Look down at your bibles at second samuel chapter 8 verse 13
It says and david got him a name when he returned from smiting of the syrians in the valley of salt being 18 000 men
And he put garrisons in edom throughout all edom put he garrisons and all they of edom became david's servants and the lord preserved
David
Withersoever he went and david reigned over all israel and david executed judgment and justice
Unto all his people and the title of the sermon this morning is
subjugating the inhabitants subjugating the inhabitants
And this story that we see in second samuel chapter number eight is actually quite common within the life of david
What is it? What am I what do I mean by that?
Well when you study the life of david, he just leads a life of success as far as conquering his concern
He's a man of war he's going out fighting the lord's battles and he's winning a lot of them
He's winning all the wars. He's winning the battles. He's conquering a lot of land as we talked about this morning
He's he's basically overtaking a lot of territory. And in fact
the the wars that david was involved in were very
Essential to the success of israel you think of when he overcame the jebuzites for example
He conquered them and then he created he made the capital jerusalem the basic capital there in the center of worship
So it's because of his conquering over the jebuzites that he was able to obtain jerusalem
Make it the capital and the center of worship for israel itself
And then after that, he's conquering the ammonites the amalekites the philistines
He's just winning all kinds of battles and it's very exciting when you read through these stories
The wars that he was involved in and how god used him to expand the kingdom there, but tonight
I want to basically draw a parallel between the subjugation of the inhabitants that we see in second samuel chapter eight
In the old testament and the submission of the flesh, okay in the new testament
Because when we look at second samuel chapter number eight, you see that david is a little zealous
He's maybe people would think that he's a little over the top of how he basically subdued the inhabitants of the land
And you kind of wonder sometimes like man was he over the top?
Was he just kind of going overboard in his subjugation of the people of this land? Why did he do this?
Well, obviously, you know people are weak and people are sinful flesh
And maybe there's times when when when david kind of went overboard in some areas
But I believe that a lot of it was simply a shadow of things to come
It's basically something that's trying to help us or excuse me something that symbolizes
A practical christian insight that we can get from the new testament
And what I mean by that is this is that when we see him
Zealously
subduing the inhabitants of the land
That's basically it should be our attitude when we're basically subduing our flesh in the new testament
We're going to look at what I mean in just a bit
And of course we understand that in the old testament wars and battles were of the lord
We see that god commissions his people to go out and conquer land all the way from joshua throughout the book of kings
So on and so forth, but today we're not in that physical battle, right?
The bible tells us that though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnival mighty through god to the pulling down of strongholds to cast down
Imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of god bringing into captivity
Every thought to the obedience of christ, so we see that a lot of terminology that's used in the old testament
They use terminology of war of battles because it's a spiritual battle that we're in
You know, the bible tells us that the flesh lesseth against the spirit the spirit against the flesh
These are contrary one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would you see today
We're not fighting a physical battle, right? We're not
We're not in a physical battle in a physical war. The war is with satan
The war is with the world the war is with our with our flesh
You know, we we have a constant battle
Waging within us between the spirit and the flesh
Right, we constantly have to fight the old man and put him to death and you know be crucified with
With christ and make sure that we're carrying our cross daily dying daily
This is a war that we're constantly in day in and day out
The bible tells us in romans 7 verse 22 for I delight in the law of god after the inward man
But I see another law in my members
warring
against the law of my mind
And bringing me into captivity
To the law of sin, which is in my members. These are war-like terminology that's being used here. Okay
You think of someone when we talk about someone who's involved in sin. We say well they're in bondage to sin
It's as if sin has taken them captive, right?
And they are prisoners of that sin. This is the terminology that's being used turn with me
If you would to uh, colossians chapter number three, if you would colossians chapter number three
Now when you study the old testament when god commissions his people
To go into the promised land, for example
He tells them hey go into the promised land and I want you to wipe out all the inhabitants of the land
Now the immediate context and interpretation of that is that he wanted his people to go into the land
Get rid of all the inhabitants because of the fact that these inhabitants were pagans
They're an abominable people that sacrifice their children
They were involved in sodomy they're involved in witchcraft and all these things that were contrary to god's word and they polluted the land
So what god wanted them to do is to go into that land and wipe them out
Lest they should influence god's people to do the same
Okay, lest they should influence god's people and draw their heart away from god
That was the primary reason why he had them go in there and wipe out all the people
But there is a spiritual application to there to that, you know
And the spiritual application is this is the inhabitants could symbolically represent our flesh
How is that well?
You know just as the children of israel got saved when they're in egypt
You know the passover represents salvation we can say that the crossing of the red sea can can symbolize baptism
And going into the promised land could basically symbolize the victorious christian life
Because we go in there and there's promises that are there that god has made to us
And if we go in there, you know, it's not all raised roses and daisies. We have to go in there fighting
Conquering one city after the next and you know what that's exactly what the christian life is like
Once you become a christian and you get into the victorious christian life, you know, it's not a bed of roses
You have to conquer one city after another one sinful habit after another we have to fight the lord's battles
And there's times when there's setbacks like ai
There's times when you succeed like jericho and that is exactly what the christian life is like
How do we win though? We got to remove the inhabitants of the land
Okay
Look what it says in colossians chapter 3 verse 5
Mortify what does mortify mean means kill it
Think of a mortician
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness and ordinate affection
Evil concupiscence and covetousness which is idolatry. So what is the time you need to put your flesh to death now? This is not
condoning suicide
I don't want to I don't want to live anymore, you know
My flesh is just overcoming me. No what this means is that spiritually we need to starve the flesh
We need to be strong in the lord and then the power of his might
We need to make sure that we put off the old man
Which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of our mind
We need to put on the new man, which after god is created in righteousness and true holiness
This is what it means to mortify the members of our body because the members are our physical flesh
This is what we sin with whether it's fornication uncleanness in order and affection verse 6
For which things sake the wrath of god cometh on the children of disobedience
Into which he also walked some time when he lived in them
But now you also put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemy filthy communication out of your mouth
Lie, not one to another seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man
Which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him
So just as in the old testament, they're supposed to go in and remove the inhabitants in like manner
God commands us as his people that now that we're saved we're to fight the flesh
And not give into it we're to war with it constantly starve the old man
Make sure that we're mortifying the members of our body and guess what? It's a new battle every single day
You may be able to whoop jericho today, but you know what ai is coming tomorrow
So we need to make sure that we as god's people tomorrow. Hey
Tomorrow's a new day
Tomorrow's a new war a new battle with my flesh and you can't depend on the victories of yesterday to be carried
Did not roll over minutes
Do they even have that anymore
Man, i'm old
You guys you guys know what rollover minutes are
Sorry for those out in youtube land. They're like rollover minutes. What is that?
