The journey to Heaven is longer than we ever think. Once we are saved, we usually think its just a few years of serving God and we'll soon be in heaven with Him but there are numerous temptations, tests and trials before we get there and many times we feel discouraged and like we'll never make it to Heaven.
Being around worldly people in places like School, work etc even makes overcoming harder as you have to overcome all their pressure of trying to make you backslide and be one of them and their attempts of trying to make you feel ashamed of being Holy.
You can be trying to do good in your Christian life but find that you are easily overcome by temptations and this makes you feel discouraged and like you will never make it to Heaven.
The spiritual secret to overcoming is subduing the flesh.
Galatians 5:17 says that the spirit lusts against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things you wish to do.
The bible shows us through scripture that the flesh is subdued through fasting.
When you are in frequent fasts, it is easy to overcome the desires of the flesh because your mind is on heavenly things and you are always aware of the presence of God.
However when you are not fasting, it is easy to please the desires of the flesh because all your thoughts are on earthly things.
The bible also says that the flesh serves the law of sin, according to (Romans 7:25).
This plainly tells us that the flesh serves the law of sin, desiring to do the things you would not want to do. Therefore, it must be subdued in order to do the will of God.
Fasting subdues the flesh and the bible tells us that the flesh and its passions and desires need to be CRUCIFIED (Galatians 5:24)
Paul in Romans 8:12-13 further tells us that "If you live after the flesh, you shall die. "
Literally, meaning that if you live a life that has no fasting, the result will be that you will live after the flesh and hence, you will be overcome by the desires of the flesh.
The more you eat, the more you find worldly things fascinating and harder to overcome.
Paul also says, in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that, "I bring my body under subjection lest after I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" Meaning that if he does not keep his body under subjection, which is achieved by fasting, he will be a castaway because he would have obeyed the desires of the flesh.
Even Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 4:4 that, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
This tells us that as Christians, we need to have a life of prayer and fasting and not just eating physical food. It needs to be a lifestyle and not just a once in a great while thing.
Fasting was even the lifestyle of Jesus and that is why He was able to cast out the demons that His disciples failed to cast out in Matthew 17:14-21. He told them, "This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting " He did not say, since these kind of demons only go out through prayer and fasting, let me fast and then bring back your son after some days and I'll be able to pray for him but He immediately cast out the demons and they obeyed. This means He lived a life of fasting and he said that His disciples would soon join that lifestyle of fasting after He is gone since they could not mourn while the bridegroom was still with them.
Afterwards, we see many examples in the book of Acts and other books which show that the disciples and Apostles lived a life of fasting.
Paul even tells us that he is in fastings OFTEN in 2 Corinthians 11:27. This means that frequent fasting was his lifestyle.
May the Lord help us live this kind of life that we may overcome and subdue the flesh and its desires.
SHALOM
Sureshbabu Jayaraman
October 18, 2017 at 3:02 pm
Amen
Jadon Chinonso
October 18, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Lord stranghten your children to be conformed to your nature in Jesus name. Amen
Ifeoma Okoli
October 18, 2017 at 4:10 pm
Amen God Wil Help M
Vik Don
October 18, 2017 at 4:12 pm
amen o
Uhuo Echezona
October 18, 2017 at 4:56 pm
Amen
Mhiz Kimmie Quan
October 18, 2017 at 5:18 pm
Amen ooooo…. God bless u sister
Ruth Eze Ruth
October 19, 2017 at 9:56 am
Amen ,i pray for the strentht ofgod upon ur life
Robert Gantungo
October 19, 2017 at 10:57 am
Amen
David Cobham
October 19, 2017 at 2:20 pm
AMEN….
Mercy Dorice Amoka
October 19, 2017 at 5:36 pm
Amen. Lilian Mirasi Daizy Dee Mirasi Viola Mirasi Nelson Amoka
Lucky Mahlatsi Digoro
October 19, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Powerful massage
Khakasa Violet
October 19, 2017 at 9:12 pm
Amen
Grace Baya
October 19, 2017 at 9:43 pm
Amen May the Lord help us live this kind of life that we may overcome and subdue the flesh and its desires.
