Don’t Give in to the Flesh

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. – Romans 8:12-13

Our sinful nature always wants to do what is contrary to the Spirit. But when we say we belong to God, it is important to do only what God says. This is not to say that as believers we will not sin, but sin no longer has control over our lives. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to say no to sinful ways if we make the choice to do so. Why must we always choose the spiritual way? We choose this path for our own safety and health. When we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit and decide to serve God, we don’t do it because we are afraid of what God will do if we don’t; we do it because we love God as He first loved us and we are His children.

As believers, we must choose to be controlled by the Spirit and not the flesh. We are not to oblige the flesh because all it brings is destruction. We may get a few moments of pleasure but the pleasure does not last. What we stand to gain by succumbing to the flesh will never compare to our eternal inheritance in God – never! It is important to understand that we cannot live the spiritual life in our own strength; we can only do it with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. The sin nature is very powerful and it will always overpower our own will any time of the day. We need the Holy Spirit to help us rise above the temptations of the flesh.

Even if w stumble and fall sometimes, we should never put ourselves down or stay in the valley of spiritual desolation. We must keep the desires of the flesh at bay. If we feel weak and are being tempted, we ought to run to God for help. If we make mistakes, we must never hesitate to return to our God. The key is not to ever give in.