They used to have this thing called rollover minutes when it's like if you didn't use your minutes
It would it would carry over to the next month. Okay
Yeah, sorry, i'm old, okay
That's the best thing I could come up with right now
But what i'm saying is this is that you know, we don't have rollover victories
You know now obviously what you do today determines your success or failure tomorrow
But tomorrow still comes with decisions that you have to make in order to have that victorious christian life. Okay?
And it says that we need to mortify the members of our body
This is why paul the apostle said I die daily
This is why the bible tells us I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of god
They present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to god, which is your reasonable service
Why are we
Compared to a living sacrifice because when a dead animal is placed on the altar it stays on the altar
A living sacrifice on the other hand comes off the altar
And guess what we because we're alive we come off the altar every single day and we need to make the decision
To basically die to self. Okay to follow christ deny ourselves follow the lord and walk in the spirit
So we're not so we're not fulfilling the lust of the flesh go to first peter chapter number two if you would
first peter chapter number two
So we see that the promised land could be compared to the victorious christian life
You know, what's sad is that even just as in the old testament when you had people who chose to stay on the other side
Today you have the same thing
Where christians they get saved people get saved and you know, they're given the truth
But they're not willing to go out there and learn soul winning get in the word of god
You know learn how to overcome their bad habits and what happens they stay on the other side of jordan
They're content with just staying on the other side of jordan now, thank god, you know
They didn't suffer the punishment of the passover, right?
They did not die with the people over there in egypt
They're saved but you know what they've chosen not to go into the promised land and that's the vast majority of christians today
When you go out there win people to christ
Most of those people are not going to come to church unless we do some serious follow-up or unless they just decide to come to
church
Okay, and look we can't baby people to come to church
Obviously people need to choose to come to church. I'm not going to give them a goldfish
For coming to church, you know what I mean?
Just always give them an incentive to come to church people need to decide to come
Just as people need to decide to go into the promised land
Okay
And look there's there's churches out there that basically teach you. Hey, once you get saved
Everything's gonna be a-okay
God loves you and everything's gonna be just fine and god's gonna bless you. He's not angry with you. No
There's people that died in the promised land
I'm talking about god's people were smitten by god in the promised land
How about aching who took of the accursed thing while he was in the promised land?
You know, he took of the accursed thing. They all stoned him with stones and his body was aching
He died. That's where he died. Okay
And so, you know, it's not a bed of roses to serve the lord it comes with wars
It comes with battles, you know, it comes with battles with the reprobates and with the enemies of god
But you know what? It also comes with the with the enemy which is called your flesh
And often that's the most that's the worst enemy sometimes because because the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it
You know, this is the person we have to live with for the rest of our life
This is the one who knows us the best
Knows us the most
This is the man that we live with the old man who is there until we die and we go to heaven
Until we get resurrected and this is the constant battle. Look there's seasons of battles with the reprobates
There's season of battles with the world, but you know what the battle of the flesh is every single day
Fighting the inhabitants of the land that dwell in this is every day
Okay, look at first peter two verse 11 dearly beloved. I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims
abstain from fleshly lusts which war
against the soul
Having your conversation honest among the gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evildoers
They may by your good works which they shall behold glorify god in the day of visitation here peter is
Admonishing god's people saying hey, we need to make sure that we don't make provision for the flesh
That's that's another way of saying abstain from fleshy lust why because they war
Against the soul go to numbers chapter 33 if you would
You know, why is it that christians out there they just have such a hard time serving god
Have a hard time just living a life that's pleasing unto him
It's because they're always feeding the flesh
It doesn't mean they're not saved. It just means that they're feeding the flesh
You know what?
The more they feed the flesh the stronger the old man will be and the stronger that he will be
The less likely they are to walk in the spirit
You know, the bible tells us, you know that we live in the spirit. Let us also walk in the spirit
What does it mean to live in the spirit? It means that we're saved. Okay
but
Being saved doesn't give us an automatic
You know get out of jail free card where you don't have to fight the flesh
This is a daily battle that we have and a daily battle that we need to that
We need to strive to win on a daily basis. Okay, look at numbers 33 verse 52
Then he shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you
And destroy all their pictures and destroy all their molten images and and quit plug down all their high places
And he shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell there in for i have given you the land to possess it
And you shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families
And to the more you shall give the more inheritance into the fewer you shall give the less inheritance
Every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth according to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit
But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you
Then it shall come to pass
That those which he let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides
And shall vex you in the land wherein you dwell
What is he saying? Hey, if you don't get rid of these inhabitants and you put them under tribute you keep them around
They're going to be a snare unto you later on you know what this is very applicable
to the flesh
If when you get saved you choose not to subjugate the inhabitants of the land to destroy them
What's going to happen your flesh?
Your bad habits your sinful habits that you you know
Adopted when when you're unsaved they're going to be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your flesh
They're going to cause you to stumble and get out of god's will later on. That's how it works
You know just because you go into the promised land doesn't mean you just won the victory
Doesn't mean you're already there doesn't mean you've arrived doesn't mean you have a have a attained the bible tells us here
Hey, if you're not willing to drive these things out if you're not willing to repent of your sins
Right, correct your sins get those things right clean up your life sanctify your flesh
They're going to be thorns in your flesh pricks in your eyes
Go to second peter chapter one. Let's get it. Let's get a new testament parallel to this
Now let me just start off by saying is that
All every single one of us we all fight different battles
We all have different weaknesses
We all struggle with different types of sins
Okay
And we understand that there is no temptation taking you but such as is common to man
But at the end of the day
We all struggle with sin, but all of us have different weaknesses and different temptations
You know
There's some people in our church and just in different churches that got saved later on in life and you know
What that means they bring with them a little heavier baggage than others. What does that mean?
