* Controlling the flesh by the Spirit of God that is in us.

Joan Boney ... apostle and prophet of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to Ephesians 4:11-12.

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Because we have the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwelling in us, we have the power of God to control our own flesh when it tries to rise up in us.

The apostle Paul tells us about the works of the flesh:

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

We can even feel the flesh when it is starting to rise up and take over.

I Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

God will not allow us to be tempted above that which we are able to handle.

God makes a way to escape.

Often the way I escape is by prayer:  "God ... please don't let me say that! ... Please don't let me do that!"

Each time I have recognized the temptation and have called on God, HE has done something to stop me!  God never fails.

We might be tempted to "tell someone off."  We can tell when we are about to do that.  It is our flesh trying to take over.  

Or the devil tempts us to think something evil of another person, especially about a person who is trying to help us!  For devil wants to destroy us and remove our help.  When this happens, I just make myself thank God for all the good things that person has done and the devil flees.

These are temptations common to man.

When there is a temptation toward adultery or fornication, if the person of God will call on God for help, I know God will "make a way of escape" to enable us to bear the situation and avoid the temptation.

When the Spirit of God is in us, we have the power to "mortify" (put to death) the flesh when it tries to rise up in us.

Romans 8

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(Spiritually minded:  wanting to do the Word of God ... especially meditating in scriptures to give us the power to overcome our flesh.  Refusing to allow the flesh to rule over the scripture.  Choosing the scripture and putting down the flesh by the scripture.)
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Righteousness is obeying that which God says by HIS Word.)

11 But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, HE that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive) your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

(Often the Holy Spirit will remind you of a scripture to reinforce the way of God over the way of the flesh which is opposite to God, to give you a choice and to allow you to choose God's way.  By making this choice you "suffer in the flesh", causing your flesh to suffer by refusing to allow it to have it's way.)

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

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Example:  There was a time I wanted to bring up a subject while visiting with my neighbors.  But I had been meditating on the following scripture for several days prior to this:  Ephesians 4:29   Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

If I speak "that", which my flesh wants to speak, will it edify the neighbors and cause them to think on God?  Or will it excite their flesh and cause evil?

I knew it would not bring grace of God.

I just got up and went home, speaking nothing that my flesh wanted to speak.

This causes your flesh to suffer because it doesn't get to rule over you.

But it glorifies God.

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Once I spent several weeks meditating in the following scripture day and night in order to keep my flesh down.

Philippians 2

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made Himself of no reputation,

So often we want to "be something" ... by thinking on this scripture for several days and by trying to do as Jesus had done here, my flesh drew back and the Spirit ruled over me.

Meditation in scripture is a power of God for us in controlling our flesh.

Joshua 1:8   

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

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Here is another scripture that controlled me at one point in my life, and still does.

Philippians 3

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:

Thinking on the past and dwelling on the past is often destructive as it keeps you from going forward in things of God.

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