Subduing Your Greatest Enemy — John Ray Nolt

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A Humbling Call to Minister to Every Listener

The precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ The risen Lord and Savior hallelujah. I Must say I am Humbled to be asked to give a message here this morning knowing that there would be many people here and Knowing that in a crowd this size, there's probably many needs and perhaps many of you are looking to God and Longing for some answers for some of those needs and it is a humbling thing to consider abiding in the presence of God to find and to hear the heart of God and then to be able to come here and By the grace of God to be able to minister what God has given.

That's a humbling thought to me and so we we look to God this morning in faith. I must say I I feel like I I Face an impossible task here this morning. Because my heart I have a twofold burden. Now the first burden of my heart Seems to have been conveyed quite a bit already and I'm catching that other brethren have the same burden and that is that as young people as Youth you have sat here in the Bible school all week long and you've seen God work and you've experienced God working in your life and the burden on our hearts is that you could come back here a year from now and testify of a faithful walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's the burden and cry of our hearts and I I have to echo the blessing of yesterday when a brother got up here and Testified of how God had worked in his life last year and then how that worked out in through the year as he up to this point and what a blessing that was.

May you set that vision before your heart. I Have another burden on my heart this morning and That is that behind you young people are Sitting many mothers and fathers and I can't even see who they are from here.

I Can't tell who they're. I can't Distinguish their faces. They've not been here all week. Many of them they've been they've been on the job. They've been at home caring for the family. But my burden this morning is that That if you're sitting in the very last row in this room that God would not pass you by today.

That you would also be the recipient of the grace of God on your heart in life this morning. For I believe that is the heart and burden of God that you could also Enter into the Spirit and Reality of the Living God working in our lives Moving us on changing us from glory to glory.

That's my prayer for you. You know many many prayers have been prayed All week long and again, I know for this morning's service. But why don't we all together stand to our feet. I Don't know how many people are here, but Let's all quiet our hearts in the presence of God and let's Quietly in our hearts and in our spirit intercede That God would come and visit us This morning, let's all pray together our Father which art in heaven.

Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever.

Amen. You may be seated. You know as I listened to some of your testimonies yesterday I Appreciated so much hearing those testimonies and those breakthroughs and and how God dealt with you and As youth and There was something I thought about and You know we We make reference to the victory that I've gotten the victory and I understand what we say.

I understand what we mean when we say that. But I like to remind us that until There has been a test. You really haven't gotten the victory. And maybe that's some of my burden for you today. There will be tests.

You will be tested. You can count on it, and that's okay. That's okay. If you face those tests head-on it will strengthen you in the Lord mightily the danger is That someone in the middle in the heat of the test in the heat of the battle Begins to waver begins to turn aside begins to lose their way so the tests will come.

Subduing the Flesh as the Greatest Enemy

The title of the message this morning is subduing your greatest enemy. Subduing your greatest enemy. Now, I'd like to Clarify that statement of the title just a bit. As I'm going to talk about a given subject this morning.

And I'm going to refer to that subject as your greatest enemy and I want to recognize that someone else could give the same title and Preach a message on another subject and it probably would be as true.

So when I say that when I use that statement, I'm not necessarily saying that it's all conclusive. But I do want us to see this great enemy and many times is one of the greatest ones that we face and The need to subdue that enemy.

Freedom from the Law of Sin and Death

We'd like to turn to the book of Romans this morning. We'll begin in Romans chapter 8 two precious verses here quite a few precious verses. But we'll look at Romans 8 verse 1 and 2 where the scripture says.

There is therefore Now no condemnation To them which are in Christ Jesus Who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit? For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Now I'd like to for the first part of this message I'd like to focus a bit on that statement in verse 2 at the end of the verse the law of sin and death let's look now at Romans chapter 7 verse 18 to 24 as We tried to get a glimpse into this law of sin and death.

Paul here as he's writes to the Romans in verse 18. He says for I know that in me. That is in my flesh in me in my flesh Dwelleth no good thing Paul says. He says for to will is present with me. But how to perform that which is good I find not.

For the good that I would What the good that I know that I should do the good that I have a knowledge that I should do. I do not do. But the evil that I don't want to do that I do. Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me.

Notice that statement sin that dwelleth in me. He says in verse 21 I find then a law that when I would do good when I would desire to do good evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members Warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity To the law of sin, which is in my members.