They've been in the world for a long time
And so they've adopted
Certain bad habits that they're still they still carry with them to this day
Okay, maybe you got saved later on in life. You lived a worldly life. You sold your wild oats
you're involved in the things of this world and guess what you you started habits that now are
for sure inhabitants in your in your flesh
And you know what i'm talking about?
There's things that you struggle with that someone who grew up in a christian home does not struggle with at all
Let's give an example, let's say, you know, you struggle with smoking weed or something, okay
And you're just a pot smoking
marijuana
you know
idiot
Because anybody who smokes marijuana is an idiot, okay
And you know you get saved and you're just like well, you know
God made the herbs
Try to justify your sin, right
Come on
you know and
But you know that's going to be a prick in your eyes and the thorn in your flesh
You know and here's the thing is like I don't believe in like this
Conviction that people talk about like oh man god, you know, I got this just conviction
But I do believe that we have the holy spirit dwelling within us and the bible does tell us that we can grieve him
And quench him and guess what? We know when we do
So people who try to justify their flesh, they know they're doing wrong
But you know a kid who grows up in a christian and I was gonna say christian school in a christian home
They struggle with weed too. No the kid who grows up in a christian home. They're not necessarily going to struggle with weed
They have other struggles
Some people out there they struggle with alcohol and you know what they can't be near alcohol
They can't look at an advertisement of alcohol because it brings them back to the good old days
Back in the days, by the way, they're not good old days
There are days that we need to forget
Okay, there are days that we need to put behind us and recognize man. You know what?
Obviously i'm still I still dwell in my flesh
But you know what god did save me from that
Because of the fact that he gave me the word of god. I have the holy spirit of god living within me
He he gave me preachers who preach against it and i've been rescued from those things, right?
So there's people who struggle with alcohol they struggle with marijuana or maybe some other drug unless a drug that's even worse than that
There's people like that because they got saved later on in life, you know
You have inhabitants dwelling in you in your flesh and i'm not telling you this for you to be like
Oh, woe is mean pity me because I just have so many all these problems with such a victim. No
Because at the end of the day you have the bible you have the holy spirit
You have a hellfire damnation preaching church
That'll preach the sin out of you. You just need to make sure you get that right and
subjugate the inhabitants of the land
Now someone who grows up in a christian home
They may not struggle with those things, but you know what they may struggle with is pride
Or they may struggle with being lax in their christian life just lacking zeal
You know, they may struggle with a little bit of self-righteousness
Because they feel they're better than other people. Okay
You know, there's different
Weaknesses that everyone has but at the end of the day
These inhabitants convex us later on in life if we don't correct them immediately
Okay, that's why we got to make sure that we're good repentors
And that we're always taking inventory of our christian lives to make sure all right, how am I doing today?
You know, am I growing am I do I have sin in my heart? Do I have sin in my life?
You know, do I need to get right with god in regards to a certain area?
You know someone has once compared the christian life to a car
Because vehicles they're just once you fix one problem. You got another problem to fix
Vehicles never could just get better with time
Right, it's just always getting worse and you just like you just spend all this money fixing one aspect of the vehicle
And then something else comes up. Well, you know, that's exactly how the christian life is like
Once you correct one area in your life, guess what you need a new tire
Okay, once you replace all four tires, you know, you have to basically
Change out the motor because you didn't put oil in the motor or whatever
I don't know, you know just there's always an issue in the christian life
Because we live in the flesh we live in this world there's a constant battle raging
But it says in numbers that if we don't correct these things now
you know if we don't correct the
Fornication now if you don't correct the covetousness now, you know, you may have grown up in a home where you were given everything
And you built up a habit of being covetous, you know
That can be a prick in your eyes later on in the thorn in your flesh
Why because the bible commands us to be content with such things as we have
And covetousness can get your mind off of the things of god
Get your mind off of the eternal and put it on the temporal and it makes you ineffective as a christian
What is that? That's vexing you. So how is that vexing me because you're actually
You know, you're you're basically not going to get any rewards in heaven because you're just spending all your money and time and resources
On the things of this world, okay
And look you say well, I don't feel vexed well, you will be vexed one day, okay
No, man can serve two masters
Okay
So what does it mean to have pricks in your eyes? Well, look at second peter chapter one verse four
This is whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature
Haven't escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust
And beside this giving all diligence
Add to your faith virtue into virtue knowledge to knowledge temperance into temperance patience into patience godliness
And to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity
So what do we see in second peter chapter one? We see that the christian life is a life of addition
Not subtraction
Right, we're to add
Godly virtues to our life and when we add godly virtues to our life, then we begin to subtract
bad habits
Okay
So he says you need to give all diligence be consistent be faithful. Just keep working at it. Don't get discouraged
Don't be a little sissy quitter
Oh, I just I just can't do it. You know, i'm just i'm just gonna give up throwing the towel you little wimp
You're one of those people that wanted like a consolation prize when you didn't win
A participation trophy is what you wanted, huh?
Can I just get a participant? No, you're not getting nothing
You're not getting squat
You're a loser
What you need to do is just have a fighting spirit
And say I screwed up today, but you know what a just man follows seven times and rises up again
Don't have this attitude because you failed in the past. Well, god can never use someone like me. Well, yeah
Yeah, you know what? You're right. He's not gonna use you
Because you're too much of a wimp
And god can't use wimps
He needs to he wants to use people who have fortitude and determination
To say god I failed you but you know what? I'm gonna keep at it. I'm gonna keep at it
Because god deserves it
Look what it goes on to say. So at verse eight it says for if these things be in you
You know the qualities that we just read about
And abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor fruitful in the knowledge of our lord. Jesus christ, but
He that lacketh these things is blind
And cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins
You know this reminds me of the old testament where people, you know, god's people would be afraid of the inhabitants
And god would tell them you don't remember
Everything I did for you in egypt you've forgotten
You forgot what I did for you. You forgot the plagues you forgot how I split the the red sea
You forgot all the great miracles why because you're not going forward
And in like manner as a christian
How can you get to a point?
