Spiritual Growth Inhibitors: Staying Alert in a Deceptive World

Hebrews 5:12-14: " For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk, is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Have you ever been just walking along in your walk with God and then you just trip over a root or some other object in your path? I'm speaking metaphorically of course. But this is something that happens universally among believers. Today, we are going to take a look at the 3 things that can hinder your spiritual growth. If you know them, you can spot them when they creep in and attempt to deter you from your growth in God.

1. The World

James 4:4-10 "4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

The spirit of the world is one of the perineal enemies of the believer. "The World" here refers to the world system, all of its values, mid-sets, philosophies of life, and priorities that run contrary to the will and ways of God. The world suggests that your success requires you to turn away from the path of godliness- to neglect developing your relationship with God. But Jesus said a life without God or the things of God is worthless, regardless of its appearance. Check out this past Sunday's sermon on TikTok (@lightedpathwaychurch) or on our Facebook Page. Mark 8:36 "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" Romans 12:2 provides a strategy to combat the pull of the world through the renewal or "reprogramming of our minds." You may not even realize that the world has been programming you to follow along with its system since you were born. We have been set down in from of this system since we could sit still and look at a tv. Or open our ears to the music on the radio or Spotify, iTunes, iHeart radio, what have you.

Let's breakdown the word broadcast programming to see how we've been spoon-fed these worldly beliefs:

1. Broadcast: to scatter widely, to send out information to many, to make widely known, to transmit via television, internet or radio. In biblical fishing terminology, this could mean casting out a large, broad net, so that you could "catch" as many fish as possible.

2. Programming: the planning, scheduling, or performing of a program, the process of instructing or learning by means of an instructional program, the process of preparing an instructional program for a device in this case, our minds!

Romans12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." In essence, this means we are to reprogram our minds to align with the will and ways of God.

This isn't something we can do on our own. We need the help of the Holy Ghost. Only His power can transform and renew our minds and redirect us towards the things of God.

Philippians 2:5, 13: "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Titus 3:5 "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit"

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

To gain victory over the devil, resist him! To gain victory over the world, renew your mind.

1 Peter 5:8 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Galatians 5:16-17 "16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want."

2. The Flesh

The flesh as an enemy is a New Testament idea focusing on the carnal, inbred tendencies of fallen humanity. These inclinations are the most immediate enemy of the believer who desires to live a life under the control, influence, and empowerment of the Spirit. The word sys the desire alone to do good is not enough to overcome the flesh. (Romans 7:21: "So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.") Rather, we are called to war against the flesh; to live our lives in a tug of war as our flesh urges indulgence and the Holy Spirit constrains us to righteousness.

What are the works of the flesh? So glad you asked! Galatians 5:19-21 "19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Your flesh is a rebellious thing. It is diametrically opposed to the Spirit of God. We're gonna look to the Word to get through this Inhibitor. We have to expose the nastiness of this flesh and bring it into complete submission to the Lordship of Christ. When we give in to the lusts of the flesh, we walk in opposition to the will of God for our lives.

Romans 1: 26-31 "26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy."

Ephesians 5:3, 11 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people." "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."

2 Timothy 3:2-4 "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—"

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

There are some pretty harsh truths in those scriptures, but it does shine a light on the deeds this flesh longs to do. It further goes to show the extent to which we have been programmed to walk according to the flesh and the ways of the world. The flesh longs to follow after the world system, because it gratifies its lusts.

Christians sometimes feel they are entitled to a degree of liberty. It's true, we are free, but only in Christ! In ourselves, we will fall every time. Liberty can degenerate into license, but the Holy Spirit enables us to subdue the lusts of the flesh when we continuously submit ourselves to His power and control. Walking in the Spirit is an expression that means, living one's life in the power of the Spirit while being guided by the Spirit.

The Spirit and the flesh are completely opposed to each other as evidenced by their "works" and "fruits" I listed the works of the flesh earlier, the fruits of the Spirit are "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22,23)

Galatians 5:13-15 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

Galatians 5:24-26 "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." It's sad to say it but we do see a lot of this taking place in the church today. Brethren, it ought not be so. The person who is led by the Spirit of God and not his flesh, will do what is right, freely, and not by compulsion of the law. Then only is he not under the law's bondage and condemnation, but the grace of God.

There are 4 categories to the works of the flesh:

1. sexual sins

2. sins connected with paganism

3. sins of temper

4. drunkenness

. Victory in this war is found in:

1. abiding in right relationship with Jesus (Rom. 7:25)

2. understanding that true strength is found in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:10)

3. continually submitting to the unction and urging of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18)

Victory comes as we take these practical steps, avoiding or overcoming the pull of our flesh

3. The Devil

A believer's growth may be hindered or halted by 3 distinct enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are warned how the devil walks or roams about like a lion. When lions hunt, they look for weak, young, isolated, and unguarded animals. These are they that are marked for attack. The devil's ultimate agenda is to destroy us, not merely to maim, or discourage, but to devour and destroy us. He does that when he gets us to bow to circumstances, pressures, or forces of his evil designs, hoping thereby, to make us yield to him. To overcome, adopt this reverse:

Believe, Obey, Worship

Matthew 4:8-10 "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." Jesus overcame the wiles of the devil by refusing to bow to his deception and devices. Our growth in Him will bring us the same ability to resist or stand against the devil (1 Peter 5:8 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."). Be clothed in the full armor of God, be armed with the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10-14 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,"), believe Him (1 John 3:24 "The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."), and worship Him (John 4:23 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."). Receive Christ's overcoming victory.

John 17:4-26 "I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me, and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Everything has already been done for you, but it's important you stand up in this fight. Your walk with God is meant to increase more and more with every passing year. Your walk with God is meant to change you from a carnal human being to a beautiful human being created in His image, bearing His image. In other words, you are supposed to reflect Jesus to this lost and dying world. You can't do that if you're still bound by the world, the flesh, and the devil.

I hope you apply all of this to your heart and to your life. Let your flesh be crucified daily. Renew your mind so that you may have the mind of Christ. Resist and stand against the devil and his tactics of deception. Let God come alive in you. Be encouraged by the fact that Jesus prayed for you!! He is for you, beloved child of God!!

Be blessed by being a blessing