Pretty despairing situation, isn't it verse 24? He says Oh Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death or we might say from this body of death Who's going to deliver me from this body of death and again as we as We notice there some of these statements that are very comparable to what we read there in Romans 8 verse 2 where Jesus where he speaks about this law of sin and death that Seems to exist.

Yet enough in Romans 7 24 he says As he said makes that statement there the body of this death death or this body of death we notice that there is there is it's like. Hmm. Well, let's let's look at Romans 5 12.

The scripture says in Romans 5 12. Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men and There we get even a deeper glimpse into this whole subject of this matter of this death passing upon all men and I'd like to Today I'd like to make a comparison.

Like to draw a line up here and we would like to as we consider this law of sin and death and We'd like to label this line actually the law of sin and death maybe I'll just put the initials here. Well, we'll put some words here law of Sin and death.

Now I would like to Make a comparison here with this law of sin and death that the Bible is speaking of this body of death that Paul speaks of here in Romans 7 24 and this Death that passed upon all men in Romans 5 12 this this death that it is speaking of.

I'd like to Compare that to the law of gravity. We all know what the law of gravity is the earth is. The entire earth's surface is Is controlled by the law of gravity if I take this book and and I If I let it go it would immediately fall to the floor and that's because there is a law called the law of gravity that is in effect and it keeps all the objects around us clinging to the floor.

It's the law of gravity. Well, there's a law that is controlling or is the the whole the entire human race is in the grips of a law and It's called the law of sin and death. It doesn't matter. What creed what land what race what?

Tongue it matters none. Every human being that has ever been born in the earth with the exception of the Lord Jesus Christ Are held in the grips of that law of sin and death they're held there that's what controls them and That's why we see The continual decay of mankind.

You know God has done and and we have the history of the scriptures where God has done various things to try to Work with mankind and to bail them out of their situation if you want to say it that way.

And yet we see men destroying themselves. We see nations destroying themselves. We see we see Communities and families destroying themselves. We see young people destroying their lives. Why? It's because there's a law of sin and death that is ruling their lives and they can't do a thing about it.

The Flesh, the Spirit, and Romans 7

Well, the Bible has a lot to say as he said as Paul said there in Romans 7 18 he says in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and I'd like us to to realize that while this physical flesh is not necessarily the the The cause of this this law it seems to be the The Agent through which it works this law seems to work through our flesh you know, it's I guess it's a little bit like You know There's nothing evil in this finger and yet if there this this flesh this flesh is is the agent through which this law operates maybe we put it that way and We see it when we see in the scriptures and especially here in a in Romans chapter 8 We see Paul as he speaks and as he dialogues on these truths he uses terms like walking in the spirit verse 1 there walk they who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit and he uses that term quite a bit there in Romans 8 where he makes the comparison between walking in the flesh and walking in the spirit.

And I simply want us to make that connection I want us to make that connection this morning that this law of sin and death is Simply our flesh. It's that's where it operates. That's the that's that's where it's seat of where its throne is in our flesh in us in me and you and so I want us to make that connection this morning that as we read through the scriptures and we read about this whole thing of To be They that are after the flesh Mind the things of the flesh and they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit he's talking about this law of sin and death this flesh this self this this This body of death that he spoke of in verse 24 of chapter 7 now I'd like to Put a little attention to the subject of how the law in the old covenant affected this.

And by the way, I don't know if you've discovered it yet. But it is your flesh and it is my flesh. That is our greatest enemy and it's in that flesh through which that law operates. That is our greatest enemy and that's you know.

Remember the clarification I gave in the beginning maybe somebody say well the devil's our greatest enemy. Well, that is also true, I believe. But as I speak this morning I'm speaking to us concerning our flesh and I'm going to make that statement of it being our greatest enemy without apology and without Clarification from here out and so I'd like to as we have Taken a look at this enemy.

We see this enemy. We see this law that is in effect I'd like to Just spend a few minutes talking about What happened? When God tried to or or when he worked with Israel as a people and he gave them the old covenant the old law as we sometimes say it and What how that?

Affected this enemy of ours this flesh of ours this law of sin and death. Okay, so here we have this law of sin and death and we know what is all contained there. We know what is all contained in our flesh as Paul says here in in verse in in Romans 7 he talks about The things that we should do we don't do and the things that we shouldn't do we do.

The flesh lusts to sin, you know the flesh strives after sin the flesh wants to do its own thing and so here we have the God of heaven the Holy God of heaven and. And the question is raised here as God brings the law on the scene.

