If you don’t believe that ‘spirits’ can become attached to simple physical needs and appetites (that are God-given), then you are choosing ignorance and darkness over truth and light. (John 3:19-20)

Have you never watched shows that focused on ‘eating disorders’, highlighting the journeys of people who mask past wounds by piling on weight by the hundreds of pounds (my 600-pound Life); or listened to the testimonies of women who suffer from ‘Anorexia’ and all they see ...when they look at their ‘skin and bone bodies’ in a mirror...is a ‘fat person’?

And for the life of me, I don’t even want to know how...or why any human could find ‘sexual fulfillment’ by engaging in ‘sexual activities’ with young children, or babies...and yes...even animals; but there is no shortage of people who do. I also have a hard time believing that an adult just wakes up one morning and begins to engage in such activities on a whim. There usually is a ‘story’ behind such activity that leads to such despicable things. (Matt. 12:43-45; Mark 5:15). And if given more background to those tragic stories...we might learn there was a point in time, in many of those cases, where, yes...the ‘devil was given a foothold’ (Eph. 4:27; Matt. 12:43-45).

If you are just joining us, we began a study two days ago looking at two areas that many people, (believers and unbelievers alike), tend to have serious ‘struggles’ with that can lead to ‘sins...that so easily ensnare us’ (Heb. 12:1). It’s one thing to repent and turn from such sins like...murdering people, robbing banks, or beating your spouse and kids; but it’s another thing altogether when it comes to ‘controlling’ our bodies when fulfilling legitimate physical needs like eating food and enjoying sexual intimacy with one’s spouse. Yes, God designed that for husbands and wives who are ‘joined together in matrimony’, but we’ll come back to that later.

Proverbs 23:2 offers up this piece of advice: “put a knife to your throat If you are a person given to appetite.” There is much wisdom in that statement to consider, without taking it literally. We are to be in control of our bodies, and not the other way around. But the moment you try to make this some ‘legalistic’ practice to impose on others, including yourself...you’ve missed the point all together.

The Apostle Paul uses two different examples to illustrate the mindset that we as followers of Jesus should have in our day to day living. In his second letter to Timothy, he writes how we should ‘endure hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ’. He then reminds us that no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life so he may please him who enlisted him as a solder’ (2 Tim. 2:3-4) And who exactly is our ‘warfare’ involved with, according to Eph. 6:12, 2 Cor. 10:3-4, and 1 Pet. 5:8?

Interestingly, Paul also mentions to Timothy right after the ‘soldier’ illustration this idea of how ‘athletes’ compete (5). Now flip back to 1 Cor. 9:24-27 and read where he expounds on this idea of how disciplined those who compete in physical events are ‘temperate in all things’ (1 Cor. 9:25), citing them as examples for us who follow Jesus. Hence, his reason for sharing how he “disciplines his body and makes it his slave’...(27), and not the other way around. Need I remind anyone that nobody becomes a ‘champion athlete’ overnight? But serious athletes realize there is a ‘daily dying’ that one commits to if they want to ‘win the prize’, and you have to start somewhere.

I will be honest with you here...this has been an ongoing ‘learning experience’ for me as I have tried to find that consistent balance of mastery when it comes to ‘eating to live vs. living to eat’. As Paul admits: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Phil. 3:12).

But going back to the ‘spiritual component’ to such struggles, one need not be overly consumed with looking for a ‘demon behind every donut’; but let’s also be reminded that we do have a spiritual enemy and we are “not ignorant of his devices and schemes’ (2 Cor. 2:11). I have shared here in the past of my own personal testimony and the very first lesson I was taught within hours after ‘giving my life to Jesus’, which included a very ‘eye-opening encounter’ with ‘spiritual forces of darkness. The Holy Spirit was not prepping me to be afraid of them, but to be cognizant or aware of them throughout my walk, which Peter advises us to do as well (1 Pet. 5:8-9). In fact, that is how I came to give up smoking cigarettes ‘cold turkey’ early on.

Talking with another believer at work, I was still trying to process that such a ‘devil’ truly existed, and I remember him casually saying that this ‘entity’ does whatever he can to compel us to ‘destroy our temples’ (1 Cor. 6:19). I took that as a ‘challenge’ and decided I was not going to let anyone or anything control my actions that would lead to my harm or destruction...and I quit smoking that night. I also stumbled across this verse which brought more sobering clarity: “God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Cor. 3:17). So there is that to consider as well.

One last note of interest to consider when it comes to ‘bringing our bodies into subjection’, as Paul mentioned. We will address the area of sexual fulfillment tomorrow, but when it comes to satisfying both areas of ‘need’, we are advised to actually set a time aside where we abstain from both. Jesus did not say ‘IF... you fast’, rather He said ‘when you fast’ (Matt.6:16-18).

“Think over the things I am saying [grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you insight and understanding in everything.” (2 Tim. 2:7)