Our Bodies as Instruments of Righteousness

Our Bodies as Instruments of Righteousness

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Rom. 6:12-13.

There has always been war in the spirit world, and this war is increasing in intensity as the end is drawing nearer. “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Rev. 12:12.

The Antichrist, the lawless one, will be revealed according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders. 2 Thess. 2:9.

The spirit powers—both the evil and the good ones—are powerless in the battle without bodies. A human body is therefore valuable in this war, whether it is for the one or the other power. Our bodies are the instruments of these spirit powers. We need to understand the significance of this so that, as never before, we can present our bodies as instruments of righteousness to God.

Evil spirits try to gain control over our bodies through the lusts. Paul writes, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” This is where we can put a stop to the evil powers’ activity. Yes, God be praised that this is possible by the Spirit of Christ that dwells in us. This glorious and liberating message is addressed to us: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Gal. 5:16.

We are set free from sin and can become servants of righteousness. Rom. 6:18. In this state we are valuable to God in this war. However, we ourselves must present our bodies as instruments. Here we become more or less important, all according to our effort and faithfulness. We have been elected to gain the victory, and we must not make allowance for the smallest thought of defeat, because then we will immediately become an instrument in the enemy’s hand.

The devil is always on the lookout for instruments that he can use, and even if we are asleep to the seriousness of the matter, he is not. A war is being fought in the spirit world at every meeting, and our silence and sluggishness can become an instrument on behalf of Satan. All of us must resist him strongly in the faith so that he flees from us. 1 Pet. 5:8-9.

We must never believe that we are weak and incompetent. All of us are mighty instruments in God’s hand. Instruments of love and righteousness are much stronger than instruments of hate and unrighteousness. A tongue in the service of the good powers is much stronger than all kinds of tongues in the service of evil powers. We can also read this in Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me.”

Think to take possession of this inheritance and this righteousness, even in your youth! Then life will become exceedingly significant, rich, and interesting. A little flock of those who were called, chosen, and faithful fought bravely together with the Lamb and overcame the beast and the evil powers. Rev. 17:14.

Behind the sinners are powers of darkness, which are the source of all kinds of evil. The tongue sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. Jas. 3:6. The devil himself is behind all this, always demanding what is his. “For the wages of sin is death . . . .” Rom. 6:23.

Behind the overcomers are all the good powers that are the source of everything that is good and edifying. All of heaven is interested in seeing it succeed for the overcomer and is waiting to receive the obedient and faithful servant with rejoicing and joy into the heavenly mansions, as soon as he has finished fighting his last battle.

May God open our eyes so that we can see the rich and abundant opportunities we have when we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God. Rom. 12:1. As a reward we will receive an incorruptible and immortal, glorified body. 1 Cor. 15:53. Our human tendencies in our body are not to rule over our spirit. Christ offered Himself through the eternal Spirit. Heb. 9:14. If our body is tired, for example, that is not sufficient reason to stay home from the meeting. Through the Spirit of Christ we put our body in subjection and lead it to the meeting, and wherever else it can do as much as possible of eternal value. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Rom. 8:14.