The question was raised In Romans 7 verse 7 is the law sin. We might ask if the law didn't take care of the problem. Is it then sin? Well, we want to try to answer that question and also Just going down to verse 12 He says wherefore in Romans 7 verse 12 wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and that's that's what I like us To see this morning.

The the law was an expression of God. It was an expression of his holiness. And it was like and the and what happened when God brought that law on the scene. Exactly what happened is this it was like putting a magnifying glass to man's sin problem to man to this whole matter of the law of sin and death and now The problem is magnified.

You see we have this holy law. It tells us about God. It tells us what God wants for his people. It tells us how we should live. But it does absolutely nothing To deal with this law that is in effect.

It does nothing to deal with the law of sin and death that men and women are bound by it. Only puts a magnifying glass to it and Explodes it to see be something, you know, all of a sudden mankind sees that he's wicked.

He's evil. He's Wow. Such a ugly creature. I am here's the law of God. It's holy. He wants me to live in purity. He wants me to to love my enemies, you know and to be kind to people around me and and I'm I'm a sinner.

I got this Anger in my heart and. Well, that's what it was supposed to do. That's what it was supposed to do and and Paul describes that here in Romans 7. He says in verse 12. He's no let's back up. Let's read some of this context now in Romans 7.

Maybe we ought to begin all the way over in chapter in in verse 5. He says therefore when we were in the flesh and now I'd like you to notice that statement right there. When we were in the flesh. This Scripture is not speaking about a half-hearted Christianity.

This is speaking about people who are in the flesh and the flesh is a person who is in the flesh is Living under grips of the law of sin and death. He says here for when we were in the flesh The motions or we could say the passions of sins Which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

But now we are delivered from the law. That being dead wherein we were held we should serve in newness of the spirit and not in oldness of the letter. What shall we say then is the law sin was the Old Testament law sin?

No, he says God forbid. He says I had not known sin, but by the law. I had not known lust except the law said I shouldn't covet. He says but sin taking occasion by the commandment. Wrought in me all manner of desire concupiscence all manner of cravings.

For without the lost without the without the law sin was dead had no power. Says for I was alive without the law once and I'm not exactly sure what he means there. I gave thought to the possibility that he meant before he was old enough to understand but then he grew up and became of fuller age and began to understand the heart of God and began to understand the law and Conviction settled down on his heart and he died.

But anyhow he says when the commandment came sin revived and I died and The commandment which was ordained to life. You see there's nothing wrong with the commandment. It was a holy commandment. It was a glimpse into the holiness of God.

It was ordained to life. He said I found it to be unto death. For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy. The commandment is holy. It's just and it's good.

Was then that which is good made death unto me. God forbid. No, not at all, but sin. The problem is sin. The problem is not the commandment. The problem is sin that's. But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good.

That's sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. Hallelujah. For we know that the law is spiritual. You ever think about it that way. The law was spiritual, but I am carnal sold under sin and there we have it.

Sold under sin exactly what we were talking about here sold under sin. Held in its grips no getting free a slave to sin is what he's saying a slave to sin. He goes on for that which I I do. I allow not.

See what he's saying. He has the law the Old Testament law he knows what he should do and in his mind. He doesn't allow it, but his body doesn't anyway. He doesn't have no power over that a law of sin and death.

He doesn't have no power over that sin. Says for what I would that do I not but what I hate that I do. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the law that it is that it is good. Then now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me and again.

He's just bringing us right back down to this whole. This law of sin and death that and he goes on and in verse 18 again he says for I know and I'd like to reemphasize this for I know that in me. That is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.

And then he goes on and gives this dialogue all over again about what I don't want to do I do and what I do should do I don't do and again, it brings us right down to the same bottom line this chapter is speaking about the flesh and A person who is living in the flesh.

But trying and in certain cases trying to please God at the same time. You know when you identify yourself as a Roman seven Christian I Don't think there is such a thing. Frankly I don't think there is such a thing.

If you're living in the experience of Romans 7, I don't think you're a Christian and we'll try to clarify some of that as we go now. So we see how the old covenant the law of the old covenant Affected this law of sin and death it only magnified only Brought the problem out in the light.

But it gave no solution. So now we would like to look at how does Christ? Deal with the problem. How does Christ deal with this law of sin and death? Let's read a verse in Romans 8 verse 3 now. We read verse 1 and 2 already.

