Editor’s Note: This fall we will be doing a 10-part series on Flesh vs. Spirit. We hope these ladies’ testimonies will encourage and inspire you to keep pushing through, to keep battling, to keep believing in God’s truth that says you are an OVERCOMER. Though it sometimes feels like we are losing the battle, we have overwhelming victory though Christ and His blood shed on the cross. Be encouraged today!
Do you know that a war is raging inside of you? Do you feel the struggle of spirit vs. flesh? Have you experienced the pull in both directions: to follow God or worldly desires? Are you asking yourself, “How do I overcome? How do I have victory over sin?”
The flesh thinks it knows everything, and it wants us to follow it, but the flesh always wants what feels good. The Spirit, on the other hand, lets our flesh know that what feels good to us is not always good for us. The flesh will tell you the easy way, but not the best way. The Spirit will always tell you the right way. In (Luke 9: 23-27) Jesus tells the disciples, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I’m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed….”
Wow! That last sentence is enough for me to continue the war within my flesh daily and to tell myself every second to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The flesh makes things sound, look, and taste so good, but the Spirit will let you know that although these things may sound, look, and taste good to you, they are not good for you. Regardless of what the flesh says or how it makes you feel, it will never measure up or defeat the Spirit. The Word of God is powerful indeed; learn how to walk by the Spirit and not carry out the desires of the flesh.
There is a reason why many of us are drawn to a good “spirit vs. flesh” sermon or may have even looked up “spirit vs. flesh” bible verses. We can all relate to this very struggle. We all feel the pull from the Holy Spirit in our heart and the pull from our very own flesh. How can we overcome the desires of the flesh and follow the Spirit? Let’s look a Galatians 5:13-26 New Life Version (NLV):
13 Christian brother, you were chosen to be free. Be careful that you do not please your old selves by sinning because you are free. Live this free life by loving and helping others. 14 You obey the whole Law when you do this one thing, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 15 But if you hurt and make it hard for each other, watch out or you may be destroyed by each other. 16 I say this to you: Let the Holy Spirit lead you in each step. Then you will not please your sinful old selves. 17 The things our old selves want to do are against what the Holy Spirit wants. The Holy Spirit does not agree with what our sinful old selves want. These two are against each other. So you cannot do what you want to do. 18 If you let the Holy Spirit lead you, the Law no longer has power over you. 19 The things your sinful old self wants to do are: sex sins, sinful desires, wild living, 20 worshiping false gods, witchcraft, hating, fighting, being jealous, being angry, arguing, dividing into little groups and thinking the other groups are wrong, false teaching, 21 wanting something someone else has, killing other people, using strong drink, wild parties, and all things like these. I told you before and I am telling you again that those who do these things will have no place in the holy nation of God. 22 But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things. 24 Those of us who belong to Christ have nailed our sinful old selves on His cross. Our sinful desires are now dead. 25 If the Holy Spirit is living in us, let us be led by Him in all things. 26 Let us not become proud in ways in which we should not. We must not make hard feelings among ourselves as Christians or make anyone jealous.
My prayer is that spending time in the Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with one another, and learning to discern the Holy Spirit’s activity within us will help us all defeat the flesh and walk in the freedom of the Spirit on a daily basis.
We would like to thank Georgia Wall for writing this post.
Women's Ministry 