I Have No Reason to Trust My Own Strength to Do What God Wants Me to Do!

Why I consider myself my own worst enemy is because of my pride. I always feel that my pride wants to be fed, I want to rule above everything and remember it was pride that kicked Lucifer out of Heaven. It was pride that caused Lucifer to become Satan the adversary. Whether Satan is near me or not is not the issue because I can't blame him for my poor choices. Instead, my own worst enemy is myself. Romans 7:14-25 has Paul calling himself his own worst enemy. 

It should be pure foolishness for me to believe that I'm saved and I must impress God on my own to do His work. God does expect hard work from the Christian but it's for His glory. He doesn't feed those who are lazy. He expects hard work and He chastises those who are in their times of sloth. But there's another issue. I would be so foolish to believe that I can do God's work without His amazing grace. He didn't save me and just decide to leave me alone. Instead, He gives provision for me to do His work. Remember God provided a ram for Abraham. God provided Noah time to build the ark. God provided Abel the lamb to be offered. God provided the resources for His saints to do His work.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says God won't test me beyond what I am not able. I wanted to doubt it at first but I realize I can do it because He is able. Ephesians 2:8-10 and Titus 2:11-14 has God's grace in action towards doing what God wants the Christians to do. 1 Corinthians 6:11 says that people were delivered from a lifestyle of unrighteousness to a lifestyle of righteousness. It's all about the power of God towards the redeemed person. There's nothing about the person redeeming one's self from that life of sin. If there's any deliverance from sin it's by the grace and power of God.

Jeremiah 17:5 condemns the very idea of trusting in the arm of flesh. Zechariah 4;6 says that victory is by the Holy Spirit. The problem that I struggle is that I have my pride. I want God to applaud me for my own victory rather than me applauding Him I accomplished what He wanted me to do. I might have forgotten before I got saved I was just a goat, a wolf, a useless branch, a tare and that I needed spiritual rebirth to become a sheep, a useful branch and wheat. As 1 Corinthians 6:11 says it that those who were so wicked were delivered from wickedness by the Holy Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 shows the mark of the unsaved man and Romans 3:10-19 shows nobody is ever worthy to inherit God's kingdom and a wicked life is one huge indicator that a person isn't saved.

Power against sin is something I don't have in my flesh so why should I even rely on my flesh? I could resist a few times but remember Samson fell to Delilah's wiles after she prodded him one too many times. Samson thought he could rely on the strength he was entrusted to rather than the One Who provided the strength. Samson was able to slay a thousand Philistines with a donkey's jawbone but when he boasted, God had to submit him to thirst. When Samson became arrogant and self-confident he was soon captured by the Philistines. Many people today try to live the best they can but end up cutting short. Besides, doesn't James 2:10-11 warn that no one is incapable of keeping the whole Law? With that truth in mind why should I even rely on my own sinful flesh to accomplish what God wants. When I got out of a life of sin it was God who delivered me. If he can certainly deliver me away from a life of sin then He will certainly give me the power I need to do more good works that He bids me to do.