Pastor A

Simon never had a problem getting excited about things. He was called a “zealot” meaning a Jew full of passion, enthusiasm and activity. Simon’s problem was one of direction. His energies were being channeled in the wrong way. But when he yielded to the Master, Jesus Christ, the rebel became a soldier of the Cross. The fiery patriot became a dedicated disciple. Simon’s hatred of social corruption was turned into hatred of moral corruption, sin.

His natural strengths and energies, when placed under the total control of Christ, were changed into channels of spiritual power. He hated sin with the same intensity he had hated corrupt government. He was as dedicated and loyal to his new Master as he had been to the Zealots. He abandoned himself totally to the cause of Christ, just as he had done for the cause of patriotism.

When you as a Christian allow Jesus Christ to master your abilities and enthusiasms, loving Him and His will above all else, you will begin to taste the same kind of spiritual victory and power in your life that Simon the Zealot knew in his. The choice really is yours and yours alone to make.

Galatians 2:20, ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.“

In order to achieve spiritual victory, you must practice self-denial in all areas of life. This is an active way to die to self. But always be careful to deny yourself for the Lord, in order to better follow Him. You may start with giving up Cokes and putting the money in a special missions offering. You may want to give up a football game for a time of special Bible study or prayer. This is also where fasting comes in as a spiritual exercise. Fasting is going without food for a period of time.

For the Christian, it is going without food in order to better concentrate on the Word and prayer. There are sound scientific and medical principles behind fasting, but if your purpose is not to glorify the Lord, it does not count as a genuine spiritual exercise.

How about giving up that new dress or even your car so that you could give a special offering to the Lord? You will not begin to experience the richest spiritual blessings of the Lord until you begin to sacrificially follow Him. This takes real discipline… but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Actively work to develop good character qualities. Make a list of the qualities you find in God’s Word: honesty, uprightness, humility, wisdom, gentleness with people, etc. Proverbs provides an excellent source for character qualities. Start with the one that you feel you lack the most. Begin to pray that God would develop this quality in your life. Memorize scriptures that refer to it. Look for opportunities to express that quality in your life. God will provide those opportunities. Do it every day. Keep track of your progress.

When that quality has been developed, go on to another quality. This is such a valuable discipline. And it is so much more than self-improvement. God is actually doing the improving within you as you learn His Word and live it in your life. Be especially alert to pride creeping in as you see yourself developing. Remember, it is God’s work and He must receive all praise. You are merely letting Him be Himself in your life.

Spiritual victory is not the impossible dream of the Christian. Neither is it an easily attained goal. It is waiting for anyone who loves God enough to take Him at His Word and obey that Word with all of his heart, soul, and strength.

Paul goes on to explain that the way of escape for impure thoughts is a spiritual exercise. II Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;“

The answering in disciplining your mind is bringing every thought back to Christ. If you are reminded of a sin you once committed and Satan tries to accuse you with it, immediately remind yourself, “Yes, I committed that sin. I am guilty of it. BUT Jesus died for that sin of mine and through His blood it is forgiven and forgotten.” And then thank Him for His forgiveness.

If your thought life is a problem, say, “Yes, I have a weakness in that area and I have sinned much in it. But Jesus died for this sin of mine, too, and now through His blood it is forgiven and forgotten.” And then thank Him for His deliverance.

No matter what the thought, bring it into relation to Christ. When Satan sees that the thoughts he sends only make you think of Jesus, he will soon stop sending them; and in the course of time, you will feel no more pull from them. A stronghold of Satan has been cast down in your mind through a spiritual weapon, the discipline of your thoughts.

Jesus Himself stated this as the turning point of true discipleship in Mark 8:34-35, “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.“

Death to self is an important qualification for discipleship or for real spiritual victory. But what is it we are to die to, specifically? We must die to selfishness or the seeking of glory or security in this life. We must die to all the things that would keep us from following Christ unhindered… even good things. We must forsake our possessions if need be. Luke 14:33, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.“

We must place our love for Christ and our desire to follow Him above our earthly relationships if need be. Mark 10:29-30, “And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, 30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.“

And we must die to our own strength, our own plans, ambitions, and schemes. God does not want us to work for Him; He wants to work in us. He does not want us to build great things for Him or accomplish mighty deeds; He wants to fill us with Himself and do the work through us.

God reminds us over and over in His Word that our natural abilities and strengths are just channels through which His power can flow; they are not the tools we use, but the tools He uses. We must die to every thought of self-concern. Our lives become swallowed up in Christ, in loving and serving Him, no matter what the cost. God’s will becomes our meat and drink, as it was with Jesus in John 4:34, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.“

They called themselves the Zealots and the name fit them well. This feisty little band of men somehow got the idea that they could take on the entire Roman army. Many of them died trying, but the Empire shook when they fell. Their lives burned with devotion to a cause they believed to be just.

One of these Zealots was called by Jesus to be one of the Twelve. His name was Simon, and the fiery passion which already gripped his heart was remarkably transformed. God changed his dreams for social change into an exciting vision for spiritual change. Simon was a “hot” disciple for Christ.

What kind of disciple are you? As you think about the question, consider something God said in Revelation 3:15-16, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.“

This forceful statement is bad news for the majority of professing Christians. Think about it: God says that if you are spiritually lukewarm you make Him vomit!

The church is not really making the impact on the world God intends. America has not experienced widespread revival in more than 100 years. In fact, most Christians do not believe such a spiritual awakening is even possible today. The God of Elijah can bring revival today just as He had done so many times in history. But where are the Elijahs of God? Where are the Christians who will become torches burning with the fire of the Holy Spirit? Will you be one? Will you do what Simon did?

Simon became a soldier for Jesus Christ. He had been a soldier of the Zealots, but he exchanged his uniform and weapons to fight in a more important battle. Paul instructed the Ephesians to “put on the whole armor of God.” He explained that Christians are to be real soldiers who fight in a real battle against a real enemy. The objective is spiritual victory.

Nobody likes to lose. It is just not a normal reaction. Neither is it normal to accept a loss complacently; yet the majority of Christians go down to spiritual defeat time after time without realizing it can be different. God wants to give us a victorious, consistent life.

Tomorrow we will look at what is really necessary for spiritual victory to take place in the life of the believer.

To properly develop physically, you must eat. Likewise, to properly develop spiritually, you must eat daily the “food” of the Word of God. I must study the Word of God to be spiritually healthy. And the “spiritual meals” you eat must be well-balanced. In other words, you need to study the entire Bible, not just the parts you enjoy.

Can you imagine someone going to a refrigerator, reaching inside without looking, grabbing the first item and eating whatever it happens to be? Not a very appetizing thought, is it? Yet countless Christians are guilty of this same kind of aimless “eating” of God’s Word.

I must study the Word of God to be spiritually clean. The Bible clearly points out that it works as a kind of “soap” to clean up the moral filth in a believer’s life. In Psalm 119:9 David wrote, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Then, several centuries later, Jesus told His disciples in John 15:3, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.“

God has communicated to man through His Living Word, Jesus Christ, and through His written Word, the Bible. By receiving the Living Word and obeying the written Word we are cleansed spiritually.

In His wilderness experience, Jesus demonstrated that the best weapon we have to fight the forces of temptation is knowledge found in the Word of God. But the obvious truth is that to know the Word we have to read it. I must study the Word of God to have spiritual victory.

Why not decide today to make Bible study a daily priority in your life.