David Bahn – Reflections

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Here is a conundrum, a paradox: For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. I’m not sure how some people get around this. There are two forces at work in our being that are constantly at war.

Sometimes it is obvious – almost like having a good angel and an evil angel, one on each shoulder. Do this [good thing], the one says. The other, Why would you do that?!? That’s no fun at all. Let’s party! One says, Don’t give in to that temptation. It will ruin your life. The other says, Do you really want to miss out on all the fun?!?

Paul reflected on this truth personally when he wrote, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). We all know that reality. We want to be kind and understanding, but we lose our temper. We know better than gossiping, but we join in on the latest whispers in the break room.

We are saint and sinner. And the surest sign that we are saints is that we have a conscience that troubles us when we sin. The greatest danger signal to our spiritual welfare is when we stop feeling bad about something that we know is not right or godly.

It is not an easy battle. And there are times we might wish to be done with it. But God calls us into this battle, and promises to protect us. Paul will speak of the armor God provides in the next chapter. But for now, we must not grow weary or lose heart because we must fight this battle. Satan seeks to kill and destroy us. The world presses in on us, seeking to shape us into its mold. Our own sinful flesh turns our heads and hearts toward cheap imitations of God’s good gifts.

Thankfully we have the Holy Spirit within us who provides his gifts of joy, peace, love, gentleness, and faithfulness – and others as well. All by his grace. All for our good. We must fight the battles against sin and temptation. But we do not have to fight without the power of the Holy Spirit.