Many Christians are in the wilderness and don’t even know it. Look at all the people that came out of Egypt. Did they not complain about their circumstances? “And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread. So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” How many Christians do you know who complain? Their complaining is keeping them in the wilderness.
Ever since Adam and Eve ate from the tree, people have been in the wilderness being controlled by the devil and his demons. Sin keeps you in the wilderness. Look back at the passages above, they complained against God. By doing this, they stayed in the wilderness. The promise land for us is in the spirit. Our life is there with Christ, but many don’t want to enter because they want to have their passing pleasures of sin. “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Our life is hidden in Christ, but many don’t want this life in the spirit. Tests will come against your flesh to see if you are going to live in the spirit. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” The tests come and how you react is where you are living from. Read Matthew 13. Jesus’s cousin John gets his head chopped off, and Jesus stays in the spirit, heals people, feeds 5000, and walks on water because He stayed in the spirit.
I pray that the eyes of understanding be enlightened to how devastating sin is. Calling yourself a sinner saved by grace keeps you in the wilderness and undresses you of your armor. You will never see yourself as the righteousness of God. In other words you won’t put on righteousness as a breastplate. See how the enemy undresses you. Be blessed, my friends.