Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts,
which war against the soul; 1 Peter 2:11
According to the Bible, we are supposed to put to death our fleshly desires.
It is no wonder the flesh is our enemy. We’re trying to kill its freedom.
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. Rom 8:13
We are created in the image of God.
We have emotions which can rule our lives if we let them.
Our flesh wants what it wants and we are used to getting those things.
Then, we decide we are going to live for God.
The flesh does not die quickly or easily.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry: For which things’ sake
the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: Galatians 3:5-6
This where denying yourself and taking up your cross comes into action.
And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23
If we refuse to deny our flesh, we are serving our own selves instead of Jesus.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15
Loving himself and worshipping himself was what Satan did.
He got cast out of Heaven and was not able to fellowship with God.
We must be careful and realize when we choose our own selves,
what is best for us, what works for us, what we like,
what we think is important without checking with God,
we are choosing ourselves and the world. Hard truth.
Make your choice and stick with it. Seek God for wisdom and strength.
He has warned us many times how important it is to keep Him as our Lord.
To many He will say, I never knew you. Depart from Me.
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me,
ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:23 Look it up. It’s sobering.