I Beat My Body

 Psalms 122; 1 Corinthians 9-11

“Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

1 Corinthians 9:26, 27

Our greatest fight is not against spiritual forces opposing the gospel, or even against other Christ-followers who view issues or strategy, or theology differently than we do. No, our greatest fight is against our own sinful nature which has been crucified with Christ, but still resists the grace of God in our lives. Paul beat his body to make it his slave because he knew the potential for temptation and habits to find agreement with his sinful nature. In our pre-salvation state, we “gratify the cravings of our sinful nature (Ephesians)” without restraint. However, once receiving the grace of Christ we have been set free from the power of these cravings as long as we refuse to feed them. Feeding sin and fighting sin are contradictory behaviors which Paul warns us could disqualify us from the prize.

Is our body our slave?

Or, is our sinful nature still determining our thoughts, behavior, and habits?

The time to fight is now!

“Lord Jesus, you defeated sin and set me free, for your glory.”