Adisaluchukwu Udowelle
October 20, 2017 at 6:07 am
Uchenna Croster Michael Okechukwu Okpara Ceejay Orazulume Chidinma Eunice Okwuonu Chinenye Irene Okonkwo Charles Dithy Mich Prince Vicky Sleek Obiajulu IS Joyce Smith
Comfort Diji Godwin
October 21, 2017 at 2:29 pm
HAVE MERCY ON ME O LORD JESUS
Godwin Onyeh
October 24, 2017 at 6:24 pm
Amen.
Febe Palit-Heydemans
October 27, 2017 at 3:14 am
Amen
Gurtha Mfulama
October 27, 2017 at 11:08 pm
Amen
Rachel Zapata
October 30, 2017 at 1:55 am
Amen
Dino Govender
October 30, 2017 at 11:17 am
Amen
Samantha Loren Sabillo
October 30, 2017 at 12:40 pm
AMEN
Odua Lilian Ejohwemu
October 30, 2017 at 3:08 pm
AMENNNNNN IN JESUS NAME. GOD BLESS YOU.
Joseph Sibusiso Ndlovu
October 31, 2017 at 5:42 am
#AmennnLORDJESUS!! A present Clarion Call to the Church @ large globally prior the
#ImminentReturnOfTheLORD!! LORD Help Us…
Joseph Sibusiso Ndlovu
October 31, 2017 at 6:08 am
…And dear sisters in CHRIST @ Mushalas(Zipporah&Rachael) please if The SPIRIT Of GOD Put it in your hearts to write a book on “HowToOvercome” as collaborative or singular project please never procrastinate onother minute onother day… The LORD has made you friends a blessing and an inspiration to Us #TheBodyOfCHRIST globally and more over you will amoungst others remain in our prayers for keeps!! GOD Bless you #KingdomSoldiers!!
Ngozi Obi
November 1, 2017 at 11:26 am
Oh mighty God help my unbilieve I was living this king of life before not knowing it was my sows of power . oh Lord GOD I pray ur help make me empowered again through fasting and prayers with all night and evangelism
Anointing Ibeh
November 1, 2017 at 12:43 pm
More unction to function, pls i am trying to add u but no avail, can you add as face book frd God bless you and remain rapturable.
David P Hall
November 19, 2017 at 12:34 am
Wish I could friend you, but too many. You have deactivated the ‘Follow’ feature so that is not possible either. ?
Linda Amuche
November 19, 2017 at 4:05 pm
Amen
Sivuyile Kuhle Mamgcina
November 23, 2017 at 9:04 pm
Jesus!
Matthew Christian Pangelinan
November 28, 2017 at 6:16 pm
Ashley V. Powell Mark De León Mway Eland Craig Williams Eva Pangelinan Patricia Ann
Matthew Christian Pangelinan
November 28, 2017 at 6:42 pm
Christian Haven
Matthew Christian Pangelinan
November 28, 2017 at 6:43 pm
Glenn Sego
Christian Haven
November 28, 2017 at 7:09 pm
Wow amen!!what a powerful message????
David J Cortez
November 28, 2017 at 7:28 pm
Amen thank you Jesus Christ for the Living Word of God. How faithful and just are the truths of the life giving instruction we receive through the voice of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Matthew Christian Pangelinan
November 28, 2017 at 7:50 pm
Anne Marie Maples
Matthew Christian Pangelinan
November 28, 2017 at 8:01 pm
Will Telliott Ivan Glispie
Glenn Sego
November 28, 2017 at 8:04 pm
AMEN AND AMEN THANK YOU JESUS AND THANK YOU MY DEAR BELOVED BROTHER MATTHEW GLORY HALLELUJAH FOR OUR RISEN KING FOR ONLY HE IS WORTHY NOW AND FOREVER IN THE NAME OF JESUS AMEN
Ohawa William
December 21, 2017 at 9:39 am
Glory to God
Jane Wahome
December 26, 2017 at 1:08 pm
Amen
Jasmine Jayden
January 19, 2018 at 3:55 pm
may God eternaly bless you siz
Jasmine Jayden
January 19, 2018 at 3:55 pm
may God eternaly bless you siz
Samwel Otieno
February 1, 2018 at 9:42 am
Amen, Very Helpful Post.