Galatians 6:8-9 KJV 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
We must continue in the Spirit, pressing on and not growing too weary to finish. We do not understand what we are accomplishing in the Spirit. If this was a physical war and you were standing between your loved ones and the enemy, nothing would stop you. You would fight until death if necessary. Just because it is not physical does not mean that it is not a war.
Ephesians 6:12 EasyEnglish You need to be strong because we are not fighting against human enemies. No, but instead we are fighting against the rulers and the powerful spirits that have authority over this dark world. We are fighting against powerful bad spirits who live in the heavens.
When you fast, you are going to have to press on through it. It’s not going to be easy, but with God all things are possible. Your body wants to eat, but we have to control our bodies. I was at work once and had already eaten lunch, but a few hours later I felt very hungry. So, I finally made my way to the break room and ate. Once I was done eating, I was just as hungry as I was beforehand. At that point I told my stomach, “You will no longer determine when I eat. I will tell you when I eat.” Sometimes while I’m fasting my body begins to push back and the hunger sets in. I tend to talk to my flesh at this point like a baby pitching a fit, because it’s not getting its way. I literally have said, “It’s alright, you’ll be okay.”
Go with me here through some scriptures.
Philippians 3:8 BBE Yes truly, and I am ready to give up all things for the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, which is more than all: for whom I have undergone the loss of all things, and to me they are less than nothing, so that I may have Christ as my reward,
Like Paul, we should be ready to give up all things or all food for the knowledge of Christ. This best way to get to this mindset is to give up the most natural thing that we need, food.
Philippians 3:9-19 KJV
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
By fasting we attain a different fellowship with Christ. We purposely cause ourselves to suffer in order to grow closer to Him.
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
We must press toward the mark, the finish line. That is how we must run this race, looking for the finish line. Fasting helps condition us and helps us focus on the right path to run.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Many people have put their stomach in the place of Jesus in their life. They are counted as enemies of Christ. Only desiring what they want and what makes them comfortable.
I left early one morning headed to work. It was cold out and I didn’t pre start my truck to defog the windshield. So I just took off trying to drive looking through a fogged up windshield. Because I was already cold, I didn’t want to turn the defrost on because it was blowing cold air although it actually was clearing the windshield. Well I went to turn onto the main highway and it didn’t seem right. So I stopped and ran my windows down to see what was wrong. I had crossed the highway into a parking lot because I couldn’t see. Then God impressed this to me, “it’s not about your comfort, it’s about you being able to see where you’re going.” This is how it is with fasting. It’s not about our comfort, it’s about clearing our spiritual windshield so we can clearly see where we are headed.
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 ISV 25 Everyone who enters an athletic contest practices self-control in everything. They do it to win a wreath that withers away, but we run to win a prize that never fades. 26 That is the way I run, with a clear goal in mind. That is the way I fight, not like someone shadow boxing. 27 No, I keep on disciplining my body, making it serve me so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified.
We must practice self control in everything. And run with a clear goal in mind, keeping our bodies disciplined, not being a servant to it, but making it be a servant to Christ.
Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Run the race. Jesus was looking at the results of the Cross. He was looking at the finish line. Do the same, look towards the finish line and the results that will come.
Romans 8:18 KJV For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Understand that with fasting you may not always see instant results. It’s like a college student going to school for a certain profession. They can go to school for years, but unless they finish they are not qualified or licensed to be in that profession. They have to go all the way, they have to graduate to the next level. Even after they graduate it may be a little time before they land a job in that profession. They have to find a position to work in. We too have to finish to graduate to the next level. Even then it may be some time before we operate in a new position. It doesn’t mean that we haven’t accomplished what we were supposed to do just because we don’t see instant results. So press on to the end and don’t be discouraged, trust God.