Where you you don't have pricks in your eyes. Well, you got to keep growing
You got to keep adding and adding good virtues subtracting bad
attributes and characteristics
Okay, so you can continue to be fruitful and you don't have pricks in your eyes. So you're not blind
Spiritually speaking it says there verse 10 wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure
For if you do these things ye shall never fall
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and savior. Jesus christ
So someone who is not removing the inhabitants is basically someone who stopped growing
right
Someone who is has pricks in their eyes is a person who did not
Get rid of the inhabitants. They didn't subjugate them and what happens that basically means they stop growing in their christian life
They stop applying the sermon they stop reading their vibles
They stop working on this process of sanctification of cleaning up their lives. Okay, and then what happens is those inhabitants those dormant
inhabitants that dwell within your flesh they come alive again
Okay, and they become pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides go to second peter. You're in chapter one
Look at chapter number two
So what are the thorns in our sides?
You know because they said in number 33 that they shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your flesh. Well
I believe that this is basically referring to the fact that you know, someone who has a thorn in the flesh
Is only it could be could be compared to lot for example, okay
Because it says in numbers 33 that these inhabitants will vex
God's people right?
Look what it says in chapter 2 verse 7
It says and deliver just lot vex with the filthy conversation of the wicked
For that righteous man dwelling among them and seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds
now
What is this referring to what's referring to genesis chapter 13?
Where lot it sounds oh poor lot, you know, he's vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked you idiot you move there
Yeah
You put yourself in that position
right
You know the bible tells us in genesis 13 that he pitched his tent towards sodom. He made provision for the flesh
So he pitched his tent towards sodom and what was the end result of this self-inflicted wound?
He ended up living in sodom and because of that it vexed his righteous soul from day to day
What does it mean that it vexes righteous soul it grieved him
And you know what christians who are not removing the inhabitants of the flesh, you know what they're they live grieved lives
Because they know they're not living right
Every time they sin they're just like man. I know i'm not right
I'm doing wrong. This is not pleasing to god, but I I just don't feel like i'm strong enough
To you know live a life that's pleasing unto the lord i'm addicted or you know
This is just how I keep doing it. I'm just gonna give in but you know what they're vexed from day to day
What the unlawful deeds of their flesh
Okay, so we need to make sure
That we remove the inhabitants of the land or we subjugate them because of the fact that if not
They're going to be pricks in our eyes
They're going to cause us to go blind and you're not going to be able to see a far off
You know someone who's blind can't see well, you know spiritually speaking if you're blind you have pricks in your eyes
You cannot you don't have any vision for god
You can't see what god could potentially do. You know what you're only looking for the immediate gratification that you're going to get
That's what the inhabitants do. They give you the short-term immediate gratification you can get from fulfilling the desires of the flesh
You know
Well, what does the flesh do it shows you with that?
Caesar's little caesar's pizza can give you
Just immediately, but afterwards thy mouth shall be filled with gravel
You know, there's I mean like that bowl of ice cream
At 10 o'clock at night or midnight or whatever some of you like sleep at two or something
You know, you're gonna feel it in the morning
That that hang that sugar hangover
Okay
But there'll also be thorns in your size. It'll vex you because you're like man. I got off of keto
I'm no longer in ketosis
Was it worth it? No, i'm just kidding
Yes
Go to roman chapter number six if you will roman chapter number six
roman chapter number six
It's pretty interesting that in the old testament you see that term those term used as far as reigning over something
Having dominion over a people subjugating those inhabitants of the land
And this is the exact terminology that god uses in the new testament in regards to our flesh
Look what it says in verse number nine of roman chapter number six
Knowing that christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him
For in that he died he died into sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto god
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto god through jesus christ our lord
Let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal body
That ye should obey it in the luster of you see if you give into the flesh
If if david allow the inhabitants to just run amok
Eventually those inhabitants would reign over david
Eventually, he's gonna have to obey them because of the fact that he's not subjugating them
Well in like manner, you know, if we allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies, we understand we're not sinless
Okay, we don't believe in this garbage of sinless perfection
We still have the flesh but you know, we don't have to let it reign
in our mortal bodies
Oh, yeah, but you know, you know, how can you say that? You know, yeah, we're all yes, of course
We're all sinners. So how are you gonna say, you know, you're not gonna let it rain. Well, here's the thing. I'm not a fornicator
I'm not an adulterer
Those are sins, right? I'm not a drunkard
I don't shoot heroin
So, I guess i'm not letting those things reign over my mortal body
Verse 13 says neither yield
Ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin
But yield yourselves unto god as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto god
So in other words, he's saying you need to use your members not to sin but to serve the lord
Glorify god in your body and in your spirit, which are gods which are christ, right?
Verse 14 for sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law
But under grace what then shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace god forbid
Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey his servant his servants
He are to whom you obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness
He's basically giving the ultimatum here says look it's not difficult guys
If you yield yourself a servant to righteousness
You're going to experience the benefits of that
If you yield yourself servants to sin, you're going to experience death
But it's up to you
No one forces you to sin
No one makes you give into your flesh
It's your choice
But god be thanked that we that you were the servants of sin
But you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine that was delivered unto you
Being then made free from sin. You became servants of righteousness
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh
For as he have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity
Even so now yield your members servants to righteousness and to holiness. What is he saying?
