Good Morning Sunshine! Stop Giving Old Things New Permission, Keep It On The Cross!

Galatians 5:24–25 (KJV): “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Romans 6:12 (KJV): “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”

Whew! We have made it to Day 3. On Day 1, you learned to pick up the cross again. On Day 2, you learned that discipline becomes necessary when your feelings do not agree with obedience. Today you will deal with something that can easily discourage you; what happens when something you thought you surrendered tries to rise again?

Maybe you thought you were finished with that attitude until somebody said the wrong thing. Maybe you believed you had surrendered control until something happened outside of your plans. Maybe you thought comparison was no longer an issue until somebody received what you have been praying for. Maybe you believed you had forgiven until a name, picture, place, or conversation brought the memory back. When that happens, you can immediately think, “I thought I was past this. I thought I gave this to God. Why am I feeling this again?” I need you to hear me clearly, just because something is trying to resurface does not automatically mean it has regained authority. Just because an old thing tries to get back up does not mean you have to give it its old seat. (Read these scriptures, Matthew 12:43-45, about the danger of a house being empty, you must feel your space with the Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23), and then you can pray Ephesians 4:22-24 and reinforce it with Galatians 5:24-25). You can recognize anger without allowing anger to control your mouth. You can acknowledge fear without allowing fear to make the decision. You can notice jealousy without feeding comparison. You can remember what happened without rebuilding the offense. You can experience temptation without surrendering to it. Some things do not need another funeral. They need continued surrender.

Galatians 5 gives us important context for understanding what it means to crucify the flesh. Paul was writing to believers who were being pressured to place themselves under requirements of the Mosaic law, particularly circumcision, as necessary for belonging to God’s covenant people. Paul strongly defended the freedom believers have in Christ, but he also made it clear that Christian freedom was never permission for sinful living. Galatians 5:13 says, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh.” Then in verse 16, Paul says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Verse 17 explains that the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one another.

Paul does not describe Christian growth as though believers never experience competing desires again. Instead, he points believers toward a Spirit-led life. After describing the works of the flesh, he contrasts them with the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Then Galatians 5:24–25 says, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Notice the movement from crucifying to walking. God is not only showing us what needs to lose authority; through His Spirit, He is developing something different within us.

If anger has governed you, He develops patience and self-control. If jealousy has governed you, He develops love and gratitude. If fear has governed you, He deepens trust. If pride has governed you, He teaches humility. The goal is not merely an empty place where the flesh used to sit. The goal is a life increasingly governed by the Spirit. So, that thing can show up without taking over. Romans 6:12 says, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.” That word reign gives you a picture of rulership. Paul is addressing what you allow to exercise governing authority in your life. Because sometimes you confuse the presence of temptation with the rule of temptation. Don’t confuse having a thought with agreeing with the thought; because you confuse feeling an emotion with being required to obey that emotion. Something can show up without taking over.

Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you.” This does not mean believers never experience temptation. It means sin is not to be allowed the same governing mastery. The thought may knock, but you do not have to invite it in and feed it. The old reaction may rise, but you do not have to release it through your mouth. The memory may return, but you do not have to spend the next hour replaying the offense. Fear may whisper about everything that could go wrong, but fear does not have to write the plan.

Second Corinthians 10:5 speaks of “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Everything that enters our minds does not deserve our agreement. Sometimes discipline requires us to stop and ask, “Where is this thought taking me? Does it agree with God’s truth, or is it feeding fear, pride, offense, lust, comparison, or condemnation?” Your flesh can learn a new language through discipline. Old patterns do not always return looking exactly the way they looked before. Pride may no longer say, “I will never apologize.” It may say, “I will apologize when they apologize first.” Control may say, “I prayed about it, but I still need to make sure everything happens the way I think it should.” Unforgiveness may say, “I forgave them, but I need to keep telling everybody what they did.” Comparison may say, “I am happy for her, but I just do not understand why God has not done that for me.” The language may change while the root remains.

That is why David prayed in Psalm 139:23–24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.” (You need to make this a part of your daily prayer.) Sometimes you need God to show you why a particular comment bothered you  so deeply, why somebody else’s success made you feel threatened, why correction immediately made you feel so defensive, or why you keep returning mentally to something you say you have released. You see the issue is not only what happened, but God is trying to reveal to you what the situation touched inside of you. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Paying attention to our hearts is part of spiritual discipline. We are not examining ourselves so we can condemn ourselves. We are allowing God to reveal what still needs His transforming work.

