God created us as spiritual beings. God thought of us before we were conceived in our mother’s womb. God created us with a purpose and He has written a book about us. However we live in a body that is fallen. It was not God’s perfect will that we should eat of the fruit of the tree of good and evil. However Adam and Eve fell from grace and we too are stained with sin. This means that we will have to choose each day whom we will serve. This has been the conflict down through the ages. God has provided a way of escape but sinful flesh continues to want its own way. One way to manage the longings of our sinful desires is to distance ourselves from them. This is similar to being crucified to the flesh.
Distancing
Distancing is a strategy that helps us objectify what we struggle with in the flesh. If we are addicted to porn than distancing ourselves from this will help us see this habit outside ourselves. This enables us to have more control of this desire and help us stop it. This can be applied in any area where an idol has replaced Christ as Lord. An idol is anything or person who distracts us from the Lordship of Jesus. It can be your wife or children or even a hobby. Satan’s strategy is to distract us from serving Christ with all our heart, mind and strength. We need to cast all our cares upon Him and never relent till He is Lord over all.
Externalisation
Distancing is a strategy I have found helpful. When one is able to distance one self we are able to see the offending person, thing or habit as external to ourselves. This is a form of separation. We are called to be separate from the world so that the world does not have an influence over us. Too many have given in to the pressure from the world and compromised. Now is the time to be separate as a body, holy and pure for our soon coming Bride.
