Galatians 5:16-18
16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
There is Hope! You see, we war against our sinful nature as Christians. This is the “6 inch battlefield” that we refer to in our minds. Our nature (the flesh) wants us to act in a worldly way. We were born into the world, so therefore it is natural. As Christians, we are born into Christ, who sets us free from these things.
We are powerless to control our tendency to do the wrong thing. But God has enabled us to do this through His Spirit within us, if we will listen. You see, people who don’t know about God, who don’t recognize sin, who haven’t paid attention just have no clue. But, those of us who have been exposed to the Law, to Christ, and are even believers and followers of Christ, we know better. Problem is, we can’t always resist. Luckily, “I can do anything through Him who strengthens me.”
If we follow the guidance of the Spirit, we are freed from the burden of trying to follow the Law and the ramifications of failing to do so. Rather, we sacrifice our shortcomings to God and He takes care of the rest. Certainly, it isn’t always an easy thing to do, but it is a habit we can form. A habit of sacrifice and listening to the Spirit and allowing it to guide us and give us strength.
We know the difference between right and wrong, yet we still choose to do wrong. Because the flesh is weak. So why do we listen to and rely on the flesh? Why don’t we utilize the Spirit that is willing?
If we walk by the Spirit, God will not only strengthen us to resist temptation, he will keep us from temptations we cannot resist. How are you walking today?
