Warring Affection

I'll admit it -- I get a little unnerved when people paint the Puritans as hell-fire and brimstone legalists. We're greatly indebted to the Puritans for many reasons. One reason in particular is the emphasis on our affections. Reading Edwards was my first introduction to this language. How do you kill sin? How do you defeat the siren call of a familiar temptation? A greater, more glorious affection.

THERE are two ways in which a practical moralist may attempt to displace from the human heart its love of the world - either by a demonstration of the world's vanity, so as that the heart shall be prevailed upon simply to withdraw its regards from an object that is not worthy of it; or, by setting forth another object, even God, as more worthy of its attachment, so as that the heart shall be prevailed upon not to resign an old affection, which shall have nothing to succeed it, but to exchange an old affection for a new one."

Thomas Chalmers' sermon "The Expulsive Power of a New Affection."

One particular place that the Spirit takes me to stir my affections for Jesus is a good stroll through Romans 6. It's like a commander reminding me who I am in Jesus as I recall those familiar lines. More than an old friend, it's a war companion--a foxhole brother. As I read, I prayerfully ask God to allow the Holy Spirit to conquer all warring affections with the object of affection -- Jesus.

What are ways that the Spirit has been stirring your affections for Jesus instead of old affections for other things?