Hey, what you need to do is have a paradigm shift and just as used to given to sin with that same passion
Given to righteousness
Just as you serve sin
In like manner that's the way you need to serve god
With that same passion, okay in like manner for when you were the servants of sin you were free from righteousness
Turn with me if you would to exodus chapter 34 exodus chapter 34
Let me say this is the what's the purpose of the sermon the purpose of the sermon
Is to help us as christians to succeed and prosper in our christian lives
Okay, and when I mean succeed and prosper i'm not saying you know
Oh that you're going to be rich and famous and all this other crap that you know
Prosperity gospel preachers talk about when I talk about succeed and prosper. It's like man. You're seeing people saved
You're understanding the word of god. God is blessing you. You're filled with the holy spirit
You know you you you you have a successful marriage
You're able to lead your children lead your wife you're able to submit to your husband. Hey submission to your husband is success. Amen
You know, you're able to live a life that's pleasing unto the lord you are racking up rewards in heaven
This is what it means to prosper
and have good success
That's what we want in this life
But it comes as we obey god's word
The bible tells us
That this book of the law shall not depart out of their mouth
But thou shall meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein
For then thou shall make the way prosperous and then thou shall have good success
We want good success in the christian life
Okay, and the bible tells us in second samuel you're in exodus. I'm gonna read to you from second samuel 814
It tells us of david
He put garrisons in edom throughout all edom put he garrisons and all they of edom became david's servants and the lord preserved
david
whithersoever he went
That's what I want
I want god's hand on me. I want god to preserve me. I want god to continue to use me
You know, that's what we want
And it says and david reigned over all israel and david executed judgment and justice
Unto all his people and the gist of the sermon is this you need to learn how to reign yourself
You need to learn how to lead yourself
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruled the spirit that he that taketh the city
The bible tells us
You know what god is interested in you doing not just leading before leading your wife before leading your children is leading yourself
Need to learn how to lead yourself lead yourself to read the bible lead yourself to pray
Lead yourself to live righteous righteously so we can prosper and have good success. So let me give you a couple things here
How to subjugate the inhabitants using david's example, okay?
Actually, hold your place there in exodus and go back to second sammy chapter number eight and then put a pen there
I'm, just kidding
How do we subjugate the inhabitants using david's example
I'm, just going to give you three quick things because I got to go to belize tonight
We got to get coffee, you know, it's important priorities brother
So number one, how do we subjugate the inhabitants using david's example number one? We need to draw the line
And by the way, there's tons of principles that we can pull from this i'm just going to give you three
One is we need to draw the line. Look at second samuel eight
Samuel eight
and verse number
One says it says and after this it came to pass that david smote the philistines
And subdued them and david took metagama out of the hand of the philistines and he smoked moab and measured them with the line
Casting them down to the ground even with two lines measured heat to put to death and with one full line to keep alive
And so moab the moabites became david's servants and brought gifts. So what do we see here?
A lot of people would say well, he's kind of going a little overboard, you know, because he's using a line
To say basically these people are going to die
And the other line is like these people are going to live and we don't know exactly how is it that he determined?
Which one's which we could obviously see that this is foreshadowing jesus christ how he separates the the sheep from the goats
right in the new testament
But you know, we could only speculate that probably what he was doing is saying okay these people
They're they're they can potentially cause an uprising or they can revolt against us
So let's just put them to death because I don't want to I don't want anybody to threaten the kingdom
These people seem to know how to fight as well
But these these people seem to want to get with the program kind of thing. So we'll keep these people alive. Okay?
Now the question is how do we apply that to us subjugating the inhabitants of the land?
well
One principle that we can see here is this is that when we get saved we need to know
What our weaknesses are first
And i'll get to the second one just a bit. So we need to know what can threaten us later on, right?
What are some sinful habits?
What are some inhabitants that dwell in your flesh that can destroy you later on?
What i'm saying is this you need to know yourself
You know
Take heed
lest he fall
You need to make sure you know what your weaknesses are and never think. Well, i'm in a good church now
You know, i'm reading the bible I you know, i'm new ifb I believe right god's blessing me
No, if you have inhabitants that could potentially revolt against you later on
You need to take care of those draw the line and smite those things
Take care of them right away
Well, i'm just a little ashamed though, you know, you know what you'll be a lot more ashamed later on if you don't take care
of them
You know, you'll be a lot more ashamed. We need to draw the line and say okay. These are my weaknesses right here
This is what I struggle with right here
Okay
And these are the things that I need to take care of asap, okay
Look at exodus 34. What's a what's another way to put it exodus 34?
Verse 12 says this take heed to thyself
That's powerful statement right there
You need to take heed to yourself
Don't think you're so high and mighty that you will never fall
Okay
You need to give heed to yourself and see okay
What are some areas that I might even have a blind side on that? I can't see
You know take heed to thyself lest i'll make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whether thou goest
Lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee
But you shall destroy their altars break their images and cut down their groves for thou shall worship
No other god for the lord whose name is jealous is a jealous god
You see if you don't draw the line eventually you're going to make a covenant with those inhabitants
Eventually, you're going to reunite with those bad habits again
You know if you're not drawing the line
And what I mean by drawing the line is this is man. You need to mortify the members of your body, okay?
Now, how are some practical ways you can do this? Well, maybe one of your weaknesses is tied closely to your old friends
Right some old friends that have the same bad habits as you they're not christians
You need to get rid of those friends
Plain and simple
You know if you have a buddy if you struggle with smoking weed and you struggle with drinking you struggle with x y and z sin
But you still hang around the people who do the same things
Guess what? You're going to eventually make a covenant with the inhabitants
You're going to reunite
With those old sinful habits. Oh, but I haven't done them in 10 years
Yeah, they've been slumbering for 10 years
Waiting for the right moment to pop out and destroy your life
Okay
I've shared this before but i'll be honest with you. I love sharing it because it helped me
You know, I got saved when I was 21
I had a bunch of worldly friends who used to drink and smoke and party and just live that type of lifestyle
I knew that when I got saved I didn't want to do those things anymore because I knew they weren't pleasing to the lord
But I knew if I kept those friends around who lived in the same city. I was eventually going to do those things again
But I didn't want to I wanted to live for god. I want to see people saved
I wanted to be a pastor one day and what I did was
you know, I
I had a bunch of friends and I got my phone and I just deleted all their phone numbers from my phone
All of them so basically if I was weak
Spiritually speaking, you know, I couldn't contact them even if I wanted to
And I took it a step further. I just got myself a new number
So the satan can whisper in their ears to contact me
When i'm weak, what is that called burning your bridges?
