Are our actions influenced by our carnality or Satan?

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Barb

Good thread, PO...

While reading the comments of others, this Scripture dropped in my inner beings...

James 1:14

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
KJV

Not sure where this verse is leading us here, but wanted to share it anyway...

Excellent, Barb. Thanks for the addition.

If both are working together - flesh and Satan, if brings more meaning to the scripture, "Gird up the loins of your mind."

That is very expressive as it is really saying, "Don't let your mind reproduce bad things".

Reminds me of these words to the song, "He's Been Faithful":

When my heart looked away
The many times I could not pray
Still in love, My God was faithful to me...

If everything bad is satan, and everything good is God... what part is just us?

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

If everything bad is satan, and everything good is God... what part is just us?

And that is basically what this whole discussion is about.

[Malvaro]

Are our actions influenced by our carnality or Satan?

potentially both....

[Ron]

Satan is a Roaring lion not only seeking who he may devourer but those with whom he has a "commonality" or a "willingness" to yield to his influence.

I am my own worse enemy, but sometimes the Devil comes around looking for some weekness that he may exploit, some itching ear that will listen to his voice.

Annanias & Saphira did not have to listen-there is still free will.

JMHO

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

If everything bad is satan, and everything good is God... what part is just us?

Seems we are in the middle being pulled both ways. If we pull toward fleshy desires, Satan becomes involved. If toward God, certain victory.

Romans 8:6-7 "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

James 4:1 "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?"

Eph 4:27 "Neither give place to the devil."

So, if the Word says, James 1:14 "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.".....

and

Romans 8-10 "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."

Is this speaking of more than just being filled with His Spirit - "And if Christ be in you"?

I say that because we have all, I'm sure, been sorely tried after a wonderful service or prayer meeting. It's like - WHAM - trying to set you back.

Because if you were ever having "Christ in you", that would be the best time to claim that - emphatically!

I'm not claiming a perfection doctrine here and it isn't anyway near my point. My point is, which comes first the chicken or the egg.

It may be as simple as - our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags!

If I view this as a sine wave with everything above zero as God and everything below zero as satan... then what is the point of us even existing if we are just puppets flatlined at zero and everything above or below the flatline is an outside influence?

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

If I view this as a sine wave with everything above zero as God and everything below zero as satan... then what is the point of us even existing if we are just puppets flatlined at zero and everything above or below the flatline is an outside influence?

That's what my brother asked after he graduated from Texas A&M.

I believe the difference is that, in my personal experience and I can only speak for myself, at a weak point in my life temptation came my way and walking close to it I could feel my soul dying and struggled to get out. I could feel old habits, thoughts and words rising up that I thought were dead. Very scary experience. I won because the Lord was on my side. I don't know why. I'll have to ask Him someday.

I think during the strong struggle I went through I was trying to figure out if Satan was doing this to me or was it my flesh. Sometimes it felt like both at different times and sometimes it felt totally flesh and sometimes it felt totally Satan.

I can have more compassion on people that are running a little slower in the race for life. At some point, on the road, you're going to have to make a choice. Do I look back or keep going? What is it worth to my life?

So, having said that - I have no choice. He holds the words of life. That would be my point. I must make Heaven. I can feel His presence. He talks to me in strong ways and I cannot deny He is real.

[Ron]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

If I view this as a sine wave with everything above zero as God and everything below zero as satan... then what is the point of us even existing if we are just puppets flatlined at zero and everything above or below the flatline is an outside influence?

I hear what you are saying, but here's my take on this thing.

There is a conflict between two philosophies, God, & Satan's.
We know it as the conflict of Good vs Evil.
It didn't start in the garden of Eden but began in when Satan arose up in Pride and was cast out of Heaven.

We however are caught in the middle-however with the power of free choice.
Before Salvation came, we had no "real power" to resist sin, however with the
infilling of the Holy Ghost we do have not only the power of choice, but the ability to do so.

In eternity past, how did the Angels know God's distaste of Sin, or how deep the Love of God really is?

I believe this arena called lkife is teaching the Angels (and everyone else) about God.

How can one know the depths of God's Love, unless you had a lifew of sin to contrast it with?

How can you know God's wrath, or perfect judgement on sin without seeing it being pronounced on the fallen angels?

There are lots of comparisons, but I guess it comes down to this-who's philosophy will you choose?

God or Satan?

As for me and my house!


Amen!

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Ron

I hear what you are saying, but here's my take on this thing.

There is a conflict between two philosophies, God, & Satan's.
We know it as the conflict of Good vs Evil.
It didn't start in the garden of Eden but began in when Satan arose up in Pride and was cast out of Heaven.

We however are caught in the middle-however with the power of free choice.
Before Salvation came, we had no "real power" to resist sin, however with the
infilling of the Holy Ghost we do have not only the power of choice, but the ability to do so.

In eternity past, how did the Angels know God's distaste of Sin, or how deep the Love of God really is?

I believe this arena called lkife is teaching the Angels (and everyone else) about God.

How can one know the depths of God's Love, unless you had a lifew of sin to contrast it with?

How can you know God's wrath, or perfect judgement on sin without seeing it being pronounced on the fallen angels?

There are lots of comparisons, but I guess it comes down to this-who's philosophy will you choose?

God or Satan?

As for me and my house!


Amen!

Excellent post. I don't think I can agree with it NOT starting in the Garden of Eden. But you bring up an excellent point. Eve is in perfection, as we teach, yet she is also carnal and goes against what God said or what Adam relayed to her that God said. It doesn't matter how she knew, she knew and didn't obey after listening to the Serpent's enticing way of making her feel she could have more than what she had.

Why and how could that happen in Eden? Does it mean that Satan is able, here and now, to override our thoughts and feelings - to a certain extent?