like this. At first, the credit card company was putting hole in the card. Then after several years, they stopped so I found open area and put hole in card and that worked fine until this year. They have moved the chip in the card. As I tried to pay my bill the cashier became more hostile. I said: "But what am I to try to do? How can I pay?" She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know." I had never before encountered this problem so it was bewildering to me. Then I said, "Can't you type the numbers into the machine?" She then seemed a little embarrassed and replied, "I can try that." (She had no intention of helping me with the problem until I said that then she realized she could help.) Of course that worked for the credit card is valid it just wouldn't go through the machine with my keys attached due to the new chip placement in the card.
I left the store, amazed at the cashier's attitude. But I realized I was under a control of my flesh that was "new". I didn't try to fight the cashier as I might have done at one time. I was just trying to solve the problem. I believe this is a case of God doing a work inside me through the daily exercise I had been doing in meditating in various scripture. People often exercise muscles in the body daily to get physically stronger. I had been exercising daily spiritually and the spiritual muscles overcame my flesh.
Another example of change. I subscribe to Netflix streaming, though I rarely use it. Recently I began using it again after a non-use of several months. When I looked at my "saved" list of TV offerings, I was really surprised. The shows I once liked, I found I could no longer stand to watch. I began eliminating one show after another. Again I think this change is result of the daily "exercise" I have been doing by meditating in scripture and doing that scripture in my daily life.
A third example: For many years, I have had a "Texas" attitude ... loving the flag of Texas ... loving the shape of the state of Texas ... "pride" in Texas ... Recently I made a prideful statement and hated what I had pridefully said about Texas ... I heard inside me: "My kingdom is not of this world." Jn. 18 I strongly agree! I determined to set Texas aside. After this, I passed a state flag and instead of taking pleasure in that flag, I said: "My kingdom is not of this world." and drove ahead. Later I was watching the old movie, "My cousin Vinny". In the opening scene, there is a man wearing a hat with the outline of the state of Texas on the side of the hat. I noticed this but instead of the pleasure this would have once given me, I said: "My kingdom is not of this world."
We have a great power available to us which can help keep our flesh under control.
The flesh never goes away as long as we live on this earth ... there is always the opportunity to hate and to strike out against others and to be prideful in fleshly things ... but a control of the Word of God is also there in us and as Paul says, we "keep our body under" by running the race properly, which I believe has to do with daily spiritual exercise in meditating in the word of God on specific scripture and applying that specific scripture to our life to do it. I Cor. 9