There comes a point when recognizing a pattern is not enough, as you can become very skilled at explaining yourself without ever changing. You will say, “That is just how I am,” “I have always had a temper,” “I overthink everything,” or “I have trust issues because of what happened to me.” Understanding where a pattern came from can be important but understanding it is not the same as surrendering it. (Whew!) Ephesians 4:22–24 speaks of putting off “the old man,” being “renewed in the spirit of your mind,” and putting on “the new man.” Scripture does not stop with what must be put off. There is also something to put on. If pride rises, practice humility. If comparison rises, practice gratitude. If anger rises, slow down before speaking. James 1:19 tells us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” If fear rises, pray before trying to control the outcome. Philippians 4:6 tells us, “In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Recognition says, “There it is again.” But discipline says, “But I do not have to respond the way I used to.” Sometimes you think growth means something will never bother you again. But growth means recognizing something faster and giving it less room. Has there ever been a time when you could stay offended for months. Then months became weeks, weeks became days, and now you can recognize the offense while it is forming and pray before it settles into your heart. That is growth. Or did fear once controlled your decisions. Now fear may still speak, but you recognize it sooner and bring it to God before changing your plans. That is growth. Maybe you used to react immediately when you were angry. Now you can feel the anger rising and say, “I need a moment before I respond.” That is growth. Do not despise your growth because it does not look like perfection. Philippians 1:6 reminds you that the One who began the good work will continue performing it.

There is one more thing that you should not confuse crucifying the flesh with suppressing every legitimate emotion. Anger can alert you that something is wrong. Grief needs room to be experienced. Fear can sometimes alert you to actual danger. Healthy boundaries may be necessary. Difficult conversations may be necessary. Forgiveness does not always mean restored access. Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not.” Scripture acknowledges the emotion while placing responsibility on your response. The issue is not simply whether you feel something. The question is whether what you feel becomes your ruler.

Just remember these five words, Keep It on the Cross! Because something may try to rise today, but when it does, do not immediately assume you have failed. Recognize it, name it honestly before God, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you respond differently. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” Some things easily entangle us because they are familiar, but familiar does not mean necessary, and familiar does not mean authorized. You do not have to answer every thought. You do not have to replay every memory. You do not have to defend yourself in every conversation. You do not have to prove yourself to everybody. You do not have to control every outcome, respond to every irritation, or reopen everything God has helped you close.

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” The word set requires intention. Sometimes we must intentionally redirect our minds because they naturally want to return to what is familiar. Yesterday you surrendered it. Today it presented itself again and today you have another opportunity to choose differently. If it presents itself tomorrow, tomorrow will bring another opportunity to choose Jesus again. That is not starting over. That is walking. Today, pray Psalm 139:23–24 and allow God to search beneath the surface. Ask Him not only to show you what is happening but also what may be underneath it. Then do not use what He reveals to condemn yourself. Use it as an opportunity to surrender more quickly. Sunshine, you do not have to give an old thing its old seat simply because it remembers where the chair is.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for continuing to work in me. Thank You for loving me enough to show me what needs to change and for giving me Your Spirit to help me walk differently. Father, there are things I have surrendered before that sometimes try to rise again. When that happens, keep me from immediately believing that I have made no progress. Help me understand the difference between something presenting itself and something ruling me. When an old thought returns, help me recognize it without automatically agreeing with it. When anger rises, help me slow down before my mouth gives it a voice. When fear rises, help me pray before trying to control everything. When comparison appears, turn my heart toward gratitude. When pride becomes defensive, give me humility. When an old offense returns to my mind, remind me that remembering what happened does not require me to rebuild what I released. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Show me where pride may have learned new language, where control may be hiding behind concern, where fear may be presenting itself as wisdom, or where unforgiveness may be hiding behind repeated conversations about what someone did to me. Forgive me for the times I have recognized unhealthy patterns but continued giving them permission. Help me stop saying, “That is just how I am,” about things You are trying to transform. My history may help explain some of my responses, but it does not have to determine how I respond today. Holy Spirit, help me walk in You. Produce Your fruit in me so that love becomes stronger than offense, peace stronger than anxiety, patience stronger than impatience, gentleness stronger than harshness, faith stronger than fear, humility stronger than pride, and self-control stronger than impulse. Give me wisdom to know when I need to speak and when I need to remain quiet, when I need a boundary and when I need to extend grace, when I need to confront something and when I need to release it. Teach me to bring my emotions beneath Your wisdom rather than allowing them to govern me. Father, let the time between recognition and surrender become shorter. Let the time between conviction and repentance become shorter. When I recognize an unhealthy response, help me correct it sooner. Make me increasingly sensitive to Your Spirit so that I notice what is happening within me before it grows into something larger. Thank You for reminding me that growth does not always mean I will never struggle again. Sometimes growth means I recognize the struggle sooner, give it less room, respond differently, repent more quickly, and return my attention to You. Yesterday’s surrender belonged to yesterday. Today I choose not to give old things new permission. Let Your Spirit have authority over my flesh, Your truth over my excuses, Your wisdom over my reactions, Your peace over my anxiety, and Your love over my offense. If something tries to rise again tomorrow, remind me that tomorrow will bring another opportunity to choose You. Help me keep surrendering, keep growing, and keep walking. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Nugget: just because an old thing tries to get back up does not mean you have to give it its old seat. Growth is not always the absence of struggle; sometimes it is recognizing the struggle sooner and refusing to let it rule you again. Some things do not need another funeral; they need continued surrender. Recognize it, surrender it, and keep walking.

Blessings…

Love, Dr. Jean…