How to Respond

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. Galatians 5:16-17

When Jesus was on earth he understood the power of the flesh over His spirit, that is why on the night of his capture he was fervently praying that his spirit would not fail  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Mathew 26:41. He knew that, that night the devil would throw everything at him to ensure that He submits to the flesh. The devil has not changed his tactics to this day; let us examine some of the tricks that we should also expect as Christ  followers

His friends deserted him.. A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him,  he fled naked, leaving his garment behind He did not respond!

False accusations..  When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.  Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”  But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. Mathew 27:12. He did not respond!

Mocking, provoking him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him He did not respond!

Wrong advice. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us! he did not respond!note, how similar this temptation is with this one  Mathew 4:6 If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands..same script different cast

Insults.1 Peter 2:23 they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly

He also experienced  rejection, slander, emotional abuse and finally physical torture and death; they broke his body but could not break his Spirit. Through all this he remained faithful to his nature. He did not responded with  self-pity, resentment, unbelief, bitterness, anger or fear. Always selfless, he even managed to redeem one of the criminals who was crucified next to him

Thank God his flesh did not respond, he demonstrated the Spiritual fruit of kindness, humility, patience , faithfulness  in the darkest hour of His life. His only response was Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing Luke 23:34 . With this statement he gave up his right to be right and defeated the flesh  by responding in the spirit, he had overcome. That is why we call him the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords He did what no man has ever done he defeated the flesh and maintained a clean record . He set his mind on the things of the spirit by maintaining the will of God and dying on the cross

Hebrews 12:2-3 For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

One other thing that Jesus acknowledged is that they did not know what they were doing

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelations 12:11

Two choices – A Child of Wrath or a Son of God

Is the devil trying to break your spirit ? He will use your boss, friends, family and your darkest hour to achieve this. Whose you are can only be determined in your dark hour when you have been provoked, embarrassed, mocked, falsely accused, insulted, rejected or deserted. How you respond determines who you are and what is in your heart. If you choose to respond in the flesh by being unforgiving, resentful, bitter or you choose self and to complain in self-pity, you have given control of that situation to the devil. You have chosen darkness and oppression to fill your heart by not surrendering  the issue to God.we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:3

If you respond in the Fruit of the Spirit, there will be a totally different outcome. You will attempt to understand why the person acted toward you as they did, you will at times also acknowledge that they don’t know what they are doing. Because you are dead to self—having no self-interest, you are able to work through the issues by not taking the incident personally and avoiding self-pity or bitterness. As a result, responding out of the Spirit builds more of the character of God in our hearts.  Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:12-14.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2: 21