We are a new creature. From spiritual death, we are reborn in the spirit. We have the mind of Christ available to us after rebirth. We are then able to choose death or life. To live carnally after the flesh is death, to live after the spirit is life. Crucify the flesh, choose to follow the spirit.
— What you fill yourself with gains influence over your heart.
Your heart softens to what you spend time on. What you spend time doing, reading, hearing, or watching. Your heart hardens to what you do not spend time on.
— What you dwell on gets greater influence over your heart.
You tend to become what you focus your attention on.
Your flesh will occassionally “ping” your conciousness with an appetite, lust or desire. Even though your flesh is dead and crucified with Christ, it still tries and convince you otherwise by “pinging” your senses and injecting thoughts (fiery darts) into your mind.
1Co 10:13 No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it.
In addition to the wiles of the flesh, satan communicates with you through your flesh. Even after you have victory over the lusts of the flesh, he will continue to try and tempt you through these lusts. While the flesh is dead, it still tries to act like it isn’t.
The difference between the old man and the new birth is that now you have a choice. Your are no longer a child of satan, instead you have a Heavenly Father. You can make the choice NOT to allow those thoughts to take hold by choosing not to dwell on them.
If you dwell on appetites and desires of the flesh, then those appetites and desires get stronger.
— What you feed gets greater influence over your heart.
If you cater to and feed the flesh, the flesh grows in influence over your heart. Every time you give in to a fleshly desire, that reinforces that desire and it will come back stronger next time.
For example, I have had a history as a nervous eater. I tend to eat when I get nervous about something even when I’m not hungry or have just eaten a regular meal. Every time I give in to an urge to eat when faced with these feelings, I reinforce those feelings and they come back stronger again and again. When I resist these urges, they start off “strong” and eventually weaken the longer I resist them.
— Resist satan, and he will flee
If you resist evil thoughts and lies that attempt to exalt themselves against the wisdom of God, then they will retreat. The more you resist them, the harder your heart becomes toward them and the weaker they will become.
— Flee from tempting situations
While you are to resist satan, don’t purposely hang around in situations where temptations abound.
Don’t get yourself into or remain in situations where temptations could become overwhelming. Follow Joseph’s example and flee from temptation.
— You can change your tastes
The more I read the bible and listen to bible teachings, the more I want to read and hear more. The more I feed the spirit, the more the spirit has influence over me.