“Does Joseph Chambers live here?” he asked. His voice was loud and belligerent and sent a dread all over me. It was very clear that he was here on business -- evil business. I’m a strong man and a good challenge suits my taste. While I quickly thought of my skills of quoting Scripture, I remembered that he was only a fallen angel, though he was the strongest of all the fallen angels. As I considered my challenge, I suddenly remembered the helplessness of flesh in spiritual warfare. My common sense was quickly reminding me of those I have known that had been defeated in spiritual warfare.

Suddenly, my life in Jesus Christ became my only focus. I looked straight at the devil and said with the deepest of confidence, “No, Joseph Chambers does not live here. Jesus Christ lives here and He is my Lord of all.” You should have seen the devil’s reaction.

Great beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. His color turned ashen and shallow. A sense of trembling fell on his appearance, and his great demeanor of belligerence vanished. He tried to argue, but his voice failed him. You would have thought I had detonated an atomic bomb. In a flash, he disappeared into the darkness.

This little story is borrowed from a great saint of the past and is used to remind us of the only victory in our spiritual struggles. Our simple hope is in Jesus Christ. The flesh wants so badly to be king and to manifest its great skills. In almost every challenge that we face, our first thoughts are usually about how strong and capable we think we are. The flesh is rooted in pride, self-confidence, and, yes, self-righteousness. The greatest difficulty of our day is with our unsanctified old man.

But Jesus Christ is calling us to a return to New Testament Christianity. Humanism has taken over the church exactly as it has taken over the secular world. We are giving great attention to sermons, books, and other teachings on self-esteem and self-worth. The problem is exactly the opposite.

The Biblical message says to deny the flesh and all of its strengths and to totally experience a New Birth. In the New Birth, the flesh is crucified and put to death so Jesus Christ can be “all and in all” (Colossians 3:11b). Apostle Paul testified of this beautiful, exciting, and happy place in Christ. “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: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:9-10).

God’s eternal Spirit is ready to fill the soul and body with this new life when the flesh is dead or “out of control.” “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11).

Say it with me, inserting your name, “No, Joseph Chambers does not live here. Jesus Christ lives here.” “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).