You have to burn certain bridges if you're going to experience future success, you know, know your weaknesses look if
Alcohol is a struggle for you
You know don't go to your uncle's house where they're, you know, pounding tall boys
Drinking beer
Well, i'm stronger than that, you know, I can I can handle that
Yeah, yeah sure you are
Okay, and look this is how your flesh works. Okay?
You'll have victory the first couple times
So that you can be like, you know, i'm filled with the spirit i'm stronger than the lord and the powers might
But you know what happens after that after the fifth time
The inhabitants come back they revolt and they get you
Okay
Hey if you struggle with covetousness
You know, you need to learn contentment
You need to learn to be content with such things as you have
And look how can we as god's people
Learn contentment. Well, this is something that I learned years ago from my old pastor
He used to tell me this you need to protect your wanter
You know, what is that
Well, each and every one of us we have a wanter in other words. I want I want I want okay
And the way you protect your wanter is you got to protect what goes into your eye gate and your ear gate
If you're always looking at advertisements
You're always on the internet scrolling through amazon
Looking at whatever advertisements there may be
you know going on the internet see what may be on this part or
This type of house or this type of car that I can have guess what you're going to become covetous
Now if you can afford it get it if you can afford it
But if you can't afford it now
You need to make sure that you protect your wanter
and not just
Lust after things that you shouldn't have right now
Okay
oh, I just I just
you know, I just want to live comfortably and have money and just
You know that that's just what I want. Well, you know
You need to make sure
That you protect your wanter. Okay
and look
That's a difficult thing to do in the united states of america. Let's just be honest
Because things are all around us possessions are all around us
But this is why we need to mind those things which are above
Where christ sitteth on the right hand of god
And this is why if you're covetous more than any time you need to be in church the most
Why because church soul winning bible these things redirect your attention to that which is most important
You can't be in and out of church
You understand you can't be in and out of church and just well i'll just go sunday morning
Or i'll just come on thursday. Well, i'll just do this every once i'll go so many every once in a while
You're feeding your flesh
You're giving the inhabitants an opportunity to come back and cause a revolt in the land, okay
These things need to be taken care of. Hey if you struggle with fornication
You know, you probably shouldn't be hanging around with other girls alone
Of the opposite, you know of the opposite people with opposite sex alone
Why because if that's something that you struggle with your flesh will use that against you
So we need to know our weaknesses, okay
But here's the thing what about the other side of the line, okay, because he
Disposed of one side, but he kept the other
Well, I would say that the other side would be that the strengths that we had prior to getting saved
Some of those things we need to keep amen go to second corinthians or first corinthians chapter seven if you would
First corinthians chapter number seven
What I mean by that, you know
You may have grown up in a home
Where your parents taught you character?
Maybe they weren't saved
Maybe they weren't christian. They weren't bible-based, but you know, they taught you some good character. Amen
Don't forsake that use that
Maybe you grew up in a home where they were good with finances use that
Maybe there you grew up in a home where people skills were taught use that
Hey, maybe prior to being saved you were some gang banger
Who knew how to throw down use that?
Amen
I'm, not saying like physically use it, but you know, we need to have that fighting spirit
You need to transfer that over to spiritual things. Amen. Look what the bible says in first corinthians 7 18
Is any man called being uncalled being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised
Is any called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandments of god
Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called art thou called being a servant care not for it
But if thou mayest be made free use it rather
For he that is called in the lord being a servant is the lord's free man
Likewise also, excuse me. He that is called being free is christ's servant
Ye are bought with the price be not ye the servants of men brethren
Let every man wherein he is called therein abide with god, you know
Whatever good qualities that you learn prior to salvation. Well, nothing happened good before salvation. Well, that's not true because you were born
That was pretty good
You know
All of us have good memories prior to getting saved and they don't have to do with sinful things
Maybe they're just good memories we have with our parents with our brothers and sisters, you know
Learning character working certain jobs, whatever it may have been, you know, these are things that we need to use
But let's talk about this just having the fighting attitude. Okay
Because we don't want to we don't want to have a type of attitude in our church
That is just like we need to castrate the men spiritually speaking
Like all fighting is bad
Hey, you know what? I mean? You need to you know, calm down and and not have like a fighting spirit
We need to have an aggressive fighting spirit
I'd rather have a guy who's too aggressive than a guy who's just been drinking soy his whole life
Right
I'd rather have a guy where it's just like you need to pull the reins back a little bit
Because he's a man
Rather than a guy who's just too sissy
And it's too scared to fight anybody
You know, I'd rather have men in the church
That you know what? They might get a little mad over some things and rightfully so
Okay, I'd rather have it have to tell that person. All right, you need to calm down, you know
You need to make sure you temper that you need to make sure you control that
But I'd rather have that than the sensified wuss
I'd rather have that than some pussyfooter
That's not a bad word by the way, okay, you know some pussyfooter who's just too scared to do anything
They don't want to get into any confrontation. They don't want to get into any argument. They're just scared of confrontation
nuts to that
You know don't think that you know, just because now you're a christian that you no longer have stones spiritually speaking
You better have some stones
Okay
and
Christianity is a masculine religion
Let me just remind you of that
Okay, the manliest man that has ever lived is the lord. Jesus christ
And that's our example
Okay, and so use it rather. Amen
Oh, man, I used to get into fights all the time. Well, you know
We need you
You you just you we just I just volunteered you to be an usher in our church, okay
You know be a bouncer. I mean usher in our church, okay
Yeah, but you know, I just I just get a little uh, I get sometimes a little aggressive, okay
Well, you just need to learn how to walk in the spirit
You know be angry and sin not
Before you used to be angry
And maybe you had the wrath right but now just be angry and sin not letting out the sun go down upon your wrath
Because you know what we as god's people we as men we need to get mad about sin
And i'm sick and tired of churches that get on pastors and preachers because they start
Screaming about sin and calling out, you know calling a spade a spade a false prophet a false prophet
