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Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence— continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

The work God wants to do in you and through you He wants to do in partnership with you.

Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will give you strength, and or sure I will help you. Yes, I will hold you up with My right hand that is right and good.

Your thoughts and emotions have a major influence on your will, and your will has a major influence on the direction of your thoughts and emotions.

Not My Will

The will is the executive faculty of the soul, responsible for directing our actions, thoughts, and emotions.
Jonathan Edwards

The will is the master of the mind and the ruler of the emotions. It has the power to choose our thoughts and govern our feelings, shaping our character and determining our destiny.
Dallas Willard

Will = Driver
Thoughts = Co-Pilot
Emotions = Backseat Driver

Your will is the driver of your destiny, moving you towards goals and dreams, whether you're choosing to steer or not.

Within every born again believer there exists two wills.

The Will Of The Spirit is the will of God, in us.

Which will is in the drivers seat?

Galatians 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Luke 22:42 Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done

Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, owns that a will exists in Him that is in opposition to God’s will and that will is a part of who He was as a man.

In Gethsemane, Jesus grappled with the reality of his human will, acknowledging its inclination toward self-preservation. His surrender to the Father's will exemplifies his victory over sin, even in the midst of profound internal conflict.
Charles Spurgeon

John 4:34 My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.

We all have a nature, a will, that is in opposition to the will of God, a will that desires what is in conflict with God’s will! 

Romans 8:6 The wisdom of the flesh is death; but the wisdom of the spirit is life and peace.

The will of self has a way, and that way leads to death, and the will of Spirit has a way, and that way leads us to life!

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Submission and Intention

Submission
To live according to the will of the Spirit, we must submit our will to God's will and the leading of the Spirit.

True submission is a continual posture of the heart…

True submission, has to be current, it has to be active, it has to be daily.

The mark of true submission is seen not in our agreement but in our response when we disagree. It's in those moments of disagreement that our submission to God's will and authority is truly revealed.
Timothy Keller

Submission - SUB-MISSION
sub = to get under
mission = assignment

True submission is coming under the assignment of another.

Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The Holy Spirit Has A Will

Acts 16:6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.

forbidden - exercise your will

You can’t exercise a will if you don’t have one.

John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.

Intention
In order to live with the will of the Spirit in the driver's seat, you have to intentionally set your affection on things above through spiritual disciplines.

The will that eats the best wins!

The more we feed our will with desires for righteousness, the more our appetites will align with God's purposes.
John Piper

Galatians 5:16 If you yield to the Spirit's leading, you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.

1. Prayer

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us.
Richard J. Foster

2. Bible Study

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The primary purpose of Bible study is not information, but transformation. The Word of God shapes our will to conform to the image of Christ.
Warren W. Wiersbe

3. Fasting

Isaiah 58:6-7 Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Fasting is the voluntary denial of a normal bodily function for the sake of intense spiritual activity. It is a means of strengthening the will by weakening the flesh.
Charles Spurgeon

4. Solitude and Silence

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Solitude and silence are not empty spaces, but opportunities to encounter the fullness of God's presence. In the quietness of our hearts, we find the strength to surrender our will to His.
Dallas Willard

5. Worship

Psalm 95:6-7 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Worship is the exercise of our spiritual willpower. It's where we declare our allegiance to God and actively choose His ways over our own. In doing so, we become spiritually empowered.
Louie Giglio

6. Service and Generosity

Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Service and generosity are the currency of the kingdom of God. As we give of our time, talents, and resources, our spiritual will is strengthened, and we become co-laborers with Christ in His work of redemption."
John Stott

7. Meditation

Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Meditation on Scripture is not a passive activity; it's an intentional engagement of the mind and heart. Through it, our spiritual will is fortified, and we are equipped to live out God's truth in every area of our lives.
John Ortberg

Spiritual disciplines are the means by which we become the kind of people who naturally express the character and love of Christ. They are like training exercises for the soul. As we practice the disciplines, we begin to live in the presence and power of God. This is the good news of the disciplined life. With new habits, our old 'want to' is transformed into a new 'want to' in Christ.
Dallas Willard

Philippians 2:12-13 work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.