Christ Condemns Sin in the Flesh

Let's look at verse 3 for a moment for what the law could not do that's the Old Testament law and we have to Clarify a little bit what he speaks about quite a few laws here and we have to clarify them a bit in verse 3 here He speaks of the Old Testament law what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh and that's.

That's the phrase we'd like to focus on there for a moment God Sending his Son his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin Condemned sin in the flesh turn over to Romans 6 and We'd like to see how that all a bit more deeper into that truth in Romans 6 here he He gives us a bit of a revelation of Jesus Christ and how that by his death.

Let's read verses. Let's begin in verse 3. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death and now I'd like to Take your focus away from the actual water baptism for this moment here I know we use this scripture a good bit when we talk about water baptism, but I you know what water baptism is it's it's being immersed and What I'd like you to notice here is not necessarily when you were baptized with water, but when you were immersed into Christ when you saw him and You entered into him by faith.

He Says know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death. We Die with him by faith we enter into that death with him. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death.

That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

Verse 6 knowing this that our old man is crucified with him. That the body of sin. Notice that phrase a body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth We should not serve sin any longer. For he that is dead is freed from sin now if we believe now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him and The sum of those words is this the Lord Jesus Christ by his death and resurrection brought into existence a new law it's described in Romans chapter 8 as.

In verse 2 as the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus by his death dying identifying with us in our sinful state taking on that body of flesh going to the grave and then resurrecting again. And in Romans 7 the first several verses he actually uses the the The example of a wife being bound by the law to her husband as long as that husband lives and How that we as the human race were bound to the law of sin and death.

Until the Lord Jesus Christ died and Then we were freed from that law and now he wants us to get married to another which is Jesus Christ himself. We're now free to get married again. Because the old law died we're dead to that old law.

We're free to be married to Christ and so the Lord Jesus on in that work of redemption on Calvary's cross he brought a new law into existence. I'd like to compare that law to the law of aerodynamics. You know what that is.

The Law of the Spirit of Life Overcomes Sin

Markers getting a bit dull. I hope you can see this in the back. We'll try to make it Big enough that you can. I'd like to compare that law to the law of aerodynamics now. What is the law of aerodynamics?

Well, we all know again. We we have the law of gravity. And on and the law of gravity Has kept men on the ground for thousands of years their main means of transportation was walking and donkeys and horses and boats and Something that was on the ground on the on the earth's surface whether it was water of ground or whatever.

Because the law of gravity kept everything there. Well, how is it that? Nowadays you look up in the air and you see these big objects flying through the air. What happened? Done the law of gravity work anymore seems to work right here.

You know what? Men Developed a new law. It's called the law of aerodynamics and by that law they are able to take a big Object like an airplane and and they've developed various other ways as well and they're able to take a big object and They actually defy the law of gravity that is in place and They take them up in the air and they fly for thousands of miles that way.

You know, that is exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did in light of this law of sin and death. That held men in bondage. That men were bound by he Developed he he bought he paid for he he Came up with a new law and it's called the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Now that law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus did not eradicate the law of sin and death. Did it it didn't? We know that the law of sin and death is still in existence in the lives of many people and If we're totally honest as Christians, we see more of it in our own lives than we'd like to at times, right?

But we see that that law is still in existence. However, there is a greater law just less as men have developed a law that overpowers Overcomes the law of gravity. The Lord Jesus Christ has given a law that overpowers and overcomes the law of sin and death.

Hallelujah. Amen. We're free from the law of sin and death. Hallelujah. Imagine that for thousands of years men and women were bound by that thing and And many today are bound by that thing yet, but there's a greater law.

It's called the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and to whosoever will Can come and enter into the reality of that law? By faith in Jesus Christ. By faith in his death and resurrection. Whosoever will Can come and Enter into that law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Walking in the Spirit Instead of the Flesh

Well What about. What about this down here then and we like to spend some time now talking about that having established this Framework of thinking in our hearts, you know as a Christian. You know just like an airplane, you know what happens when an airplane Cuts his throttle.

Does he keep climbing? Does he even hold a steady pace? Can he hold his altitude? No, he can't. If he cuts the throttle he's gonna what's gonna happen. He's headed down. That's right. He's headed down.

What happens in your life after you have entered into this law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and You are enjoying a glorious climb in Christ and you just kind of Well, you get satisfied with where you're at or maybe some little old sin begins to plague you again and you kind of carelessly go through life and Sin starts coming back into your life.