And they're like, oh we don't like that spirit
Yeah, you don't like the holy spirit is what you don't like
The holy spirit is not casper buddy
The holy spirit is not the friendly ghost
Okay, the holy spirit is a masculine spirit he the bible says
And he gets mad
God gets mad. Jesus gets mad
He gets angry and you know what the fact of the matter is is he wants his people to do the same thing about sin
Not just flip out and have no control
You know if that was you prior, okay
Let's just transfer that and use it rather draw the line and say well
You know what some of that anger is pretty good. Actually. I need to keep some of that righteous indignation
You know some of that fighting spirit that I have, you know, I need to keep that
Hey, if you're some some brazilian jiu-jitsu muntac kickboxer, hey use it rather amen
Some reprobate comes into the door starts assaulting one of our people just push kick that fool out
Give that dude a spinning back fist spinning back elbow roundhouse kick to the jaw if he touches any one of our ladies or kids
You're inciting violence i'm inciting protection over the innocent
That's what i'm inciting
So what i'm saying is hey use it rather okay, look i'm thankful that we have like
People who can lift cars in here and stuff
And like boxers and and and fighters. I don't discourage that at all
You know, I remember there was a guy he like, you know when I first came to church
You know, I I mma was was my thing, you know, I like kickboxing I like brazilian jiu-jitsu
And I remember this guy would just preach on it all the time like against it all the time
And and
And I would tell him like hey, um, david said
You know that the lord taught his fingers to war and his hands to fight
Like isn't this inspired by god
You know
And he's like no you can't be right with god if you're if you like those things
I don't think myself like this is going to be hard for me to overcome
Because in my heart i'm a man
You know and as a man this seems right to me
That's why we like the old testament by the way
Man when you read the ultimate you're like, this is cool. Like these guys are legit. These are this is my kind of crowd right here
This is why liberal churches stay away from the old testament
Because their pussyfoot or pastor gets offended when they read about david
When they read about ji who?
That wasn't politically correct. You know, we need we need we need to show those prophets to bail love
Disciple them he should have gathered them together had a bible study at a coffee shop
Wipe them all out stone them with stones. I like ji hu
So what i'm saying is I chase that rabbit
But what i'm saying is, you know draw the line see what your weaknesses are and say we I need to work on these things
And then draw the other line and say okay these inhabitants. We need to keep manhood
Keep manhood, amen
Keep character keep diligence
You're good with finances keep that
Hey, if you're a good businessman keep that
Now if you're a shady businessman put that on the other side
Okay, you're like dishonest and cheating and all that stuff and you know
An unjust balance is an abomination in the eyes of the lord that needs to go to the other line
But if you are diligent in your business, you shall stand before kings and not before mean men that needs to go on this side
Okay, use it rather is what i'm saying
Go back to second sam in chapter number eight
So we need to draw the line this is how we can subjugate the inhabitants of the land we need to know who we're fighting
Okay
And certain ones we keep certain ones we don't
The ones we don't are those are weaknesses. These are the ones we got to fight on a continual basis
the strong character
That we learn through our parents or through just life experiences. We need to keep those and capitalize on that. Okay
Number two, we need to debilitate our sinful habits and I kind of touched on that already
But look at verse number four and david took from him a thousand chariots
And 700 horsemen and 20,000 footmen and david hewed all the chariot horses
But reserved of them four and hundred chariots
So what is he doing here? He's basically
He's basically debilitating the horses so they're not capable of being used
Okay, he's removing the hamstrings and he's basically debilitating them so that if there is a revolt they can't use the horses to fight
Okay, and this goes with my previous
uh
Example of burning the bridges that you need to burn so that the inhabitants don't get out of hand
You know remove the instruments of war
Okay, remove the contacts remove whatever it is that's in front of you
That's going to cause you to sin get that out of there debilitate that thing. Okay
Go to hebrew chapter number 12
Hebrew chapter number 12 hold your place there in second samuel
So
Let me say this is that what an easy way to debilitate sinful habits is just by making newer habits
godly habits
Because you know if you're in church on sunday, you're not anywhere else
Right
I know it's profound, but it's true, right?
You know if you're sowing on saturday, you're not out hanging out with your buddies on saturday
So what i'm saying is you need to have godly priorities
That'll automatically by default give you godly habits and by default rid you of bad habits
Okay
You know idleness is a devil's workshop
And if you don't have anything to do that's a time when the inhabitants can revolt against you
So what what if that's the case come talk to me. I got things for you to do
There's all kinds of things to do here
Well, you know, I just you know, are you gonna pay me? Nope
You're volunteering buddy
This is this is how i'm paying you i'm paying you by helping you build up character
And by helping you, you know to sub to to to subdue the inhabitants of the land of your flesh
That's how i'm paying you. Okay
Look at look at hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 says wherefore
Seeing we also are compassed about what so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin
Which thus so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
In order for us to succeed we need to make sure that we're laying aside weight. What is that?
This is just learning how to repent on a on a daily and weekly basis. Okay
now
I'm, basically out of time go to go back to second samuel chapter number eight
Here's my last point
Is this we need to set up safeguards to keep the inhabitants in check, okay
Because at the end of the day, here's the here's the difference between our inhabitants and these inhabitants
We can kill our inhabitants, but they always come back
Every day they come back, okay
So we need to subjugate them so that we basically temper our old man and starve him
And we're feeding the new man is what i'm saying
But a way we can do that is we need to set up these safeguards
So that these things are in check just like david did look what look at verse six says
Then david put garrisons in syria of damascus
And the syrians became servants to david and brought gifts and the lord preserved david whether so ever he went
So what are garrisons? Well garrisons are a body of troops that when he would overcome a city
He would place a body of soldiers within that city so that the inhabitants don't get out
And no foreign armies get in
That's what the garrisons were for
So what he would do is he would conquer a city bring a garrison place it at that city and then go conquer another city
But he couldn't move on until he put a garrison there
a body of troops that is within the city gates
That keeps the inhabitants in check
Okay. Now what is the application there? How can we apply that to ourselves?
