I don’t like pests. You know, bugs. From roaches to rats…they all make my skin crawl! So, we have someone come to spray consistently each year…just to keep the pests under control…to exterminate them.
Last night we camped out in Romans 8 and my spirit kept going back to the control the Holy Spirit has in my life. As a believer, He should be the controlling influence in my life…not my pesky flesh. This morning, as I went back to read it again I couldn’t help but think about an exterminator…how he removes the pests from our home…I want the Holy Spirit to be an exterminator of my soul…removing any “bugs of my flesh” that try to take over and distract me from the calling God has placed upon my life. Bugs can quickly take over our home if we don’t take the proper steps to ensure they don’t have a way in…not leaving food sitting on the counter, sealing all cracks and crevices, etc. Well, the flesh has a way of creeping back in quite easily. One, because we live in a sinful world and second, we don’t take steps to ensure that our flesh isn’t in control of our thoughts, actions and lives. Well, how do I do that, you ask? Most importantly, we must spend time in God’s Word. Mediate on it. Hear from Him. We can’t expect the Holy Spirit to control our lives, when we aren’t living out The Word and seeing Jesus consistently. Something can’t control you if you aren’t spending time with it. It’s easy for our flesh to take control in daily situations, but the Holy Spirit is there to strengthen your soul, empower you, convict, illuminate and teach, among many other things. He has the ability to exterminate the “bugs of our flesh” and keep them under control.
“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:8-14
Living by the flesh, we shall die…maybe not physically, but spiritually we are just like a dead cockroach on its back in the corner after the exterminator has gotten finished. Whatever is in the jug on his back is powerful. It controls death or life for those little buggies. Well, the Holy Spirit is even more powerful than the most potent pest solution! He has the power of death…because He is the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and He is living inside of us as believers. Don’t take that for granted, friend. Allow Him to control your next steps and exterminate anything in your life that keeps you from moving closer to your Savior and your God!
