Although becoming a Christian may provide us comfort, it hasn’t made us faultless. We still have a lot of weaknesses, let’s list a few. It is uncommon to find a Christian who is not constrained by at least one of the following: disbelief, cold love, fear, pride, unforgiveness, desire, greed, or any combination of these, as well as the potential for many others.

We excuse ourselves so easily that it’s challenging to identify the oppressive elements in our lives. These are, after all, our beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions; we support and defend them with the same vigour that we support and protect ourselves.

Proverbs 23:7  “As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.”

In other words, our thought-life contains the essence of who we are. Therefore, we must sincerely acknowledge and admit our need before any true deliverance can happen. We must quit acting as though everything is fine. We must be modest and ask for help. Pride is the first obstacle that God needs to overcome. Because a person will never be free from these enemies within until they are willing to acknowledge that they need deliverance.

We need to be able to discern God’s standard of right in order to see what is wrong with us. All those who have contemplated life, including David in his apotheosis and Job in his depths, have grappled with the same question: What is man? This enquiry is posed by the author of Hebrews as well, but the response he receives lifts us up to see God’s face, and “We… see … Jesus “(Hebrews 2:9).

From the perspective of the Father, Jesus Christ’s life reveals the mystery of man’s identity. “Firstborn among many brethren” is how Romans 8:29 describes Christ. He is the Father’s design for humanity; He is the firstborn of a celestial genesis. When we think about the riddle of humanity, looking to Jesus Christ provides the solution. Hebrews 2:10 and Romans 8:29 refer to Him as both our Saviour and the Indwelling One Who moulds us to Himself.

Let’s not forget that only Jesus is truly Jesus. He produces life that is not just like His own but is His very life as we submit to Him with increasing levels of submission, as we abide in Him, and as His Word abides in us! The fact that Christ Himself is within us satisfies God’s everlasting aim of creating man in His likeness. Our words are given authority when we overcome our shortcomings because the Lord Jesus is present within us, making them formidable weapons in our arsenal.

We must therefore learn to examine any ideas or behaviours that don’t follow Jesus’ example and teachings with an impartial eye. Those views must be written down, and bad attitudes must be executed. We must enable His increased presence to permeate our spirits to the point that we not only believe in Him but also believe as He does. We will then naturally express His love, His thoughts, and His desires just like fruit on a vine.

Therefore, after pride, the second enemy within which much be defeated is doubt. To even contemplate that becoming more like Christ is not possible, is what prevents us from experiencing greater spiritual reality and victory. Becoming more like Christ is not only feasible, but also our destiny, so this falsehood and the chains it creates on our souls must be removed from our life.

So, let’s use this opportunity to pray. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and ascend. The myth that you won’t ever be like Christ, which is a stronghold of disbelief, can start to crumble right now.

2 Corinthians 10:5  “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”