Sunday Sermon

"The Battle Within" Dave Shaner September 22, 2002

Introduction: Spiritual warfare is fought on two different fronts: the inside and the outside. Every believer must wrestle with his capacity for disobedience. To fight the good fight, we must deal with "flesh" wounds.

I. We are in a battle because the battle is ____________ us.

A. I Peter 2:11; James 1:14; Galatians 5:16-17; Ephesians 2:1-3.
B. Resist the urge to play the victim game under the cover of spiritual warfare.
C. James 1:14

If we are going to deal with the flesh we must have the attitude of a soldier.

II. Measure a soldier's mettle:

A. ...by a willingness to ______________ his weaknesses.

1. The enemy aggressively promotes mask-wearing.
2. What areas in your life is the sinful nature gaining ground?

B. ...by a willingness to ______________ his weaknesses.

1. It is so easy to dismiss sin.
2. Prolonged voluntary indulgence of the sinful nature grants Satan increased access into your life.
3. Ephesians 4:25-27

How can we address and heal our flesh wounds?

III. Things that we must settle:

A. We do not have to live ______________ by the sinful nature.

1. Settle it in your mind.
2. Baptism is to remind us that we have been freed from sin.
3. Romans 6:3-6

B. We can't continue to do things that __________ the sinful nature.

1. Romans 8:5
2. To win the war against the sinful nature, cut off its supply line.

C. We must not __________ and thus __________ the Holy Spirit.

1. You can't control an internal bent with an external code.
2. God does not set His law aside but He sets it inside.
3. Galatians 5:24-25; Romans 7:5-6

Conclusion: Ephesians 5:18

When your temple is filled with the Spirit, there is no room for the flesh.

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