You've crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
“So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 13:18 (NKJV)
One of the purposes of passing through wilderness seasons is that you learn to trust and rely on God and His wisdom. The wilderness also prepares you for God’s kingdom, which is already here. It prepares you for all God has promised.
Perhaps there are many prophecies God has spoken over you, but without the required capacity, you can’t begin to walk in them effectively yet.
This is similar to the Israelites who had just come out of Egypt but were not yet ready for the shortest path to the Promised Land.
Exodus 13:17-18
New King James Version
17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
They had to go through a wilderness season, just as you have done — having the confidence that God has done a work in you, and that you have been changed, better positioned for His plans in the seasons to come.
But while a work has been done in you, you have a responsibility, by the help of the Spirit, to ensure that you don’t slip back to old patterns for the sake of comfort. It is very possible that after seasons of discipline, rigours, and restrictions, one begins to seek compensation and comfort again. And if not handled carefully, this can set you back on the progress you’ve made.
You can see such an occurrence with the children of Israel again. After God had revealed His glory to them by a mighty deliverance and tested them to be obedient to His Word, they still ended up craving the food and lifestyle from their past.
Numbers 11:5-6
New King James Version
5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;
6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”
Never allow difficulty to make you compare your past to where God is taking you. That was the mistake of the Israelites. And it’s still possible today. Maybe you spent much time on social media before and didn’t give enough time to Bible study and devotion, and the time you spent in the wilderness had changed your desires from that. But now some of those patterns seem to be slipping in again. There are ways to address this:
1. Knowledge
2 Corinthians 2:11
New King James Version
11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
Though the context was on forgiveness, we can glean from this scripture that through knowledge, rather than ignorance, we can avoid being taken advantage of by the enemy. Hence, that’s why you're reading this. So that you’re not ignorant. Now that you’re changed, there’s still a responsibility to remain sober and vigilant, not giving yourself over to former desires again.
2. Walk in the Spirit
By the Spirit, you can easily mortify the flesh and focus on the things of God. The flesh wants to feed again, but your best bet at starving the flesh is to walk in the Spirit. This is why you need to remain filled. Don’t slip off on your times of devotion. Even through the day while working, you can have a short break (perhaps during lunchtime) to pray for a few minutes; you can listen to a stirring song. The important thing is to keep the fire burning.
Remember, one of the reasons why the children of Israel kept going back to their sins is because they lacked a transformed heart. But God solved that with the fulfilment of His promise in Ezekiel 36:26-27 to give a new heart and spirit — which we have now received. So through the Spirit we can keep these desires subdued
3. Speak up
This means responding to the thoughts, desires, and temptations with your words even before they develop into an action. This is wisdom we can glean from Jesus. Even after His season of preparation in the wilderness, the enemy still tried to find opportunities to tempt Him.
Matthew 4:3-4
New King James Version
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Also, Peter had rebuked Jesus for speaking about His crucifixion, but Jesus responded immediately:
Matthew 16:23
New King James Version
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
So when those temptations, those old desires and patterns try to slip in again, confess the word of God and your reality in Christ: truths like “I’ve crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” “My old man has been crucified with Christ.” “My desires have been changed. I have a new heart”.
Remain sober and filled with the Spirit.
Prayer
Father, I thank you for this season of consecration, and for the work you’ve done in me. I declare that by your Spirit, I continue in consecration and alignment with you. I give no room to old patterns in Jesus' name.
