Question 29: What benefit is it to you to know this fact?

 

Question 29: What benefit is it to you to know this fact?

 

Answer: It is very beneficial. If demons and evil people had the ability to do anything against God's will, it would be a miserable thing. In that case, as long as we are threatened by them, we would never be able to possess peace of conscience. However, we have reason to rest and rejoice because we know that God restrains them and that they cannot do anything without God's permission. This is because God has promised to be our protector and keep us safe.

The object of a believer's spiritual warfare is not Satan and his messengers, but the carnal mind within. The carnal mind resists the Holy Spirit. Romans 7:21-25: "So I discover this law: that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. For in my inner self I delight in the law of God, but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and making me a captive to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh the law of sin."

All human beings develop a mind. The mind originates from either the flesh or the spirit. For those without the Spirit of Christ, the mind originates solely from the physical body; however, for those who possess the Spirit of Christ, both the physical and spiritual bodies operate simultaneously. Even though their identity lies in the spiritual mind, the physical body is still functioning. Since those who possess the Spirit of Christ have their identity in the spirit, they possess the spiritual ability to discern the carnal mind.

If spiritual growth has not occurred, it will cause much confusion. The Holy Spirit assists the spiritual growth of believers and helps them overcome the carnal mind. Two situations can arise among those who consider themselves saints. There are those who commit sin while thinking of themselves as saints—those who believe they have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, even though they have not. Therefore, they think they are saved, but without the Holy Spirit, they are not saved.

However, there are cases where one commits sin despite having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, due to weak spiritual discernment. In such cases, the Holy Spirit brings realization and helps the believer turn back. Consequently, the process of repentance may involve many difficulties. The Holy Spirit mobilizes the thorn of Satan to pierce the believer and make them realize their wrongdoing. Although God does not hold saved believers accountable for their sins, He helps them through the work of the Holy Spirit to distance themselves from them. In order for the work of the Holy Spirit to be manifested, one has no choice but to control one's carnal mind daily through prayer and the Word.

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