Satan’s Close Associate: Mr Flesh
Satan’s Close Associate: Mr Flesh
Self in man is a hot spot for Satan, and must never be overlooked nor neglected in your Christian journey. Dealing with the flesh is a life long engagement; it must always be brought under subjection if you will go far with God.
Who spoke here? – Jesus.
Who was he speaking to? – Peter.
Who was he hitting against? – Satan.
Three people involved, two people communicating, two people
seen. Knotted!
Peter, a disciple of Jesus Christ (inner circus/ top ranked disciple), had just had a hot pull-a-push discussion with his ‘troubled in the spirit’ Master in which he tried dissuade him from going to the cross; from fulfilling his divine mandate. This was a very wrong time for such an argument!
Jesus himself knew the humiliating and excruciating pain of death that awaited him, but also knew that he alone was qualified to open the pages of redemption to the whole world of men. He knew if he succumbs to the desires and dictates of the flesh at that time, men would be lost forever, because no one else could ever fit in his shoes. Glory to God!!!Peter out of an ignorant love, puffed up by fleshly
zeal for his Lord and Master, took him and began to rebuke him, saying, “Be it
far from thee, Lord: this shall not be done unto thee.” (Matthew 16:22).
Now, Jesus, knowing the times, knew it was not time
to be teaching or pleading or prophesying; he knew it was an intense battle from
the realm of spirits against his glorious destiny at so close a time. And would
not take things for granted said unto Peter, “…Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art
an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those
that be of men.”. He attacked the ‘main’ while still rebuking the ‘medium’!!
When offences arise, do you even bath an eye to look
outside the circumference of the box to attack the true source itself? Learn
from the life of Jesus, “He rebuked the wind and there was a great clam…” (Mark
4:39). If there was no wind, there would have been no storm. He turned to
Peter, but rebuked Satan! Peter received his rebuke no doubt, but Jesus never
ignored the origin for its expression. Offences will surely come, but always
remember to first face out its true source.
“But he turned, and said unto
Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou
savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”. Matthew 16:23.
Worthy of Note is this, the devil (Satan) was not
inside Apostle Peter. It wasn’t until after several hidden sins (theft,
hypocrisy…) and defiance to the hearty warnings of our Lord and Master Jesus
Christ, that he (Christ) abandoned Judas Iscariot unto his chosen path of
destruction when he gave him the sop and openly declared him as the betrayer
that Satan entered into Judas. Then Jesus haven fully released him to his own
ways, said unto him, “That thou doest, do quickly.” (John 13:27, 21-27).
Christ did not want to lose him (Judas) but he was not cooperating with the
master, so Christ left him desolate and Satan entered him. What a tragedy!! May
Christ not abandon you in Jesus name!
Satan could not have entered into Peter, as well as
the other disciples, as the temple of Christ cannot be an accommodation to
Belial. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). Judas on the other hand had reached a
point of desolation, a point of no return, so Satan was given permission to
possess him in reality to complete their agreed mission. May you not be a house
to Satan in Jesus name. Remember Saul! <1 Samuel 16:14>.
Point verse: Galatians 2:20.
Now, Christ Jesus will never tenant with the devil,
as there can be no two unagreed Lords in one zone. Our jealous LORD will never
dwell in such a place, no, not with Satan! But, the access of the devil as long
as a believer is in this world is the flesh. This is why for a believer the
Bible says that ‘the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the
things that ye would.’ Galatians 5:17.
Thus, the scripture admonishes us to, “Mortify
therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry…”.
Colossians 3:5-10, (Also, note 2 Peter 2:9,10).
The flesh will always lust against the Spirit, this
is why you need to always teach it to know who the Boss (the Spirit) is. It is
this nature of the flesh that is equivalent to the nature of the devil, a
representative of Satan, earmarking his rulership, that Jesus rebuked in Peter.
Matthew 16:23. This was not Satan manifested but Satan represented. This is why
Paul in Romans 8:8 then says, “…they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”
A man still leaving after the flesh, guided and
controlled by the desires, dictates and passions of the flesh is an offspring
of Satan, because he still has the seed of Satan thriving in him. “For if you
live after the flesh, you shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:13.
Now, after getting saved (Born again), since you are
not physically dead but still living in the world where the prince of darkness,
the prince of this world (Satan) still dictates until his short time expires,
you will need to always watch aside praying.
Note: As long as Abraham had no consuming fire upon
his slain sacrifices, even though on his altar already, he needed to watch and
drive off the ‘evil birds’ that would have wasted his efforts and made his
offerings polluted before God. Genesis 15:11. This is a continual practice
expected of all believers while dealing with their crucified self until the
going down of the Sun and their falling asleep: you continue to fight against
those polluters and their pollutions away from your sacrifice and its vicinity
until in Christ you gloriously fall asleep to be with the Lord forever. Amen! (Genesis
15:11,12).
Jesus rebuked Satan, and the Flesh in Peter; neither
does he embrace it in you even today, He as always wants you to starve it to
death through prayers and denial of attention (intentional refusal to obeying
its ungodly dictates and lusts).
Jude 1:23b talks about ‘hating even the garment
spotted by the flesh’. The flesh when in authority is a ‘soiler’ (it defiles).
Whatever it spots on it makes filthy. It is as a garment of reproach on
whosoever it rules before God. Do not let it soil your works. Do not let it
soil your garments. Do not let it soil your testimonies before God and men.
Mortify it before it mortifies you! Kill it before it ends your life in hell!!!
The flesh is an offence to God because it does not
support the things that are of God. Galatians 5:17.
Jesus prescribed a perfect solution to this in
Matthew 16:24, “Then (after rebuking Satan and Peter) said Jesus unto his
disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me.” That is, for you to perfectly after Christ you need to
do the following:
1.
Conscious Self Denial.
2.
Deliberate Humility.
3.
Active Discipleship.
Until a man daily subdue the Flesh and abide under
the authority of the Spirit, he can not be sure of entering into eternal rest
with God. The Lord will help us to always live conscious of His Spirit and
ready for his coming in Jesus name.
Remain Blessed.
Article written by Ifeoluwa Animashaun
Comments
Post a Comment