It’s very unlikely we could participate in many conversations about the difficulties encountered while standing for the restoration of our marriages, without the discussion eventually turning to the inevitable battle between our flesh and spirit. And everyone standing for marriage restoration knows all about the concept of spiritual warfare as it is described in Ephesians 6:12, which says For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. However, not only is there a spiritual battle going on for our marriages and for many of our spouses’ souls, but for the word of our testimony as well, because Revelation 12:10-11 says Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. As difficult as it is to comprehend, that passage makes it pretty clear that God equates the word of our testimony with the blood of Christ, which is pretty mind blowing!

Unfortunately, many people, standers in particular, seem to be convinced that they can not overcome the power of their flesh to control them, but Galatians 5:16 says otherwise, because it says I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And John 6:63 says The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. So like everything else that’s important to us as Christians, the struggle to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit is won by the Word of God. And when we overcome that battle, we experience peace, joy and victory beyond human comprehension, and that becomes the word of our testimony; all for the glory of Jesus Christ, which Satan HATES!

So it’s very important to understand that everything we encounter comes from either one kingdom or the other, because there is no in between with God; we’re either for Him or against Him. Since most of us would readily choose to be on God’s side of the equation, we need to learn some practical tips for walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, which is a post I’ve had on my mind for a few days now. So I really appreciated yesterday’s devotion by John Walker, A Long Thin Line, because it helps make that point so well, as well as how our testimony is tested and shaped by challenging circumstances.

And the following Heart To Heart message posted by one of the FAM Fellowship members today illustrates how we overcome our flesh to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit:

“What I’m posting below is something I copied from a book of mine about a year ago. If I could remember where I got it, I would give credit where it is due. But at the time, I wrote it in the back of my Bible so I would never lose it and it has been encouraging me to push on ever since. The author used Romans 8:28, along with this thought, which I hope is as uplifting to you as it has been to me.

“God never takes away except to give us back something better. It means we must be brave enough and determined enough to wait… because it often takes God time to turn a painful situation to good. It means we can embrace our pain and not resent it because a blessing is coming.”

Just because my marriage wasn’t good doesn’t mean it won’t be. It will take time. And if I wait on the Lord, He will take my pain away and bless me with the marriage I have been waiting to have. It isn’t pleasant to go through the uncertainties of what may happen and it’s painful to look back on what has happened, but I can’t give up, because things can change any minute now! I am called to stand for my husband and for our marriage. You are called to stand for your marriages as well. The waiting is only temporary. Just wait and see! – Christy

Habakkuk 2:3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

Obviously, Christy is not giving way to her pain and natural fear. Instead she is relying on the Word of God and looking to Him to fulfill His promises regardless of what she sees and experiences in the natural realm. And that’s only possible when walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, which gives our spirit control over our flesh and makes it possible for us to walk in obedience to our Lord and Savior.

Joyce Meyer’s TV broadcast today was a perfect message to go along with this topic, so I strongly encourage everyone to watch Power Releases Authority. You REALLY won’t want to miss it, because she uses one of the most powerful illustrations I’ve ever seen of how God deals with the devil, and everything he brings against us, when we trust Him enough to remain calm in the midst of our storms. And she points out how it’s only possible to access the authority of that power through prayer. And when we learn to overcome our flesh and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can’t help being blessed and encouraged by the supernatural power released into our lives and circumstances!

Posted Thursday, April 26th, 2007 at 11:41 pm in Seeds Of Faith.