How to Feed Our Inner Man

 

*How To Feed Our Inner Man* 

 ```*God's Knowledge is Food for the Inner Man*``` 

"Last week we talked about *who's inner man* "

(Jere 3:15 NKJV) “And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

In this Old Testament prophecy, God promises that he will supply true shepherds who will feed his people with his true knowledge. Obviously, knowledge does not feed our natural outer man; and because this Scripture passage cannot be untrue, we see that knowledge must be the food of the "inner" man.

If we feed our inner man the right diet, and exercise him, he will grow.

(1 Peter 2:2 NKJV) “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

Even the “milk” of the word will enable you to grow. Obviously, for spiritual strength we need both spiritual food from God’s true knowledge, and we need some spiritual exercise.

(1 Timo 4:7 MSG) “Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please!” 

Like with natural food, the best policy is to feed your “inner man” with God’s word several times a day (See: Psalm 1:1-3), and to do the spiritual exercises of faith, prayer, and warfare daily—along with the continuous advance of expanding forward: not shrinking back (Heb. 10:39).

(2 Cor4:16 NKJV) “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

Jesus understood this principle: the very first issue with which the devil tempted him was regarding God’s word being food. 

Jesus understood the priority of ingesting only God’s truth into his spirit, and he refused to compromise. 

He declared that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God; God’s knowledge assimilated, understood, and applied is the true supply of “life”.

(We should say here that an unending supply of life through this process is “eternal” life!)

(Matt 4:4 NKJV) But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

(Pro 4:20-22 NKJV) “My son, give attention to my words; … For they are life to those who find them.”

Our inner man is our spirit man; also called the “hidden man of the heart”:

(1 Peter 3:4 KJV) “But let it be the hidden man of the heart …” 

Our spirit man can be strong or weak, clean or filthy—depending on what we do:

(Luke 2:40 NKJV) “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”

(Ephes 3:16 NKJV) “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.”

(2 Cor7:1 NKJV) “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

Today, I encourage you to feed on God’s word: it will strengthen your inner man, and cleanse your spirit. The mind renewal it brings will transform your perceptions of reality until you live as though God’s word is true—instead of living by the dictates of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Then you can be strong in spirit like Jesus—if, along with the spiritual nutrition of God’s word, you exercise your faith daily.

When your spirit is strong, you will be able to resist temptation, and push forward with vision, holy living, and righteousness. 

Our spiritual exercises obviously include lots of prayer, including prayer to be strengthened in the inner man by God’s Holy Spirit:

Jesus Christ is coming soon ‼️ 

(Mark 14:38 NKJV) “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

2 Timothy 3:1-5kjv

3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fits.