Your Worst Enemy Is Not The Devil…It’s You!

“For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7:19-20 NIV

I feel like I’m on a constant voyage of self discovery, the older I get the more I realise who I am, who I’m not and what needs to change in me.

Whilst praying and seeking God for breakthrough in a couple of areas of my life I felt the Lord say,

“Your worst enemy in your life is not the devil, it’s you.”

SAY WHAT?! I wasn’t expecting this response.

He went on to say,

“The devil is defeated. I defeated him on the cross. He is not the issue, your flesh is the issue. Your flesh is your enemy, and when you allow your flesh to dominate you, you are giving the devil a foothold into your life.”

The Lord then reminded me that my former self died and I’m a new creation. So why am I giving oxygen to my flesh? Galatians 2 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 NIV

We are all born with a sinful nature. No one teaches us how to sin, it comes so naturally to us. But even when we “get saved” have you noticed that our transformation to be fully Christ-like is not immediate? Ha!

Yes, our spirits are awakened to God and we are forgiven and filled with His Holy Spirit, but we then have a responsibility to continue put to death the old man, take every thought captive and choose to live by the Spirit.

“So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]– for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.” Romans 8:12-13 AMP

If we are to see the fullness of what God has for us in our lives it is imperative that we do not allow anything to hold us back in our God given destiny.  Yes, the devil will try to thwart God’s plans for our lives, but only if we allow him. He waits on the sidelines looking for the open door. He stirs up temptations provoking our old man. But the word of God tells us…

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:7-8 NIV

Jesus demonstrated this when he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness in Matthew 4.

You see, God has given us free will. He won’t make us do anything, but He gives us instructions that we have a choice to obey or ignore.

Time and time again the Bible directs us to put to death our old self.

“throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT

So what are you allowing to dominate you? Fear, unforgiveness, envy, anger, jealousy, gossip? Without realising it we can subtly be feeding our flesh and then wonder why we’re struggling. Colossians 3 says,

“But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices,  and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self.” Col 3:8-10 AMP

God did His part on the cross. We now have a responsibility to do our part. It’s not just about saying a one time “yes” to Jesus. Daily we must put to death the old nature in us and choose to renew our mind in the Word of God. Follow His instruction and pledge allegiance to the King of kings.

I declare today that I am crucified with Christ—and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). The old me has been nailed to the cross. My past, my sin, my shame, and my striving died with Jesus, and I now walk in the power of His resurrection life.

Sin has no dominion over me. Fear has no voice in me. The enemy has no hold on me. I have been made alive with Christ, seated with Him in heavenly places, and clothed in righteousness.

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