Well, the bible tells us that thy word have I hid in my heart
That I might not sin against thee
Okay, the bible tells us wherewithal shall the young man cleanse his way by by taking heat according to thy word
so
One way of obviously is we need to hide god's word in our heart
This is how you keep the inhabitants of your flesh in check
Okay, and i'm not saying that you just memorize scripture automatically. You're just spiritual. Okay, you're just like I got it
You know, i'm just gonna love god 24 7 now because I memorized these verses
What memorizing verses does is that when you put it in your heart that's what you think about
Okay for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he
So if you have these scriptures in your heart and you're constantly thinking about them because you have them in your heart
You're not going to be thinking about the things of the flesh
Okay
But not only that we need to set up the safeguards. So you need to make sure that you have standards in your personal life
Okay, what are standards standards are convictions or excuse me standards are safeguards that protect our convictions
Okay, make rules for your life
Okay
Make rules and standards for your life in the areas of your weaknesses
So look if you have have had victory over a specific sinful habit
Since you've been in our church or whatever you're like man, I mean i'm doing really good in this area
I'm having success. Okay, but have you set up a garrison yet?
Because sometimes what happens is you experience that success, but because you don't set up any safeguards
Eventually the inhabitants cause a revolt and then you basically get back into that bad habit
Whereas if you know, you're like, okay have victory. All right now it's time to set up some garrisons some safeguards. Okay
Hey if you struggle with pornography
What you need to do is set up a safeguard for that
Whether it's a password do you share with your wife?
You know, it's not having a computer
By yourself alone. Obviously everyone has a phone now
But you need to figure something out where you can protect yourself from those things
Well, i'm embarrassed of that but you know, you'll be far more embarrassed
If you don't set up the garrisons today
You'll be far more embarrassed a year from now six months from now three months from now. Okay
if you
struggle with drinking alcohol
Okay, if that's if that's a battle that you're struggling with then you need to set up some garrisons
So that you don't give into that what are some garrisons? Well, you know
I need to figure out what i'm gonna be doing on fridays from now on
Or you know monday's the day where I where I typically used to do that stuff
Well, you know, there's a guy over there. His name is glenn. You can join his gang
And he'll take you far far far far far away from outside
He'll take you far
If you tell him like hey, this is the bar, I don't want to go near there he'll be like, okay
And he'll take you to victorville
I'm not joking. Yeah, he'll take you to tj. He'll take you to another country
He'll take you away from the vicinity of that sin the temptation of that sin
Hey, if that's what's needed and that's what's needed
Do what you got to do
Put as many soldiers in that garrison in that city as much as you can
To keep those inhabitants in check
And look, there's nothing wrong with having accountability, too
now
Don't like I hope like 20 people don't come up to me and say yeah, i'm struggling. Can you help me with that?
You know fine whether it's look your wife your husband
A maybe a close brother in christ that you have at the church that can help you with this these things, okay
You know whether it's covetousness whether it's just sinful habits that you have in regards to drinking smoking
Whatever may be you fill in the blank. Maybe just covetousness whatever it is
You know
You need to make sure
That you set up a garrison as soon as you overcome it because look this is how you overcome it
You hear a sermon like this and you're like man
I'm, just renewing my my decision today
To not be involved in that. Hey, man, you just overcame that city
You just subjugated the inhabitants of the land, but if you want to keep it that way
Today tomorrow you got to put some garrisons in there
Because you know, it's the worst feeling ever is when you have that victory and then this week comes around and they revolt again
And you're like man, I just I blew it again. Well, yeah
Well, let's let's avoid that and just set up some garrisons so you can move on to the next city
It's time to move on to other things. Amen
It's time to get to a point where you're overcoming sinful habits and you're actually the battle now is to learn good habits
Learn how to memorize large portions of scripture and read the bible multiple times throughout the year
These are the battles that you need to fight
You know, it's time to learn and to fight the battle of being able to disciple someone and raise them to spiritual maturity
That's a battle you need to be in
But you know what? You can't be a part of those great battles if you're not winning the battle over yourself
Okay, this is important
So don't take it lightly well, you know, it's just my sinful habits, it's just this or whatever it may be
Well, you know, you're not going to be able to do anything greater
if you don't
Subdue these inhabitants in the land. We call the flesh. Okay, so I hope you learned something this this evening
What i'm saying is just the practical sermon on just overcoming the flesh is what it is
Okay, put on the lord
Jesus christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust of
We need to make sure we're keeping these inhabitants in check. Okay
And never think. Well, I already got it in check. I've had it in check for 20 years. It doesn't work that way
You know, I have family members who are part of alcoholics anonymous until this day. They say
You know i'm so and so i'm an alcoholic even though they haven't touched alcohol for like 30 years
Because they know just like that they can just go right back to it
But we want to get to a point that we're not only overcoming these things. We're setting up the garrisons
We're fighting new battles. We're going after new cities new territory. Okay, that's what we want. Let's pray father
We thank you so much for your word
Help us as your people lord to be filled with the spirit today tonight
Tomorrow morning lord remind us of these things
And we don't necessarily have to memorize scripture all the time. Maybe it's just a matter of just reading the word of god
every single day
Because what we read enters into our heart and if we read it enough times it it stays in there we think about it
And it pushes out
Um
Worldly lust it pushes out the inhabitants. It subdues them. It subjects them
And I pray god that as your people that you would help us lord
To continuously battle the flesh while we're on this earth and we're waiting to with the redemption of our bodies
And i'm sure there's people in here as well as myself
We think to ourselves a wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death
And we thank you for the resurrection that's coming one day when the war is over
And uh, but obviously that day is not here yet until then help us to fight on to battle on
And help us to continue to win these victories in jesus name. We pray. Amen