ROMANS 8
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set youfree in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. – Romans 8:1-8
ROMANS 8 SET YOUR MIND ON THE SPIRIT
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you were chosen by God to be his own child
He gave you his Spirit so you can know what is right
The Spirit gives you the ability to discern right from wrong
He prods you to do what is good & gives you self-control
If you set your mind on the Spirit, you will not be deceived
So, keep your eyes on Jesus and continue to believe in him
Do not let your sinful nature creep in and make you sin
If you set your mind on God’s Spirit, you will surely win.
In this letter, Paul exposes the devil’s tactics of accusation and condemnation. He does it very stealthily that it is not easy to spot until we are already hooked into the lies. Have you ever got up in the morning and have great plans for the day and thought that you can accomplish that task and suddenly you begin to doubt whether you are capable of realizing that plan? That was subtle but there was a lie injected into your mind. There is this thought that suddenly questions you with “Do you really think you are capable of doing that?” Remember how Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden? It was an accusation against God when the serpent told Eve “Did he really say you were going to die if you eat a fruit from that tree?”
The trick is to make you doubt your identity or ability. It is to derail the authority that was given to us by God himself. We were not given a spirit of fear or doubt but of sound mind, power and love. So, when these kinds of questions begin to enter our minds, we are surely being lied to.
Paul reminds the believers that if they are in Christ, there is no condemnation. The devil always wants to twist our thinking and make us doubt the gifts and authority given to us by God. He doesn’t want us to grow our faith and dependence on God. Paul’s antidote to these accusations, is to set the mind on the Spirit instead of setting it on the flesh. By focusing on the Spirit’s leading, we will never go wrong. We will have confidence and boldness. The devil likes to confuse and create chaos in us.
REFLECTION
· Share some insights as to the struggles in your mind and how it manifests in your bodies.
