Spirit Controlled and Self-Controlled!

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The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should.  But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you.  People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds.  They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom.  God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.  And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.

Galatians 5: 17 - 24

The secret of being "Self-Controlled" is to first be "Spirit-Controlled."  When you obey the Spirit of God and the directions He speaks to your heart, you will be able to be loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled.  

If you are simply reading a list of rules you want to obey, or you are paying attention to character traits you want to copy, you will fail because in and of yourself you do not have the power to live like that.  But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit and you willingly allow Him to direct your life, you will find that He gives you the power to live above the World and experience what many call the "Victorious Christian Life."

Don't be fooled!  Satan will tell you that you have everything you need without the Holy Spirit.  In fact, he will tell you that you are much better than everyone else!  He will try to deceive you and make you believe that you don't need the Holy Spirit in your heart.  When you believe that, you will be destined to fail.  But when God's Holy Spirit is at home in your heart your destiny is Heaven and a Glorious Eternity with Jesus Christ!  

"Lord Jesus, may Your Holy Spirit live in my heart today and may I be obedient to even the smallest desire that He has!  Praise Your Holy Name now and Always!  Amen."