From the book i'm reading...
"He doesn't treat the temptations and accusations as if they are weaknesses within himself;"
how hard is it to believe this? we are so willing to believe the worst about ourselves... we are sceptical or disbelieving of things in the spiritual realm... it seems easier to think that we are innately pre-disposed towards sin, and that we are 'dragged off by our own sinful desires' (biblical, can't remember where). But the truth which i have trouble believing is that my heart is now good, that my heart of stone has been replaced by a heart of flesh, and that God's Spirit lives in me, such that these sinful desires are no longer part of me. They were banished when I became a Christian, but the devil continues to try and input them into me daily, taking advantage of my belief in the lie that I am sinful by nature.
"nor does he act as though they will go away if he tries to ignore him."
the secret to resisting the devil is not in self-discipline and determination, but in active resistance. demolish the lie, speak the truth, claim the blood of Jesus Christ and command the tempting spirit to leave in the name of Jesus... again, I have forgotten these things for so long... i have failed to see my struggles as spiritual in nature, and i have been joyless these two months.
i was asking God earlier... "How can I know You more?" asking whether i might have someone to come into my life to train me up in these things - but i remembered that God can do that just fine, even without human help. and i was wondering what i could do now, to learn more about God, and i remembered my book! and a pretty good book it is too! first book in ages - really need to develop a habit of reading edifying stuff.
