Flesh or Spirit? That is the Questions.
Philippians 2: 1-24 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God, something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 1and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Wow!!! There is such a beautiful message in this section of scripture. Verse’s 7 & 8 really spoke to me. Jesus himself who is God made himself a servant. He humbled himself even to the point of dying of the cross. Christ himself served others and put others needs before his own. He served God as an obedient child even unto death. Verse’s 3-5 tells to not be selfish or think everything is about us. We should put others first. We should look out for each others interest. Can you imagine what this world would be like if God’s children actually put this into practice. I would venture to say we would have no orphans, food stamps or a welfare system. The problem is we are to self centered as a majority. We think, I earned this, I produced this, this is mine! It’s all about me, me, me! The scriptures we just read show us a different way to conduct our lives than we see going on in the world today.
The problem with Christianity today is we live our lives to satisfy the flesh. I can tell you your flesh is never going to help you get spiritual. The more you feed it the more it wants. We have to make a choice daily. Am I going to walk in the ways of the Lord (in the spirit) or am I going to live to satisfy my physical desires (in the flesh)
To help us understand the difference between having a life that is directed by our own fleshly desires verses a life that is guided by the spirit lets look at some scriptures that describe the fruits of each life style.
Galatians 5:16-24 (NIV) So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (flesh). For the sinful nature (flesh) desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature(flesh). They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (multiple sexual partners); idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord (lack of unity), jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions (contentious quarreling), factions (cliques’) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
When we were born again and became God’s child or for short, Christian, we received a new nature. The Nature of God or Holy Spirit as some call it. But we didn’t lose our old sinful nature. It, unfortunately, is still with us. Romans 7: 4-25 into Ch. 8: 1-17 tells us about the war that goes on within us. (Take time to read in on your own) This is the Christian life in a nutshell. Our Christian journey is moment by moment choosing to allow our new nature, God’s nature, to have control over our body and dying to (not choosing) our own selfish sinful desires.
You might be wondering why is it important for us to choose to walk in the spirit. One reason I believe it is important is because that is the only way we will be able to stand against Satan whose sole purpose is to kill and destroy us. Satan is a Spirit. We do not have the power within our flesh to stand and survive whatever he brings against us. To give you a visual, that would be kind of like showing up to a gun fight with a toothpick. It is only through the spirit that we can have victory over the Scheme’s of the Satan.
Another reason we shouldn’t live daily satisfying our fleshly desires, walking in the flesh as some say, is we cannot please God. Romans 8: 8 tells us this. (Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God)
In Closing, let us daily choose God. Let us close the gap on our broken moments with God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Take captive every thought and determine whether it is of God or not. If it is not then kick it out. The battle with daily living is won in our minds. Renew your mind daily with God’s word and pray continually.