The process of victory always starts with one small decision to change then building on the momentum. For example, a man cuts down on his smoking three cigarettes per day. Because he feels good, he decides to go to the gym. In the gym, he meets some positive people who encourage him to change his diet of greasy foods. A few weeks latter he has lost 12 lb and looks younger. He decides to go a step further and prays each morning for 20 minutes. He becomes more loving to his wife and children and their relationship deepens. Feeling better about himself, he reorganizes his business, restructures his finances and makes long-term investments. One year later, his life has been totally transformed by the act of cutting down on cigarettes and strengthening the chain reaction that followed.

Modes of Behavior

We function in modes of behavior that become lifestyle patterns. The man who comes home each day and watches TV for three hours is in the comfort mode and running three miles is the opposite of that mode. Doing the opposite is the only way to break the behavior pattern. The act of running demolishes the comfort mode and creates a new mode of living that is much healthier.

Living in fear, worry and doubt is a mode of behavior. Constantly fearing rejection and feeling insecure is another mode of behavior. To demolish these modes of behavior, we need to do the opposite of what the emotions are demanding. To kill fear, do something risky. To kill the fear of rejection, get out and socialize.

The Bible uses this process in a powerful way to kill the sin nature. The verse pick up the cross and follow me is intended to kill the mode of self-centeredness. If you want to fight fear, be willing to die for Christ. If you want to kill rejection, be willing to be rejected for Him.

It would be great if a Sunday church service could blast us high enough into the spirit realm that we made all the way through the week. I wish it was so easy, but it is not, walking in the freedom of Christ requires us to be connected. Walking in the Spirit in a moment-by-moment basis. During eating, sleeping, or exercising, we need to maintain the connection. That why Paul says rejoice always, for in this we stay connected. This process of staying connected is indeed difficult because it requires us to be continually monitoring and adjusting of our state of mind to that of Christ’s spirit.

The state of mind that defines the spirit of Christ is peace, love, long suffering, patience, and kindness. If these are absent, you are not in the Spirit. If you are angry, uptight, edgy fearful, nervous, resentful, bitter and people or events are constantly creating irritation, you are definitely not walking in the Spirit or even close.

The Choice

With every decision we make there are two paths before us. We can abandon ourselves to the desires of the sin nature or follow the path of self-discipline. You would not be reading this book unless you hunger something deeper. The following pages will inspire you to get serious in the war with the sin nature. Many battles will be lost but surrender is spiritual death and that is unacceptable.

By Tom Coghill of Fasting.ws Articles  may be copied or reproduced as long as the back links to fasting.ws are intact and the author’s name is included.