What happens? You stay up here you come down, right? You come down. That's right. Well, we'd like to ponder that a bit, you know, I I Had the I counsel with a young man here this week who was converted about three months ago I think you said may not have all the details quite accurately, but he was converted and out of a life of sin and Let's let's put a circle here to kind of indicate the point of conversion and He had walked with God Some through those few months and had had enjoyed some of that freedom in Christ.

But in the last number of weeks he had just whoo done a nosedive and That's where the burden of my heart lies here some for you youth. The potential exists, you know many of you. I Think you've gone right.

You've been you've been going up you've been gaining altitude. Amen. The danger is in the weeks ahead as you face the turbulence. One of the brothers spoke about turbulence in his message this past week.

As your aircraft is up there and you're sailing along and you face the turbulence and the old thing starts rocking this way in that way. And you can hardly keep the water in the cup. Remember the danger is That your old plane will start coming down.

And we don't want to see that happen. So like to talk to you a little bit on the practical side. Like we said here this law of Gravity the law of aerodynamics did not it did not Eradicate the law of gravity the law of sin and death did not eradicate.

Excuse me the loss of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus Did not eradicate the law of sin and death it overpowered it. It gave us a higher law to live by. However we We must take heed because this law of sin and death or our flesh.

Where that law operates? Our flesh Continues to make bids for our soul, right? You know, there's still some of this this pull towards sin. And Our flesh still needs to be dealt with and So that brings us into This verse here again in Romans chapter 8 where he says that there is therefore now no condemnation To them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh But after the spirit and he gives those two comparisons who walk not after the flesh But after the spirit and it gives us this picture of a walk a life lived in the spirit Rather than a life lived in the flesh and the dangerous The danger point is back here as you are you're walking with God.

You're living for the Lord Jesus Christ. The heaven is open over your life. You are gaining altitude and Then God brings some circumstances into your life. To test you remember we said the test will come to test you and We must needs be tested we must be proven is My faith real do I really love Jesus with all my heart and we can't prove that until we've been in the test and so the test must needs come and the danger is that as we Respond to those tests.

You're probably going to fail sometimes. Your flesh will probably get the upper hand at times. Now that's not the worst thing. It is bad, but it's not the worst thing. The worst thing is if you don't deal with it that's the worst thing and So now you saw you well, let's just use an example your parents try to give you a little guidance in your life and you Cringe under it.

You might not even get angry at you might not even express any verbal words of Disrespect or unwillingness to submit it might just be all in your heart might just be festering there sitting there well now you're a you're a you're beginning to entertain you're beginning to You draw From this old law of sin and death again, you're making a connection With that old law again with that old flesh well life goes on and Maybe you're walking maybe you're walking through us a Grocery store or something and you come upon some magazines that aren't the most healthiest and and you You haven't been feeling real good toward your parents because they didn't get let you do what you want to do.

And so you you don't have a whole lot of spiritual strength. And so you you stop and you glance at those magazines. And now you just got another connection to the flesh. You've just plugged into that law of sin and death the second time and Mind you the cords are getting thicker.

The cords are getting thicker. Well, maybe you have a radio in your room and by now you're your spiritual desires are starting to fade out a bit and and You know you're it's bedtime and you know, you ought to pray and you ought to read your Bible a little before you go to sleep, but well, you just you just I Mean, it was just a couple hours ago.

You were in the grocery store and you saw that stuff shouldn't looked at. So now you're can't really focus on prayer and you can't really focus on the Bible and so you turn on the radio and get that secular music and that plugs fits right into what you're doing fits right into where your heart is and so now you're plugging into the flesh even more in and Bringing yourself into the bondage of this old law again.

It's law of sin and death. You're bringing yourself right back in to the bondage of that old law of sin and. So you go on through life. And this happens and that happens the next thing happens and finally, it's time to go back to Bible school.

God forbid God forbid, you know the Bible says In James 1 verse 14, you know this whole matter of temptation. I think it's one that we have to reckon with and realize that. We'd like to blame the devil.

We'd like to blame our friends. We'd like to blame the circumstances. We'd like to blame everything else. But the Bible says in James 1 14 every man is tempted When he is drawn away of his own Lust every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and Enticed, you know, it is our flesh That draws us away and if we'll be frank If we'll be totally honest our flesh loves sin, right?

It does our flesh loves sin. Our Flesh would take us into the depths of iniquity if there wasn't some other law written on our hearts. It would mine would I'd tell you my flesh is there's no good thing in my flesh.