I wake up each day with a firm resolve to trudge the narrow scraggy road that leads to life, to walk in the Spirit and frustrate my (overzealous) flesh. As each day unfolds, I at times detour from my resolve. Sometimes I manage to get back on track without too much tussle. But on other occasions, I need the Lord to literally yank me out of the wide road that leads to destruction. This is the road my flesh relishes.
But why the fierce tussle between the flesh and the Spirit? Is there any respite for believers? It's a tad comforting to realize that even the Apostle Paul had to wrestle his flesh into submission. He confessed that while he intended to do good, he did what he loathed. He wrapped up his lament by branding himself a terrible failure, wondering who would deliver him from his sin (Romans 7:17-25). And while I can be a terrible failure where walking in the Spirit is concerned, I didn't expect to be in the company of the esteemed Apostle Paul.
On one hand, Paul is vulnerable enough to admit his failure in walking in the Spirit. But on the other hand, he urges believers to walk in the Spirit and put to death the works of the flesh. Is Paul contradicting himself? Far from it! He is showing us that although walking in the Spirit doesn't come easy, it is not only God's expectation of His children but also attainable.
“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27
You can easily pick out an athlete from a group of people. Their lean muscular bodies are a testament to the rigorous preparation they go through. They don't have the luxury of leading ordinary, non-strenuous lives. Their days are peppered with activities that enhance their athletic careers. On a normal day, an athlete may have to do some high-intensity workouts, aerobics, strength training, and muscle stretching among others. Their diets also have to be particularly nutrient-dense and balanced.
Paul observes that everyone who competes for the prize in a race has to be temperate in all things. All things. Now, athletes give up ordinary pleasures to obtain perishable crowns. How much more should we lay down earthly pleasures so that we can lay hold of eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12)?
Paul is asserting that there is a way to live as a believer if we are to grow in Christlikeness. We are not to live carelessly or mindlessly. We have to live circumspectly, not as fools but wise (Ephesians 5:15). The flesh will always try to get in the way of us bearing fruit, but we must be disciplined and firm in our resolve. Foundational disciplines for a believer involve consistent prayer, reading the scriptures, and fellowshipping with other believers.
“You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:4
The scriptures record many heroes of faith who paid dearly in their pursuit of God's will. Some were imprisoned and physically battered for their faith. Others were stoned to death, burned alive, crucified, beheaded, slain by the sword, sawn into two, and others hanged. They went the whole nine yards in their quest to please God.
After applauding the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, Paul points us to the Author and Finisher of our faith: Jesus. He urges believers to run the race with endurance while fixing their eyes on Him. He reminds us that we have not resisted sin to the point of bloodshed. In my view, this is where Paul ought to have dropped the mic. That was such a thunderous truth!
Seeing that some believers resisted sin to the point of bloodshed, is there any excuse we can give for satiating our flesh? Jesus was tempted in every way and came out unscathed. Paul advises us to fix our eyes on Him and His resilience. We ought to fight the good fight of faith and not give in to the leadings of our flesh. When tempted to follow the flesh, let's not cave in easily—let's fight the good fight of faith!
"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." James 1:14-15
Cathy logged onto her Facebook account intending to merely peep in for a minute or two. An hour later, much to her horror, she was still there scrolling mindlessly, squandering precious time. It started with a mere desire to keep herself updated, but after entertaining the desire, it morphed into a time-wasting spree.
Our fleshly desires entice us in a certain direction. When we pull a chair for them and flirt with them long enough, they morph into sin. In the scripture above, James implies that it's within our ability to choose whether to follow our desires or not. When we receive Christ, God does not obliterate our fleshly desires. However, He empowers us through His Holy Spirit and abundant grace to master our desires. The onus is on us to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).
Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death..." For those who have not accepted the free gift of salvation by faith in Jesus, this death is permanent. For believers, sin births deadly consequences. It could translate to broken relationships, lost opportunities, stagnation in a career, an unfulfilled life, etc. That's why Jesus urged us to enter by the narrow gate and difficult way that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). The wide road leads to destruction and, sadly, hordes of people trudge through it. We need to see sin for what it isL deadly, destructive, and good for nothing.
“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:8
Our lives are a sum total of how we have been sowing. When we indulge the flesh, satiating its whims and desires, we reap corruption. Paul states that the works of the flesh are evident and lists some of them: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, and revelries (Galatians 5:19-21).
God would have us sow in the Spirit to reap everlasting life. We sow in the Spirit by allowing the Word of God to transform and renew our minds. Jesus taught that the seed is the Word of God (Luke 8:11), and that's what we sow. As such, we must set our minds on the things above and snub earthly things (Colossians 3:2).
We set our minds and meditate on the things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). When we sow in the Spirit, we produce the fruit of the Spirit marked by love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Are there aspects of your life where you have been enticed by your fleshly desires? Like Paul, have you done the things that you didn't intend to do? The good news is that God does not condemn you. He did not send His son to condemn us but to save us. Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery. He forgave her and asked her to live a life free of sin. He knew that sin had devastating effects and sought to redirect her to the way of life. We, too, can choose life by daily purposing to subdue the flesh.
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