Wednesday,
January 22, 2020
THE CONFLICT OF FLESH AND SPIRIT!
Gal 5:16-17
16 This I
say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the
flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these
are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would.
Rom 7:15
15 For I do
not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or
accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [which my moral
instinct condemns].
AMPLIFIED
Why do we have such a difficult time
living the spiritual life
and obeying God’s wishes? When such an one as Paul had conflict, how can we
hope to do better? The fact is that every believer experiences this struggle.
We want to serve God but we yield to the longings and desires of the flesh
instead. It is so frustrating that Paul groaned, “O wretched man that I am!”
Paul does not mean "the body." The human body is not sinful; it is
neutral. If the Holy Spirit controls the body, then we walk in the Spirit but
if the flesh controls the body, then we walk in the lusts (desires) of the
flesh. The Spirit and the flesh have different appetites, and this is what
creates the conflict. (Warren Wiersbe)
A crucifixion is necessary to solve the problem. Paul
describes it in Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me.”
Perhaps that is what happened to Enoch of old! Perhaps he became so spiritual that
the flesh just fell away. All we know is what the Bible tells us.
“And Enoch
walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Gen 5:24
Dear Lord,
like Paul, I sense the struggle of the two natures. One is rebellious and
sensual while the other has a great desire to connect with you and walk with
you. Please capture me and hold me today. I yield myself to your control. AMEN
No comments:
Post a Comment