Defeating the Dictator | Joel Osteen

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There’s a battle taking place on the inside of each one of us.
It’s a battle between the flesh and the spirit. The flesh represents our carnal nature.
Things like jealousy, pride, compromise. It’s the easy way to live. You don’t have to be disciplined.
You just do whatever you feel. Someone is rude to you. You’re rude back to them.
If you don’t feel like having a good attitude, go through the day sour.
When you see that coconut cream pie, you don’t think twice. You eat your 4th piece.
The flesh wants to rule. It wants to have control.
The scripture says those who live by the dictates of the flesh.
Notice the flesh is described as a dictator. What does a dictator do?
They make all the decisions for you.
They tell you what to do, when to do it, you just follow orders. You get stuck in traffic.
Your flesh will tell you, get upset. This is ruining your day.
Many people follow the dictates of the flesh. Like a good soldier, yes, sir, right away.
They get upset, sours their day, Or at the office, someone leaves you out, doesn’t invite you to the meeting.
The flesh says, get offended. This is not right. They go around offended, the chip on their shoulder.
The problem is if you keep giving into the flesh, That verse goes on to say, you will die.
That doesn’t mean physically, but your dreams will die. Your relationships won’t flourish.
Your gifts won’t come out like they should. What’s the problem you’re letting the flesh win the war?
Anytime you’re tempted to compromise, be lazy, give into temptation, there’s another option that is to walk in the spirit.
That means you do the right thing when it’s hard. You bite your tongue when someone is rude.
You stay faithful in your relationship. When someone’s trying to lure you away.
What’s limiting some people is not that they’re not talented.
It’s not that they don’t have god’s favor it’s that they keep sowing to the flesh.
Don’t keep giving in to the same things that you know are holding you back.
Next time you’re tempted to be jealous, find fault, say something critical, tell your flesh, no.
I’m not going there. I’m gonna be happy for them. I wanna see the best in people.
When you feel like staying up all night, playing on the computer, tell your flesh, not tonight, I’m going to bed.
I’m gonna take care of myself.
Next time those friends call that are pulling you down, causing you to compromise Tell them sorry.
Something has come up. I can’t hang out tonight. Quit letting the flesh be the dictator.
You have to take charge of your life. The flesh is not leading you anywhere productive.
Paul said in Galatians 5, These 2 forces are constantly fighting each other.
Your choices will never be free from this conflict.
I don’t want to depress you, but this is a battle that will never go away.
You can be a believer for 50 years You’ve grown, you’ve matured, but you’ll still have to deal with the flesh.
You don’t overcome it one time, and it’s defeated. It will come back again.
This is something we have to get skilled at. No.
I’m not gonna let my flesh say everything it wants. No.
I’m not gonna take the bait and get offended by that person that did me wrong.
Not gonna let my guard down and be dishonest in this business deal. Are you winning the war within?
Are you living by the spirit, making decisions that honor god, or are you letting the flesh win?
Doing whatever you feel. You need to take the flesh off the throne. Quit letting it determine your decisions.
We’ve seen in foreign countries where they have a dictator.
The person in charge is oppressing the people, pushing them down, There’s no democracy.
They can’t vote him out, so they have to take drastic measures.
The people rise up and overthrow the dictator. They have to forcefully remove him.
That’s the only way they can be free. It’s the same way with the flesh.
It wants to stay in control of your life, telling you what to do, where to go.
The only way going to come off that throne is if you forcefully remove it. It’s not gonna go easily.
Someone does you wrong and you choose to forgive the flesh will have a fit. Come on, man. Get even.
Pay them back. This is not right. You have to put your foot down and say, sorry.
You don’t control me anymore. I’ve taken you off the throne. You’ve lost your authority.
I walked by the spirit and not by the flesh. It’s time to dethrone the flesh.
Quit letting it dictate how you live, how you respond, how you or adversity, start sowing to the spirit, start taking the high road, doing the right thing when it’s hard.
That’s when you grow. That’s when god can trust you with more.
It’s very shallow to live by how you feel.
Giving into carnal desires, that’s going to keep you from the great as god put in you.
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