Articles

Maintaining Your Transformation

By Barabara Boakye-Yiadom, vancouver

The theme for the COP Canada Youth Ministry in 2004 was taken from Romans 12:2

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will”

When we make the decision to follow Christ, we make the mistake of thinking that it is going to be very easy to change our lifestyles. Once we come to the Lord and forsake the world, the devil works overtime trying to make us go back to our old ways.

In 2  Cor. 5:17 (NIV), Paul tells us that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come. If that is the case, why do we sometimes fall back into our old ways? The answer is that we forget that in order for God to change us, we have to surrender our will to him and make the personal choice to overcome temptations. We also sometimes rely on our own strength because we underestimate the devil.

To keep our minds renewed and to stand firm in Christ, we need to understand as stated in Ephesians 6:12 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. This battle cannot be fought with just attending church on Sundays, contrary to what some believe.

Therefore, we are encouraged to put on the full armor of God so that we can win this battle. The battle can only be won with constant prayer and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. If we don’t know what the word of God says, then how can we know what God’s will for us is and what we must do when temptations arise? Hosea 4:6 says, my people perish for lack of knowledge (NIV). It is because we do not know or live the word of God that we so easily fall back into our old ways. Further, we must walk by the spirit so that we do not please the flesh. We must set our hearts and mind on things above, not on earthly things. (Col. 3:1-2, NIV).

This year, it is my prayer that we will put on the whole armor of God to win the battle through constant prayer as well as the study and practice of the Word.