I am a vessel in which someone else lives and rules. Before salvation, Satan lived, flowed through me, and controlled my life. I was a slave to sin, and it was easy to live for the devil and let him control my life. Rom. 6:17 (I was deceived into thinking that I was the one in control of my life!) However, when I was born again, Satan had to leave and Christ came to live in me. Even though Christ was in my life, I still hung on to thinking that I was in control. Holding on to this deception, Satan was still able to control parts of my life. The old sinful habits continued; the old thought patterns of negative thinking continued; and the old bad ways of reacting to situations and treating people continued. Satan was still controlling my life even though I was born again. I was acting like an orphan even though I was now a son in Father’s house.
I was finally able to forgive my mother and father and start feeling like a son of my heavenly Father, but there was still this problem of me “trying” to be a son and “live for Christ.” I was still in control and under the influence of Satan in my life. “I” still had not died and been crucified with Christ so that He could fully live and occupy this vessel. I had to stop “trying” to be like Jesus and allow Christ to fully control me. Gal. 2:20 I had to allow Christ to remove the deception and change the way I had always lived my life. I stopped being a slave to Satan and became a slave to righteousness. Rom. 6:18 As I have allowed the “Christ I” in me to control my life, I am now being transformed into His image and likeness. Rom. 12:1-2 I realized that I don’t have to “try” and do it right. With Christ now doing it, it will be done right!
As I tune to flow and focus on the presence of Christ and Father in me, they are able to do what “I” could never do – break the old bad habits, change the way I respond to people and situations, and change the patterns of negative thinking. Humbling myself to Christ and giving up control is helping me get rid of the pride, rebellion, and independence that got me into so much trouble! Now the spiritual fruit of “self-control” helps me to also say “No!” to temptations. Tuning to flow and responding from our spirit is how we all can control self!
