Water not Gasoline

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”(Galatians 5:16-18 ESV)

Scripture tells us that we can never be completely sinless while we live in the flesh. The desires that lie in our flesh are contrary to God. The Galatians, like us, started off on the right foot but then began to develop a man-centered way to deal with the desires of the flesh, and they failed miserably. This is why we need spiritual guidance to navigate the inevitable sinfulness of our fleshly existence.

All problems in our life are based in the flesh. Think about it. We overspend and are not good stewards of our money; we succumb to fleshly desires of want and coveting. You are “oversexed”. You have a sexual or pornographic addiction; you succumb to the lusts of the flesh or eyes as a result of the flesh. You are angry and impatient and have turmoil in your life, marriage, and relationships, resulting from the flesh.

Humans cannot overcome the flesh. It is impossible. Paul tells us this: if the flesh leads you, you are led away from the Spirit. If the Spirit leads you, you are led away from the flesh. The problem is that humanity thinks it is so intelligent that it has bewitched itself: psychology, psychiatry, and counseling cannot cure the desires of the flesh. We throw gas on a fire when we try to cure spiritual issues with human intervention. The only way we can battle matters of the spirit is to walk with the Spirit.

The church itself often propagates the failure of sinners. Scripture tells us that a saved heart is filled with the Holy Spirit. When we repeatedly have problems dealing with sin, it is often because we have an unrepentant heart. Many Christians finally come to Christ, realizing they were never saved at all. I personally know those who believe they are saved in Christ, and their actions contradict everything in scripture; they have a myriad of life problems, family problems, and work problems. All problems come from the flesh.

The only way to overcome the struggles of the flesh is to walk with God, immerse oneself in scripture, and live in prayer. Living in prayer means relying on the Spirit. We cannot quell the turmoil in the human heart, but the Spirit can. Paul tells us,  “For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” God knows our hearts and what we think and do. Because of this, those who Christ has saved can rely on the Spirit for everyday guidance through prayer.

Every problem we have is based on our flesh. The flesh cannot resolve spiritual matters. Only the Spirit of God can overcome the difficulties of the flesh. If you have a problem with repetitive sin, pray constantly to the Spirit, especially if there are triggers that set off these desires. Do not succumb to them, but pray to the Spirit to overcome these desires. Peace, love, understanding, strength, self-confidence, assurances, and many more answers to the problems of the flesh reside in our walk with the Spirit.

Before you go throwing gasoline at a fire, hoping to extinguish it, pray to the Spirit. A spring of holy water will well up inside you and extinguish the most consuming fire of the flesh.

Grace and Peace!