Whose Team Are You On?

We live in a world today full of sports fanatics! Either you're pulling for this team or another! The players are literal idols that are being worshipped and payed more money than you and I will ever see!

But in our spiritual lives, as Christians, we must choose, too, a team to pull for! This is a daily choosing...kind of like I am, after Carolina and WVU are out of the tournaments, I just choose to pull for who is winning on that day!...but anyway, the two teams stand: Team One, God and the new man and Team Two, the Devil and our flesh. Each team is fighting for the win in the daily games of our lives, but instead of a fun, exciting game of basketball or baseball or even football, they are fighting to win our lives, our testimonies!

You are probably thinking...oh, it is so easy then to choose which team to be on! Look are what Paul had to say about his own life:

Romans 7:15-21 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Just like I was saying, there are two "teams" warring in us, playing in us. As Christians, we are made new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), but we still have that old flesh, Romans 7:22-23 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Ok...so here we have it...two distinct teams raging in our lives for the victory. Of course, we know that when we come to the end of our lives, yes, we will have victory as Christians...but I believe that the Lord desires for us to live a victorious Christian life today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our Christian lives! (Romans 8:37)

We may think that it is easy to choose between the two (getting back to what I was saying... :D), and yes, some days will be easy! The games will be easy, but either way, we have a choice on the hard days and the easy days.

Romans 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

We must make a choice to serve on the team with the Lord...we must do our part to win the "game"!

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

The Devil and our flesh are constantly going to be whispering lies...they never play fair, but we have some mighty weapons of our own! BUT we must put them into practice! I was reading an article in the Christian Womanhood magazine about this very thing, and I thought that I would share some of the things, they shared to help win the "game" over our flesh and the Devil.

They first said like I said that there are two distinct thought patterns in a Christian's life (teams), and we must choose between serving our flesh and the Devil with one of the patterns and serving Christ with the other (death thoughts and life thoughts).

Death Thoughts: (lies from our flesh and the Devil)

1. Criticism (thoughts that cause division in our relationships)

2. Self-criticism (thoughts that you are worthless, stupid, etc)

3. Daydreaming (ex. imagining affairs, evil thoughts, etc.)

4. Judgment (forming opinions of others without knowing much about them, etc.)

5. Worry

6. Suspicion (assuming people cannot be trusted)

7. Evil foreboding (always feeling that something bad is going to happen)


Life thoughts: (thoughts that serve God)

1. Thoughts about God (choosing to think about what is good about God!)

2. Thoughts about God's love (ask God to show you everyday some way He loves you!)

3. Thoughts about God's power

4. Thoughts of praise (about God, your husband, children, church, family, etc.)

5. Thoughts about the Bible

These life thoughts will help us choose to be on the right team! This is our part on the team to choose to serve God with our thoughts, casting down those death thoughts and tactics of the Devil and our flesh! As we do that, the Lord will do His part on the team to gain the victory! As for me, I want to be on the right team! With the Lord's help, I'm going to choose to play on His team!